Football

West Ham vs Liverpool Predicted Lineups: Is Luis Diaz Going to Make His First Start for Liverpool Since Returning From Injury?

April 26, 2023 12:34 am
West Ham vs Liverpool Predicted Lineups: Is Luis Diaz Going to Make His First Start for Liverpool Since Returning From Injury?
Liverpool's Darwin Nunez (left) scores their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool. Picture date: Wednesday October 19, 2022. - Photo by Icon sport

West Ham will be looking to pull further away from the Premier League’s relegation zone on Wednesday night when they welcome Liverpool to the London Stadium. The Hammers have made huge strides since losing 5-1 to Newcastle and are now unbeaten in five games across all competitions.

Their most recent performance, a 4-0 away win at Bournemouth, was arguably their best performance of the season and lifted them up to 13th place in the table. After Leeds drew with Leicester on Tuesday night, David Moyes will know that his team are now likely just one win away from safety and will be looking to find them as quickly as possible.

For Liverpool, the match presents them with the opportunity to continue their recent good form. Like their opponents on Wednesday night, the Reds have used a comeback draw with Arsenal as a springboard for better things and still have one eye on finishing inside the top four. A win at the London Stadium is imperative if they are to have any chance of achieving that.

The match is set to kick off at 19:45 UK time and viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch it on BT Sport.

West Ham Team News: Will Danny Ings Start Against His Former Team?

David Moyes has stuck with a core group of players in recent weeks in the Premier League with the Scot deciding only to tinker with his defence since the win at Fulham. Angelo Ogbonna, who came off injured in the match at Craven Cottage three weeks ago,  returned to the squad for the 4-0 win at Bournemouth and he may well be in line for a start against Liverpool.

However, it wouldn’t be surprising if Moyes stayed with the same back four given that they secured the team a vital clean sheet at the Vitality Stadium. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if Moyes decided to go with the exact same eleven against Liverpool given that confidence levels will surely be through the roof after the emphatic display on the South Coast.

If he does, then it means Danny Ings will have to settle for a place on the substitutes bench once again. The former Liverpool man has had a frustrating time in East London since signing from Aston Villa in January and has found himself behind Michail Antonio in the pecking order.

One possible change that Moyes may consider will be bringing Pablo Fornals into the side. The Spaniard scored the goal of the season against Bournemouth and has arguably earned himself a start over Said Benrahma who has been far from his best in recent times.

Liverpool Team News: Luis Diaz in life for his first start in nearly six months

Jurgen Klopp wouldn’t have been happy with how his side performed against Nottingham Forest at the weekend despite his side doing just about enough to get the three points. As a result, the German may well consider making several changes to his first eleven which could see Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez start the match at the London Stadium.

Klopp is still dealing with injury problems in his squad which means the likes of Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino and Stefan Bajcetic are all unavailable for selection.

The Trent Alexander-Arnold midfield/right-back hybrid experiment will surely continue against West Ham given how well he has adapted to the new role. However, he will potentially need to have a more defensive head on due to the problems that Jarrod Bowen has the potential to cause down the West Ham wing.

If Liverpool are to continue dreaming of finishing fourth then they will need goals on Wednesday night which surely means Diogo Jota will get a start. The Portuguese forward has bounced back from a goal drought to net four goals in his last two Premier League games and will fancy more on Wednesday night.

Subscribe to Punditfeed on Google News for all the latest updates from the world of sports!