By Conor Hogan
**West Ham face Liverpool at London Stadium on Sunday, and Hammers fans have every right to feel hopeful ahead of the game.**
The Irons are unbeaten in their last three matches, while the Reds are in woeful form, losing six of their last seven league games. Arne Slot’s side were also thumped 4–1 by PSV Eindhoven in a dreadful display at Anfield this week.
The Irons find themselves in the extremely rare position of being in better form than Liverpool heading into the fixture. Given the trajectory of both teams, West Ham could feasibly nick a point — or even all three — against the current Premier League champions.
However, the perfect storm of a newly resolute Hammers side and a Liverpool team on their worst run since 1953 can mean only one thing: the visitors are almost certain to take all three points in Stratford.
Call me a pessimist, but I’ve seen this script before: West Ham gather momentum — just enough to convince supporters that a vulnerable giant is finally theirs to topple — only for the opposition to shatter those hopes and walk away with the win.
Ironically, if Liverpool had beaten PSV 4–1 on Wednesday night, I would be more optimistic going into Sunday’s game. After all, Slot’s side were humiliated by Manchester City after beating Real Madrid in Europe, and then fell to Brentford after thrashing Eintracht Frankfurt 5–1.
Additionally, Hugo Ekitike — arguably Liverpool’s best attacker this season — came off injured in midweek, meaning Aleksander Isak is almost certain to start on Sunday.
Liverpool’s record signing has yet to score in the league for his new club, but if history is anything to go by, the Swede is bound to open his account against the Hammers, who seem to be every striker’s favourite opponents for a first goal.
Admittedly, I have been impressed by Nuno’s side over the last three games — West Ham have looked far more solid in defence, more balanced in midfield and sharper in attack — but at the end of the day, it’s still West Ham.
I believe the Irons will put in an honest, respectable display on Sunday, but in moments like these, the footballing gods rarely smile upon the East London outfit.