By Joel Lefevre

Seeking to increase their winning run to four matches across all competitions, Liverpool return to Premier League action on Saturday when they welcome West Ham United to Anfield.

A 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest last Sunday kept the Reds in sixth, while the Hammers remained in the relegation places by drawing with Bournemouth. 

Match Preview

A defeat to Manchester City at the start of the month seems to have lit a spark in Arne Slot’s side.

They will enter this weekend without conceding a goal in their previous three competitive fixtures and three points behind Manchester United for one of the four Champions League places.

Another clean sheet on Saturday would mark the first time they have done so in three successive Premier League outings since the Dutchman’s first three matches in charge.

Should they lose, though, it would mark the first time since 1992/93 that they suffer two defeats in a single season against a team beginning the day in the relegation zone, after incurring a 3-0 loss to then 19th-placed Nottingham Forest last November.

This team have dropped points in three of their previous four domestic home matches, and on Saturday could lose consecutive games at Anfield in this competition for the first time since Slot took charge.

However, Liverpool have suffered just one defeat in their last 19 Premier League meetings with the East London club, winning 10 in-a-row in Merseyside.

Slowly but surely, West Ham have been digging themselves out of their relegation deficit, without a single defeat this month.

Under Nuno Espírito Santo, they have been much sharper defensively of late, conceding a goal or fewer in their previous four matches played across all competitions.

They will enter the weekend just two points below Nuno’s old club, Forest, for Premier League salvation, winning two of their last three away matches in the top-flight.

In their last six Premier League affairs, West Ham have picked up 11 points, as many as they had in their previous 18 domestic games.

At the same time, they have lost 26 of their 29 away matches in this competition against the reigning Premier League champions, with their only victory coming at Old Trafford against Manchester United in December 2001.

The Hammers have won just one of their last 52 away games over the Reds at Anfield, with Slaven Bilic guiding them to a 3-0 triumph in August 2015.

Team News

Knee injuries may keep Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni on the Liverpool sidelines this weekend, while Jayden Danns and Stefan Bajcetic are dealing with sore hamstrings, and Alexander Isak remains out with an ankle problem.

Also questionable will be Jeremie Frimpong, who is struggling to bounce back from a muscle strain, Wataru Endo has a sore foot, and Florian Wirtz is also questionable after picking up a back injury in warm-ups last week.

Alexis MacAllister scored in the 97th minute on Sunday to give his side maximum points as Alisson made two stops to collect a clean sheet.

On the Hammers’ side of things, Freddie Potts has a hamstring strain, while Lukas Fabianski is doubtful as he recovers from a back issue.

In addition to those two, Pablo might be a question mark this weekend as the Brazilian is recovering from a calf strain.

Mads Hermansen made four stops between the sticks for them against the Cherries, while he’s conceded just once in his last three Premier League appearances.

Predicted XI

Liverpoool: Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konaté, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jones, Gakpo; Ekitiké

West Ham: Hermansen; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf; Fernandes, Magassa; Bowen, Souček, Summerville; Castellanos