Liverpool Vs West Ham United: The Reds Have A Target To Destroy The Hammers

Virgil van Dijk (right) Liverpool's winning hero in last season's EFL Cup final (photo: x @lfc)

JAKARTA - Liverpool will host West Ham United in the third round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening, September 25 at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, in an effort to defend the title they won last season. This meeting is a repeat of the match between the two teams in the same competition last season, where the Reds appeared dominant. However, with both teams having different fates in the league last weekend, this match is expected to be interesting.

Liverpool entered this match with high enthusiasm after winning a convincing 3-0 win over Bournemouth in the Premier League. Luis Diaz became the star of the win by scoring two goals, while Darwin Nunez added a third goal with a beautiful finish. This victory shows that Liverpool under the new manager, Arne Slot, had adapted well, although they had come as a surprise with the defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield two weeks earlier.

Last season, under Jurgen Klopp's tutelage, Liverpool won the EFL Cup for the tenth time after beating Chelsea in the final 1-0 with Virgil van Dijk's goal in extra time. This victory extended Liverpool's dominance in this competition, becoming the club with the most trophies in the history of the EFL Cup.

On the other hand, West Ham United came to Anfield with a heavy burden after losing 3-0 to Chelsea in the Premier League. The defeat extended the poor performance of Julen Lopetegui's side, who have recorded only one win from their first five league games this season. West Ham's position in 14th place saw them have to bounce back soon, and the EFL Cup could be a place to gain revival momentum.

Liverpool have impressed in all competitions by winning five of their last six games. In addition to the win over Bournemouth, they also managed to turn things around against AC Milan in the Champions League, which shows that the Reds are still a force to take into account this season.

On the other hand, West Ham have only won one win in the last five league games, with the latest defeat to Chelsea showing many weaknesses in their defense. However, the Hammers managed to qualify from the second half of the EFL Cup with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth, thanks to a last-minute goal from Jarrod Bowen.

Liverpool will certainly not be strengthened by their main goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, who suffered a muscle injury in last week's victory over AC Milan. Caoimhin Kelekera, who performed nicely in the win against Bournemouth, will again be trusted to guard the net. Harvey Elliott is also still absent due to a leg injury, while the rotation of the forward players is likely to take place, with Federico Chiesa predicted to appear as a starter to replace Mohamed Salah who gets a break.

In West Ham's camp, Julen Lopetegui still has to be patient waiting for Niclas Fullkrug's return to absence from a calf injury. In addition, Tomas Soucek is likely to return to the starting XI after Guido Rodriguez is pulled out early in the defeat against Chelsea. Michail Antonio and Jean-Clair Todibo are also expected to appear from the start, with Lukasz Fabianski replacing Alphonse Areola at the goalkeeper's position.

Liverpool and West Ham have a long history in domestic competitions, with the Reds dominating more. In a meeting at the EFL Cup last season, Liverpool crushed West Ham with a score of 5-1 in the quarter-finals, although the Hammers were able to hold Liverpool to a 2-2 draw at a Premier League meeting in April. The big win still overshadowed the West Ham squad, hoping to improve their performance this time.

Liverpool themselves have had an impressive record at the EFL Cup, where they have not been eliminated in the third half since 2018, and have not lost to Anfield in this competition since the defeat to Arsenal on penalties in October 2020. With their solid home performance, they are clearly seeded to advance to the next round.

Player Composition Forecast

Liverpool: Kelekerat; Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo, working; Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo; Jota

West Ham United: Fabianski; Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Soler, Soucek; Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus; Antonio