It’s Premier League match time at Anfield as Liverpool get set to host West Ham United in match week 14 on Saturday, November 20.
This is a must-win game for both teams. Liverpool had a four-match winning run cut short last week when they slumped to a 2-0 loss against Stoke City. A defensive lapse saw Stoke score their first goal off a long throw.
To be fair to the Merseysiders, the Potters’ second goal was a result of Kyrgiakos used in an attacking role in search of an equaliser, thereby leaving themselves vulnerable to a counter attack that ended in a goal by Kenwyne Jones off a Jermaine Pennant pass.
Barring Reina between the posts, few players – Lucas, Gerrard and Torres — stood up to be counted on a day Stoke overwhelmed the Reds with their energy to carve out their first league win against the Anfield squad in 26 years.
West Ham have stayed at the bottom of the heap for 13 match weeks and manager Avram Grant’s job is at stake with wins remaining elusive. The Hammers played out a goalless draw against Blackpool at home, last week, a pointer to the inability to score wins against weaker teams to offset bad results against stronger ones.
In the West Ham game, other than Scott Parker who was outstanding in midfield, and Green, efficient as ever between the posts, only Noble came up to par; others like Pablo Barrera were so poor as to raise questions as to their presence in the top-flight.
The Upton Park side need to do things very differently to turn things around with two thirds of the season remaining to be played, and Grant’s departure could well be one of those things.
Ahead of the game, a recurrence of Kuyt’s ankle problem in the Stoke game is a concern for Hodgson, while the Liverpool manager will welcome the return of Fabio Aureles from injury groin and Achilles problems that have kept the Brazilian out of action since August.
Kuyt was sidelined for a month with ankle ligament injuries; the Stoke game was only his third after his return to Premier League action. Liverpool will also be without Lucas, red-carded in the Stoke game.
Liverpool’s starting eleven against Stoke comprised Reina, Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky, Meireles, Lucas, Gerrard, Maxi, Torres and Kuyt; Roy Hodgson also employed Ngog and Babel, as substitutes.
The following men were in West Ham’s starting eleven against Blackpool: Green, Jacobsen, Upson, Gabbidon, Ilunga, Boa Morte, Noble, Parker, Dyer, Obinna and Piquionne; Barrera, Cole and McCarthy featured as substitutes.
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