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West Ham United take on Premier League leaders Liverpool at the London Stadium on Monday night.
Both sides will be heading into the clash hoping to bounce back from disappointing results last time out. The Hammers fell to a 3-0 defeat to Wolves, whilst Jurgen Klopp’s men failed to take three points from Leicester City and extend their lead at the top to seven points.
The Reds will be the favourites heading in Monday night’s encounter, but the Irons have already produced some impressive performances at home against ‘big six’ opponents this season - including wins over Arsenal and Manchester United and a hard-fought draw against Chelsea - so we should be in for an exciting game.
So, will West Ham add another scalp to their list, or will Liverpool get back to winning ways and maintain their advantage in the race for the title?
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 8pm kick-off…
What History Tells Us
Liverpool have certainly had the most joy out of this contest in the Premier League era. Their tally of 27 wins over West Ham dwarfs their opponent’s count of nine victories.
The Reds’ aggressive and attacking style of play has generally reaped rewards against the east London club too, as they have racked up an impressive 85 goals in this fixture. West Ham, meanwhile, have only mustered 40. However, the likes of Felipe Anderson and Marko Arnautovic have the capacity to add to that number on Monday should the visitors show any signs of complacency.
All in all though, there aren’t many positives for Manuel Pellegrini to take from his side’s head-to-head record, but West Ham have repeatedly upset the odds this season and he will believe in their ability to do so again in front of their own fans on Monday.
Key Battle - Felipe Anderson vs Sadio Mane
Both attackers primarily play on the left flank, and both are absolutely instrumental to their respective team's forward approach, whilst they are also relied upon to produce end product. Both have also been in fine form so far this season.
Anderson has been integral to the Hammers’ attacking play this season. Since his summer arrival from Lazio, the Brazilian has quickly settled into the pace of the Premier League and has shown his class and skill on a number of occasions.
His average output of 1.7 shots, 1.9 dribbles and 1.8 key passes per game demonstrates how vital he is to the Irons’ attack and how many methods he has of hurting his opponents in the final third. His return of eight goals and two assists makes him one of West Ham’s most prolific men so far this season and he will be key to their chances of success against Liverpool.
Mane forms part of Liverpool’s astonishingly effective attacking contingent alongside Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah. This trio are able to combine effectively with one another, and their cohesion is central to Liverpool’s current success.
All three are capable of scoring and assisting goals, and the stats suggest that Mane is chipping in with his fair share. His average of 2.4 shots, 1.7 dribbles and 1.2 key passes per Premier League game this season is evidence of just what a potent attacking threat the Senegal international is. With ten goals and one assist already under his belt so far this season, the 26-year-old will be keen to add to his tally on Monday.
Both Anderson and Mane can win games for their teams, but Mane’s teammates may be better equipped to playing him into goalscoring positions on a regular basis, which could make all the difference.
Ref in Focus - Kevin Friend
Kevin Friend’s influence on this match could go a long way towards determining its result. Out of the 18 officials to have taken charge of a Premier League game this season before the weekend, none had average more penalty awards per game that Friend’s figure of 0.5. Should either side on Monday give him any reason to point to the spot, then Friend is unlikely to hesitate.
What’s more, out of the 18, the 47-year-old ranked in the top five in terms of fouls per game, fouls per tackle and yellow cards per game, averaging 22.25, 0.66 and 3.63, respectively.
This could lead to a rather disjointed game, with plenty of set-pieces, which is likely to suit the home side more than Klopp’s free-flowing outfit.
Team News
The Hammers have a huge injury list, with talented stars such as Jack Wilshere, Manuel Lanzini and Andriy Yarmolenko certain not to be available for Monday’s game. What’s more, plenty of Pellegrini’s alternative options may not be fully fit either, such as Samir Nasri and Lucas Perez.
Arnautovic may be fit to lead the line for the home side, whilst club captain Mark Noble and talented teenager Declan Rice will almost certainly be tasked with anchoring the midfield.
The Reds ought to look to test Noble’s mobility and the likely presence of Angelo Ogbonna and Pablo Zabaleta's ageing legs in the Hammers’ defence ought to encourage Liverpool’s pacy, dynamic attackers.
Liverpool aren’t without defensive losses of their own though. The absences of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez ought to mean that James Milner, returning from suspension, slots in at right-back. What's more, without Dejan Lovren available for selection, Joel Matip will likely deputise, which immediately makes the Reds' rearguard a less solid unit.
Having sat out the disappointing draw against Leicester, Klopp will likely reintroduce Fabinho into the middle of the park, to ensure that the Reds don’t lose the physical battle to Noble and Rice. Overall then, that's two changes from the side that drew with the Foxes last time out.