Given Newcastle United’s seven-goal thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, West Ham’s destruction of Bournemouth went largely unnoticed, but the three points were no less important for the goal-happy Hammers.
A brace of headers from Michail Antonio and Lucas Paqueta, followed by a brilliant Declan Rice finish, put the game to bed before halftime, and Pablo Fornals saved the best for last with a spectacular scorpion kick at the Vitality Stadium, unleashing his internal Olivier Giroud and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
After also defeating Gent 5-2 on aggregate to advance to the Europa Conference League semi-finals, where they will face Eredivisie powerhouses AZ Alkmaar, things are looking up for the Hammers, who are currently 13th in the table before Tuesday’s games kick off.
While West Ham have a game in hand on the majority of their relegation rivals, they are only six points clear of the relegation zone and are not out of the woods just yet, but Moyes’ side has certainly pushed into gear at an important moment, going undefeated in their last five games in all competitions and losing only one of their last ten.
Since 2023, West Ham has scored goals in all of its top-flight games at the London Stadium, from suffering a 5-1 defeat against Newcastle to roaring back in a 2-2 draw with league leaders Arsenal. However, the hosts have only defeated Fulham in their previous 20 games against top-half clubs.
Diogo Jota scored twice to give Liverpool the lead against Forest, but their opponents managed to equalize twice. Neco Williams, who used to play for Forest, scored against his former team, before Morgan Gibbs-White scored an incredible athletic volley towards the bottom corner.
Liverpool have climbed back into European disagreement in seventh place in the table, though nine points below Manchester United – who have a match in hand – in the final Champions League position, thanks to Jurgen Klopp’s rearguard concerns.
Brighton & Hove Albion, who have appeared in two fewer games, are also exhaling down Liverpool’s neck, but Klopp has every reason to brag about his team achieving 11 goals in their last 3 Premier League games, despite a record of two wins in their last nine top-flight road games.
Team News- West Ham United
There hasn’t been much activity at the West Ham hospital lately, and Moyes will have to do without struggling striker Gianluca Scamacca while the Italian is recovering from knee surgery. The Hammers’ manager acknowledged that he was unsure of the specifics of the procedure.
Danny Ings was forced to accept the substitute role against his former team after Angelo Ogbonna was declared fit to play against Bournemouth after recovering from a back injury he sustained in the first leg against Gent. Moyes should not see any reason to upset the harmony of a winning team.
Fornals, who scored three goals against Liverpool in the past, likes facing Liverpool more than any other Premier League team, and his spectacular finish against Bournemouth should give Moyes pause in the final third.
Team News- Liverpool
As for Liverpool, Klopp confirmed before the victory against Forest that Roberto Firmino will join Naby Keita, Stefan Bajcetic, and Calvin Ramsay (all with injuries) in missing the Reds’ next three games due to a muscular issue.
The Reds manager will thus continue to use the same set of players from the tight victory against Forest, and despite Firmino’s absence, he is spoiled for options up top as Darwin Nunez battles for a recall to the starting lineup.
As Klopp shouldn’t be able to demote Jota, who might potentially become the first Liverpool player to score three straight Premier League braces since Luis Suarez in 2013, the Uruguayan may get what he wants in place of Cody Gakpo.
Predictions-
West Ham United 2-4 Liverpool
Date- 26th Aril, 2023
Time- 5.45pm GMT
Venue- London Stadium
