West Ham host Liverpool this weekend.placeholder image
West Ham host Liverpool this weekend. | Getty Images
Nuno Espirito Santo will welcome Liverpool to West Ham at the unusual kick off time of 2:05 pm on Sunday.
West Ham return to Premier League action at the London Stadium this weekend with the visit of Champions Liverpool with all eyes set to be on the capital as the two sides meet for the first time this season.
Just a month or two ago, this may have been a fixture that struck fear into Hammers hearts after a dismal start to the campaign under Graham Potter but a lot has changed for both West Ham and the Reds since the 2025/26 season began.
Nuno Espirito Santo is starting to get his legs under the table at the London Stadium with his side unbeaten in three outings, a draw against AFC Bournemouth last time out following wins over Newcastle United and Burnley.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are enduring a poor run of form that has Arne Slot’s job on the line. The Reds were thrashed at home by Nottingham Forest last weekend and then by PSV at Anfield in midweek Champions League action.
Liverpool chiefs reportedly held an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the Dutchman’s future. Slot remains in charge for now but another defeat at West Ham could prove fatal for the manager.
Why West Ham v Liverpool kicks off at unusual 2:05 pm
Having been involved in Champions League action, Liverpool make the trip to West Ham on Sunday to allow for a greater recovery time. The match will kick off at the unusual time of 2:05 pm.
That is a knock-on effect due to the clash between Crystal Palace and Manchester United kicking off at 12:00 on Sunday. That fixture had been booked in for the early kick-off slot on Saturday but was then moved due to the Eagles’ involvement in the Europa Conference League.
Crystal Palace faced Strasbourg on Thursday night and are set to play Burnley in the Premier League on Wednesday. That meant that the Sunday slot was the only feasible time for the meeting with Manchester United to allow 60 hours between each match.
As a result, all three of the 2 pm kick-offs on Sunday have been pushed back five minutes to avoid any potential overlap that could be caused by a big portion of additional time at Selhurst Park. As well as West Ham v Liverpool, Aston Villa v Wolves and Nottingham Forest v Brighton begin at the 2:05 pm kick-off time.
Nuno Espirito Santo previews Liverpool match
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Nuno warned West Ham supporters that it would be a tough game, regardless of recent Liverpool form. He said: "I don't know. We can expect anything, especially teams that are in European competitions. Due to the amount of games, we cannot predict the starting XI. No matter who starts, we are going to face a tough XI.
"They are a good team. In football, what matters is what you do on the day. What we expect is [to play against] the champions of the Premier League, players that are talented and capable of doing good things."
In other news, Where Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, West Ham and Crystal Palace sit in Premier League table without VAR.
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