Game Week 19 Predictions: Liverpool to beat West Ham

West Ham faces Liverpool in a tough clash as the Reds continue their title charge. Can the Hammers upset the leaders at London Stadium?

Liverpool's title charge is well and truly on but, can the Hammers stop them in their tracks? (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

 West Ham vs. Liverpool.

The London Stadium

6:15 pm

Depending on your perspective, as a West Ham fan, are you optimistic or pessimistic? The Hammers sit just nine points above the relegation zone, but they also sit only six points away from the top six.

Are they looking down, or are they looking up? Their results have been indifferent; only one loss in the last five, which includes two wins against Wolves at home and Southampton away, an impressive away draw to Bournemouth, and a strong 1-1 home draw to Brighton.

It’s going way better than preempted by the strongest of Liverpool fans at the moment; who would have thought? They lead the log by six points, and they have the Merseyside derby as their next game. What a run they’re on!

There are talks in the media about a potential exit for Trent Alexander Arnold in the summer for free, as he wants to join Real Madrid, while the contract situations of Virgil Van Dijk and star performer Mohammed Salah must also be sorted out soon. Otherwise, it’s going well for Liverpool so far.

We expect this fixture to go only one way; the Hammers don't realistically have what it takes to stop the Arne Slot machines. Liverpool leaves no stone unturned when they want to fire; they’re relentless, and their last game epitomised that.

The Kops were one down, and Leicester didn’t know what came over them; Liverpool kept going forward until they got their goals. The Kops have won four of their last five, an incredible form that gives them confidence that they might be winning the league this season.

Alphonse Areola is going to return in goal after the nasty injury to Lukas Fabianski in their last game away to Southampton. Thomas Soucek will miss this one due to suspension, having accumulated five yellow cards; Guido Rodriguez too, leaving Edson Alvarez and Lucas Paquetá as midfield options.

Liverpool will also be without Dominik Szoboszlai; he’s also serving a one-match ban, so Curtis Jones and the duo of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch will shore things up in midfield. You could also see Harvey Elliot in the middle depending on how Slot plans to set up.

How will West Ham stop the red-hot Salah? How will they stop the late runs of Cody Gakpo? Can they withstand the firepower of the Reds? Is there anything in the Hammers ranks that can earn something from the runaway leaders? Jarrod Bowen? Mohammed Kudus? Time will tell.

Verdict: Liverpool is to win.