The Premier League leaders wrap up 2024 away from home as they face West Ham on Sunday evening.
The Reds continue to boast a healthy buffer at the summit and they can extend their lead over second-placed Arsenal to nine points if they win in East London.
Arne Slot's side have barely put a foot wrong in the first half of the season and are set to compete on multiple fronts on the pitch. They were, of course, in a similar position last year before fading, so the Dutchman will be keen to oversee a alternate ending for the campaign.
of Liverpool the come-from-behind win against Leicester on Boxing Day meaning they have won 13 of their opening 17 league games and are on course for a 93-point season.
Sunday's opponents West Ham have been consistent over the past month, but they are yet to inspire under Julen Lopetegui. The Hammers are unbeaten since losing at Leicester on December 5, but the jury is still out on their Spanish manager.
They have been fortunate to get positive results in their previous two games against Brighton and Southampton, but their surge means they go into Sunday's contest 13th in the table.
Here it is 90 minutes guide to West Ham vs. Liverpool.
West Ham vs Liverpool H2H record (last five matches)
Current form (all competitions)
|
West Ham |
Liverpool |
|---|---|
|
Southampton 0-1 West Ham – 26/12/24 |
Liverpool 3-1 Leicester – 26/12/24 |
|
West Ham 1-1 Brighton – 21/12/24 |
Tottenham 3-6 Liverpool – 22/12/24 |
|
Bournemouth 1-1 West Ham – 16/12/24 |
Southampton 1-2 Liverpool – 18/12/24 |
|
West Ham 2-1 Wolves – 09/12/24 |
Liverpool 2-2 Fulham – 14/12/24 |
|
Leicester 3-1 West Ham – 03/12/24 |
Girona 0-1 Liverpool – 10/12/24 |
|
country |
TV channel/live streaming |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
Sky Go UK, NOW, SKY GO Extra, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Ultra HD |
|
United States |
fuboTV, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, Telemundo |
|
Canada |
fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 3 Canada |
Lukasz Fabianski has impressed for the Hammers of late, but he suffered a nasty head injury in the win over Southampton and is expected to be absent on Sunday. Alphonse Areola will come in for the experienced Pole.
Max Kilman was another casualty from the Boxing Day triumph, but the defender is more likely to feature despite picking up a shoulder injury. Carlos Soler is also a doubt, while the midfield pair Tomas Soucek and Guido Rodriguez are suspended.
Michail Antonio is out indefinitely.
West Ham predicted formation against Liverpool (4-1-4-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Alvarez; Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus, Summerville; Full circle.
Slot has confirmed that Liverpool will once again be without Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate for their final outing of the calendar year. However, the Reds are yet to be troubled by any new concerns.
The Dutchman should be wary of burnout given the busy schedule, but wholesale changes from the Boxing Day XI are unlikely.
Dominik Szoboszlai is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the Premier League season against Leicester, while Luis Diaz could again be used in a central attacking position with Sloti looking to manage Diogo Jota's minutes carefully. Darwin Nunez hasn't done enough to maintain his starting position.
Liverpool predicted formation against West Ham (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jones, Gakpo; Diaz.
These two sides met in the Carabao Cup earlier this season, with Liverpool winning 5-1 at Anfield. This should be a closer game as West Ham face their last game of 2024, but Lopetegui's side will need the Reds to be drastically off the mark to grab a result.
In short, the Hammers haven't been very good. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what they do well. Lopetegui has shown some tactical variation, but West Ham remain a subpar team without the ball and rely on the energy of Jarrod Bowen and the skill of Mohammed Kudus for attacking inspiration.
Their midfield is not an entity and Liverpool should have their way with them on Sunday. However, signs of red fatigue may make this matchup closer than you might anticipate.