Premier League: Ruthless Reds Take Their Act to London

West Ham United vs Liverpool

Liverpool are sitting pretty at the top of the English top-flight table after the first 17 matchdays. Arne Slot’s side has a comfortable seven-point lead, which can grow to 10 points if they take care of business this weekend. The Reds won 3-1 against Leicester City yesterday at Anfield, and they’re up against West Ham United for their next Premier League contest.

West Ham United are 12 notches below Liverpool with only 23 points. They’ve had a slow start this season, but they stuck with their manager, Julen Lopetegui. To their credit, the Hammers are on a positive run of Premier League 2024 results, with two wins and two draws in their last four outings, including last night’s 1-0 victory over Southampton.

The pregame SBOTOP betting odds are stacked against West Ham United, but can the hosts pull off a huge upset in London Stadium?

 

Talking Points

West Ham United are digging deep despite injuries

It’s hard to blame Julen Lopetegui for West Ham United’s poor performances since he was unlucky. The Hammers had to manage without summer signing Niclas Fullkrug for most of the season, while Michail Antonio is out indefinitely after he was recently involved in a car accident. Still, Lopetegui has kept the Hammers afloat, so he is no longer in the coaching hot seat, at least for now.

Things looked dire for the Hammers when Lukasz Fabianski had a nasty head collision with Nathan Wood when punching clear a corner, and the first-choice goalkeeper left the arena with a neck brace. Alphonse Areola did well in filling in for Fabianski, so the Frenchman will likely start against the Reds. Carlos Soler and Max Kilman also left the Southampton match prematurely and had to be replaced by Edson Alvarez and Jean-Clair Todibo, respectively.

Jarrod Bowen’s goal near the hour mark proved to be the beacon of hope for the weary Hammers. The team captain found himself in the right position, as he poked the ball home after Niclas Fullkrug tipped Tomas Soucek’s header into his path. With five league goals and four assists this season, Bowen is on an inspirational run for West Ham United since he is their top attacking threat.

 

Liverpool aren’t resting on their laurels

Arne Slot couldn’t have dreamed of a better start with Liverpool, as he has won 22 of his first 26 matches in charge across all competitions. As a result, the Reds are on top of the Premier League and Champions League standings. They are also the prohibitive favourites to win the EFL Cup.

Leicester City took a shock early lead through Jordan Ayew, but Liverpool never panicked. Cody Gakpo scored the equaliser right before halftime, and the floodgates were opened in the second half by scores from Curtis Jones and Mohamed Salah. The Reds have now won 12 points from losing positions in the Premier League this season.

The only thing to nitpick about Liverpool is their stalled extension talks with Mohamed Salah since he has been the team’s most consistent player. The Egyptian forward already has 27 goal involvements in the first 17 Premier League matches this season (16 goals, 11 assists).

 

History

Liverpool and West Ham United have already met this season, with the Reds drubbing the Hammers 5-1 in the EFL Cup third round last September.

Curtis Jones, who scored against Leicester City yesterday, became the first player in Liverpool history to score on his 100^th Premier League appearance with the team since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in January 2023. At 23 years and 331 days, Jones became the youngest to do this feat since Michael Owen in September 2000 (20 years, 270 days).

West Ham United are undefeated in their last four matches (W2, D2), their best run since February/March this year.

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2024 odds have Liverpool as the massive favourites to win on Sunday. The Reds are 1.37 favourites to win, while the Hammers are 6.10 underdogs, and a draw is pegged at 4.81 in the 1X2 market.

Besides going for a Liverpool victory, bettors can also go for a high-scoring contest, based on their recent meetings. This makes alternatives like Over 3.25 at 1.81 and Total Goals 4-6 at 2.28 attractive, while Total Goals 2-3 at 2.32 is the more conservative choice. However, if you fancy the chances of the hosts getting a point or pulling off an upset, check out Correct Scores of 0-0 and 1-0, given their massive offers of 25.00 and 26.00, respectively.

   

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