West Ham host title-chasing Liverpool at the London Stadium.
Victory will lift West Ham up to 11tth if Tottenham fail to win elsewhere, whilst Liverpool can extend their lead to nine points with a win if Nottingham Forest don’t beat Everton.
Team News
Lucas Paqueta is available for West Ham following his one-match ban in their 1-0 win at Southampton.
Guido Rodriguez and Tomas Soucek however are suspended following their bookings at Southampton, whilst Max Kilman (shoulder), Carlos Soler (knee) and Lukasz Fabianski (head) are major doubts for selection.
Michail Antonio (leg) remains absent.
Liverpool will be without Dominik Szoboszlai following his fifth booking of the campaign in their comeback win over Leicester.
Conor Bradley (hamstring) and Ibrahima Konate (knee) remain sidelined.
When is Kick-Off?
West Ham host Liverpool at London Stadium on Sunday 29 December at 5:15pm GMT, live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Stat Attack
- West Ham are winless in their last five league meetings against Liverpool (D1, L4).
- Liverpool have lost one of their last eight visits to West Ham (W5, D2, L1).
- West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen scored in both league appearances against Liverpool last season (D1, L1).
- Kilman has made more blocks than any other West Ham player this season (20).
- Liverpool are yet to lose away to London-based opposition this season (W2, D1).
Prediction
Unbeaten in four even if they had grinded for two wins and draws apiece, West Ham know that they’ve got the defensive resilience to trouble Liverpool if can dig deep but be as clinical up front when chances arise.
Liverpool did a brilliant job against Leicester because they stayed calm after conceding early on and delivered a clinical but dominant fightback to win, and I expect more of the same.
Much of the result depends on West Ham’s defensive efforts but without Soucek as the Hammers’ midfield rock, I can see Liverpool taking a routine win.
Prediction: West Ham 0-2 Liverpool
Result: West Ham 0-5 Liverpool