Liverpool (h) 4:30pm Sunday 7th November Sky Sports
And now, the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My sixth match thread and possibly my last of this run
The last time we beat Liverpool at home was under Bilic at Upton Park, the last time we drew at home was under Pellegrini
On the plus side Brighton drew at Anfield last weekend so Liverpool aren't unstoppable
Liverpool will be without Keita, Firmino, Milner, Gomez, Elliott and Jones but Fabinho and Thiago both played against Atletico on Wednesday
I'd be happy with a draw, especially as there will be a few Liverpool fans down the William on Sunday
And so I face the final curtain
My sixth match thread and possibly my last of this run
The last time we beat Liverpool at home was under Bilic at Upton Park, the last time we drew at home was under Pellegrini
On the plus side Brighton drew at Anfield last weekend so Liverpool aren't unstoppable
Liverpool will be without Keita, Firmino, Milner, Gomez, Elliott and Jones but Fabinho and Thiago both played against Atletico on Wednesday
I'd be happy with a draw, especially as there will be a few Liverpool fans down the William on Sunday
Comments
Fabianski; Johnson Zouma Ogbonna Cresswell; Soucek Rice; Bowen Benrahma Fornals; Antonio
The big selection dilemma for us has to be whether Coufal stays in or not. Johnson has been really good, but do you go for experience? Last season we played a 3-4-3 in the away game, and Mane had a good game while Coufal struggled a little. In the home game we played a 4-2-3-1 and they had a front three of Salah, Origi and Shaqiri.
For me, Johnson edges it due to recent form, but also because he's quicker than Vlad, which helps against the likes of Mane.
There will be a great atmosphere at London Stadium because West Ham are doing so well and one of the big teams are in town.
I thought it was a great atmosphere when we played Spurs.
I appreciate it.
"And he [Moyes] gets better and better and better, how I see it. That’s possible obviously; even after 999 games you can have still space for improvement and Moyesy, I don’t know if he reinvented himself again or whatever, I don’t know him long enough for that obviously, but it’s absolutely incredible.
Honestly, it is really good what West Ham are doing and I think everyone who watches them sees that. That’s a high-energy team, a counter-pressing team, they have counter-attacking but playing as well. There were always moments in the past when you played West Ham they defended deep and we had to be really aware of set-pieces and counter-attacks.
Now, it’s a full package, an absolute full package and they are rightly so really high in the table and are top of the table in their Europa League group as well.
I watched the game last night completely and Genk did obviously a good job; they were nasty, they were brave, but in the end they were lucky to get a point and with a lot of changes – it was not the ‘first’ line-up we will face on Sunday – they still played how I would consider, meanwhile, West Ham football.
It was all there, what you need. They could rest then Antonio from a specific moment, Soucek didn’t start. They are in a good moment. It will be a really good game, I’m pretty sure. We are in a good moment, they are in a good moment, that’s how a football game should be before a game.
I’m really excited to play it. It will be a tough one, but thank God, for them as well.
We just watched them and it’s fun, it’s good fun watching them. They became a high, high intense team and you can only become a high intense team when you are on the front foot, and that’s what they are.
Yes, when you want to finish off the situations you create you need top strikers, that’s what they obviously have. I like Bowen a lot, he made his way up from, was it Hull, if I’m right? And took not too long to get there, to show exactly what kind of player he can be in the Premier League as well, made big steps. Antonio, since I’m in England, played five or six different positions, one of them was right-back. He is obviously a proper, proper striker. Fornals is back in the Spanish national team; had his downs maybe there but is an incredible player, scored against us in each game, if I’m right. Is a footballer, can play between the lines but has the speed to get in behind.
Benrahma is a really exciting one, he was at Brentford obviously already one of the crazy front three and is now obviously a proper, proper figure in the West Ham offensive play. Then you have on the double six, two with Rice and Soucek, two guys who are a threat up front, passing-wise, Soucek with the head, Rice with all he has, so shooting, passing, all these kind of things. Incredibly quick and smart full-backs. And they have obviously now the centre-half pairing they wanted, brought in Zouma.
And then have Fabianski, a very experienced goalie. So that’s a good team, a really good team. Now you saw the team playing on Thursday, made a couple of changes and they are still a really good team. That makes a successful football team. The only problem West Ham have, which we all have: this league is so incredibly good that you have to be on your top every day.
Not only on Thursday, not only on Wednesday – no, on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and whenever as well. That makes it so exciting. The better you get the more pressure you have to win football games as well, that’s the development as well, we all have to go through that. We know we face an exceptionally well organised, well trained and well equipped opponent on Sunday."
But whenever I see Fornals run it looks like he's doing it through treacle.
Currently, and with many teams having played 11 to our 10 so far, only 3 teams have scored more goals than us. Chelsea, Man City, and Liverpool. The same 3 are the only teams so far to have conceded fewer than us.
Some interesting comparisons, of teams trying to be, and historically above us:
Team.....Games....GoalsFor....GoalsAgainst....GDifference
WHU:.......10............20...............11.....................+9
MU:..........10.............19...............17.....................+2
Ars:..........10.............12...............13......................-1
TH:...........10..............9................16......................-7
LC:............10.............15...............17......................-2
Currently, we are better than all these sides at both scoring, and at stopping the opposition doing so.
Do we genuinely dare to dream of finishing above them all and finishing 4th this year?!