Liverpool will wrap up a hectic stretch of 10 matches in 36 days today, taking on West Ham United in their final fixture of 2024. Remarkably, they head to the London Stadium with nearly a fully fit squad.
West Ham, too, are in good form going into the match, which kicks off at 5:15 pm. They’ve won two and drawn two of their last four Premier League games, pulling nine points clear of the relegation zone and easing the pressure on manager Julen Lopetegui.
Despite West Ham’s improved form, Liverpool are still the clear favorites to extend their winning streak. Under manager Arne Slot, Liverpool have won 22 of their last 26 matches in all competitions, with both Slot and Lopetegui having joined their respective clubs in the summer.
Liverpool’s chances are further boosted by a significant injury crisis at West Ham. Following their Boxing Day win at Southampton, West Ham will be missing several key players. Striker Michail Antonio is already sidelined after surgery for a lower limb fracture, sustained in a car accident.
Now, five more players are unavailable. Midfielders Tomas Soucek and Guido Rodriguez are both suspended after receiving their fifth yellow cards of the season, while goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is out due to concussion protocols. Defender Max Kilman and midfielder Carlos Soler also suffered injuries against Southampton and are major doubts for the match.
While Lucas Paqueta returns from suspension, Lopetegui is fully aware of the challenge ahead. He said, “We are talking about the best team in the Premier League now by far. This is enough reason to be ready. We have a lot of problems—no midfielders, only two centre-backs—but we have to be ready.”
For Liverpool, three players will be missing today. Centre-back Ibrahima Konate and right-back Conor Bradley have yet to resume training after injuries sustained during the Champions League victory over Real Madrid on November 27. Midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai is also absent, serving a suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in the Boxing Day win against Leicester City.
Szoboszlai will return for the crucial home match against Manchester United on January 5, and there’s hope that Konate and Bradley could also be available by then. “They will not be back for West Ham United,” said Slot, “but there’s a week between now and the United match. Let’s see how close they are.
It’s hard to say at this moment because they’re not training with the group yet. Hopefully, they’ll be closer in the coming days, but they’ve been out for five or six weeks. They are competing with players who are fully fit, so I’ll have to make the right decision when they’re back.”
