Premier League: Can West Ham Give Pool the Jitters?

Liverpool vs West Ham United

16^th placed West Ham United visit Anfield on Sunday, to take on Premier League leaders Liverpool, with little else to play for but pride.

Never in the hunt for a Europa League place and 15 points clear of the drop zone with just seven games to play, Graham Potter’s team can play without fear, while some players will be looking to impress, playing for contracts or a move. And that makes the Hammers a tricky and certainly unpredictable customer.    

The SBOTOP Premier League 2025 betting odds for the race for Europe are in a lively marketplace. But in terms of relegation or the league title, it would take a supreme optimist or a hopeless pessimist to believe the destinies of the bottom three, and indeed Arne Slot’s league leaders are yet to be decided.

But Liverpool fans will be desperate to see their team mathematically over the line, and this clash with Graham Potter’s West Ham must surely take the Reds a big step closer.

But with second-placed Arsenal still in the rear view mirror and with a home game against Brentford on Saturday, the gap at the top could be down to eight points when Liverpool and West Ham take the field on Sunday. And the Reds took a stumble last week, losing by the odd goal in five away to Fulham, while West Ham United picked up a point in a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth.      

 

Talking Points

Expect Liverpool to bounce back (again) on Sunday

A few short weeks ago, Liverpool were still on track for a historic quadruple, but they have crashed out of three cup competitions in rapid succession, the defeat to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final the most recent setback. So, while this visit of West Ham United is a good chance to get back on track, it will be a good test of Liverpool’s mental strength, while their ability has never been in doubt. 

Slot’s team responded to their cup final loss to the Magpies with a character-testing and a hard-fought 1-0 win in the Mersey Derby, but then Liverpool’s trip to Fulham didn’t go exactly as planned for the Reds as they conceded three goals in a frantic first half. And while Luis Diaz halved the deficit midway through the second half, the Cottagers held out for a famous victory.

The Reds’ defence suffered a first-half horror show, but a centre-back pairing of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate is one of the best in the business, and they will be keen to make amends. Meanwhile, in attack, the Merseysiders have an embarrassment of riches.      

27 goals and 17 assists from Mohamed Salah are more than many teams’ total attacking output. But with Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota, and Darwin Nunez all in the Reds’ forward unit, this is a group to be feared. And with the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai supporting from midfield, this is a team highly unlikely to draw a blank, particularly in front of their home fans.    

 

West Ham fans like a big scalp  

While their recent Premier League 2025 results have been unimpressive, the Hammers did pick up a shock 1-0 win away to Arsenal not so long ago, and Liverpool will not take the East Londoners lightly. And with an away draw against Aston Villa and victories over Newcastle United and Manchester United this season, West Ham are no respecters of reputation.

But, unlike their hosts, they have lacked quality at both ends of the pitch, conceding 52 goals, with only the bottom four have shipped more, while goals have come from the wing and midfield rather than a recognised attacker. Captain Jarrod Bowen has scored eight goals, and Tomas Soucek has seven. While Bowen has also made six assists, not one other player has registered more than two. The skipper was on target against the Cherries, and there was a goal too from the recently returned Niclas Fullkrug, who has scored three in the campaign.   

 

History

The Reds have bossed the head-to-heads with the Hammers, winning 39 of the last 62 games in all competitions while drawing 12 and losing 11. When the two teams met in December, Liverpool plundered a 5-0 victory.

Slot’s team has been superb at Anfield, winning 12, drawing two, and losing just once at home in the League, and West Ham have failed to win on their last 11 visits to the red side of Merseyside.

But the hosts have been oddly inconsistent in recent weeks, winning three and losing three, and, while winning two, drawing two, and losing two, the Hammers are without a win in four.  

 

Betting Tip

With Liverpool at odds of 1.31 to win this game, it looks a very tall order for Potter’s Hammers, who can be backed at 6.66 to win or 4.84 to draw, with the Double Chance: Win or Draw priced at 3.05.

Out of the Champions League and the FA Cup, and with a Carabao Cup final loss still a painful memory, this is a chance for Liverpool fans to find their voices again. I fully expect the Kop to roar their team on to victory.   

   

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