The ECHO spoke to West Ham fan Daniel Presscott to get the view from the Hammers ahead of the Anfield clash on Saturday
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 21: West Ham United's Mateus Fernandes during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Bournemouth at London Stadium on February 21, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images)
West Ham United midfielder Mateus Fernandes has been compared to Declan Rice in an area of the pitch tipped to be key to the game's outcome when the Hammers play Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
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After squirming their way to a late 1-0 win against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground last week, Liverpool once again face a team desperate for points at the other end of the table.
Nuno Espirito Santo's West Ham United side may have arrested the slump recently, earning wins against Spurs, Sunderland and Burnley in January, but they remain mired in relegation trouble in 18th place with just 11 games left of the Premier League season.
The Hammers have won only one of their last four, and will be desperate to take advantage of any lapses in Liverpool's performance, with the Reds having played far below their best level despite the late drama against Forest.
The ECHO spoke to West Ham fan Daniel Presscott to get the opposition perspective ahead of Saturday's 3pm kick-off at Anfield.
It's been a tough season for West Ham, and it continues a downward trend since David Moyes left the club. What have you made of it all?
For a lot of us, David Moyes is the best West Ham manager in living memory. For me, he is a club legend. He helped us achieve European away days the likes I could never have imagined as a West Ham fan and it culminated in glory.
Replacing him was always going to be a tough job and ultimately replacing him was a decision we got wrong more than once.
The club - despite a slow-ish start - have got it right now with Nuno Espirito Santo.
How do you rate your chances of survival? Is Nuno starting to get more out of the team?
The club has sleepwalked into a relegation battle and woken up with it all to do. Nuno has got them playing the best we've seen all this season but I can't stop thinking about the late defeat at home by Nottingham Forest and the 3-0 defeat away at Wolves at the start of January.
Those games were both winnable but the squad just didn't show up. It looks to me like a head-to-head with Nottingham Forest for survival and I can't help but feel we have given them the edge simply by not taking on board the severity of our plight at the start of the year.
Who has performed the best for West Ham this season? And the worst?
Mateus Fernandes has looked quietly assured for most of the season. We did pay £40million for the 21-year-old so it shouldn't be a shock.
But he has shown a maturity lacking in senior players for much of the season and has been a shining light in a struggling midfield.
He gives off Declan Rice vibes and it would be no shock to any West Ham fan if big clubs at home and abroad come knocking.
Of course, spending £40m doesn't guarantee you a brilliant footballer. Just look at the season Max Kilman has had…
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Lucas Paqueta heading back to Brazil mid-season was a bit of a shock from the outside looking in. How do West Ham fans feel about his exit?
I think most - including me - were glad to see the back of him in the end. The club and fans stood by him despite all of his off-field 'issues' and yet he could not wait to turn his back on us.
He tried it with a move to Aston Villa last year and there were always stories of moves which he was always 'quick to deny'.
I was worried the club would play hardball and try to keep him in January, so I was glad when the deal went through. His assists and goals didn't live up to his billing and he became a liability in terms of behaviour. We have looked better without him.
How have this season's new signings fared?
It has been a mixed bag in terms of signings, even in January. Axel Disasi didn't appear to be too thrilled about making the move to the London Stadium but he has been exactly what we have needed at the back.
Kilman has had a torrid season and his confidence looks absolutely shot so that signing was imperative. Eyebrows were raised when we spent £50m-ish on two players who weren't centre-backs at the start of the window but the arrival of Taty Castellanos has been a good one.
Safe to say he isn't a 20-goal-a-season striker but what he does offer can't be overlooked. Jury is out on Adama Traore who is on an awful lot of money and is yet to really impress anybody in the stands.
Malick Diouf looks very impressive bombing forward while being just as good defensively and is another - like Fernandes - who will go onto bigger and better things.
Mads Hermansen dropped a fair few stinkers under Graham Potter but has taken his chance to rebuild his West Ham career in recent weeks.
How do West Ham approach this game? Will it be back to the wall or might Nuno try something different to sting Liverpool?
Liverpool aren't the Liverpool of old. But they will still expect to win. We have seen in recent weeks against Chelsea and Manchester United that we can go toe-to-toe with the league's biggest clubs.
We have to start the game like that once again and just work on the in-game management and tactical changes. They say games like this won't dictate a season but, having lost against the likes of Wolves and Forest this year, a big unexpected victory needs to come from somewhere.
Where do you think the key battles will take place?
The midfield is still looking like our biggest issue. Freddie Potts has looked mature beyond his years and isn't afraid of a challenge, which partly explains his absence for the game through suspension.
Getting the game by the scruff of its neck when it comes to it has been the issue for West Ham, despite making particularly good starts in games recently.
We have come to accept as fans that there's a spell in the second half where we just can't seem to ride the storm so Nuno's tactics will have to be spot on.
What's your score prediction?
Sadly, I think a 2-1 Liverpool win is on the cards. It will be tight and I think we will take the lead. But pressure will build and a second half double will leave the hosts relieved.