“Shocking Revival: West Ham’s Overlooked Star Set to Shock Liverpool Must-See Predicted XI
**24 September 2024 by Gareth McKnight**
West Ham United faces Liverpool at Anfield in the EFL Cup Third Round, aiming to recover from a disheartening 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League over the weekend.
The Hammers have struggled this season, with three losses in five league matches (W1, D1), leaving them in 14th place. Their defensive performance has been lackluster, and their attack uninspired.
Calls are already growing for the club to reconsider new manager Julen Lopetegui’s position after a poor start, and only a surprising victory against Liverpool can ease the pressure.
West Ham must show a strong response or risk a grim future for Lopetegui. He can draw some confidence from their last encounter with Liverpool, which ended in a 2-2 draw and denied Jurgen Klopp a title victory.
However, the current form and a previous EFL Cup matchup against Liverpool don’t bode well, as West Ham lost 5-1 in December. Liverpool has won nine of their last 11 clashes with West Ham (D1, L1), with the Hammers’ last victory coming in 2021 during an FA Cup replay.
Liverpool is in excellent form, having lost just one of their six matches this season under their new Dutch head coach. Currently second in the league, they trail Manchester City by a point and boast the best defensive record, conceding only once in five games, alongside having the third-best attack.
Lopetegui will hope for some tactical adjustments from his counterpart, which could provide West Ham with a slight edge. Without European commitments, he can field a strong starting XI.
Crysencio Summerville, Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Paqueta, and Jarrod Bowen are expected to start as Lopetegui aims to maximize the potential of his talented squad.
This match is also an opportunity for £34.22 million summer signing Jean-Clair Todibo to reclaim his place from Konstantinos Mavropanos after a poor performance against Chelsea. He hasn’t played in nearly a month and hopes to prove his worth.
Other squad members like Aaron Cresswell, Carlos Soler, Lukasz Fabianski, and Vladimir Coufal might also see playing time.
**West Ham Predicted Starting Line-up v Liverpool (4-3-3):**
Lukasz Fabianski; Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman, Emerson Palmieri; Carlos Soler, Lucas Paqueta, Edson Alvarez; Crysencio Summerville, Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus.
