Liverpool Vs West Ham United Preview | Team News, Stats & Key Men

After their 5-1 slaughter of Norwich on Wednesday night, Liverpool will be hoping for a similar result when they take on West Ham United at Anfield this weekend.

Luis Suarez scored four goals and got an assist to round off one of the best individual performances at Anfield in years against the Canaries, and so Sam Allardyce will have to make sure his defence are fully prepared for what the Uruguayan striker could bring to the game.

The visitors will be hoping to get back on track after losing to Crystal Palace on Tuesday night, a result made worse by Stewart Downing’s goal in the second half being disallowed by the referee. Based on Liverpool’s recent form at Anfield however, this will be a big challenge for the Hammers.

Team News
There are no new injury worries for Brendan Rodgers, although he will still have to make do without the services of Daniel Sturridge and Jose Enrique. Jon Flanagan will likely continue to deputise at left back in Enrique’s absence.

West Ham have a number of injuries to concern them. They will travel to Merseyside without Winston Reid, Ricardo Vaz Te, and Alou Diarra and of course, Andy Carroll who is still out for the foreseeable future. Allardyce will also be unable to call upon Ravel Morrison due to suspension, which will be a big blow to the team.

Interesting Statistics

• Liverpool have played West Ham United on 125 occasions, winning 66 times. West Ham have won 24 times.
• The last time the two sides met at Anfield in April this year, the game ended in a goalless draw.
• Luis Suarez is currently the league’s highest goal scorer with 13 goals to his name. Ravel Morrison has the most at West Ham with three but is unavailable for selection.
• This will be Stewart Downing’s first game at Anfield since leaving the Reds in the summer

Key Players
Liverpool – Luis Suarez

Who else? The Uruguayan has been sensational since his return from suspension, scoring 13 goals in nine games. This averages out at a goal every 62 minutes and he has scored them from 26 shots on target. He has had 18 shots go astray, however, he still has a reasonably good shooting accuracy of 59%. He has converted 30% of his chances and has scored four of his clear-cut chances, missing three. This gives him a conversion rate of 57% in this area alone. Creatively, he has created 22 chances, 19 of which came from open play. He also has two assists to his name as well. Looking at these stats, it’s no surprise that Suarez is currently one of the best players in the Premier League. I wouldn’t be surprised if West Ham have at least two defenders on him at all times.

West Ham United – Stewart Downing

Admittedly, Ravel Morrison would have been my choice for West Ham had he not been suspended. However, Stewart Downing can be an influential player for his team. He has created 27 chances for his team mates, 19 of which have come from open play. It has only resulted in one assist for him however, although this is more a reflection of West Ham’s difficulties scoring this season. This all means he is creating a chance every 33 minutes. He still has the same trouble with crossing the ball as he did at Liverpool, being accurate with only 30 from 102 attempts, giving him a crossing accuracy of 29%. It’s not surprising to see that Downing has been most active in the attacking zone of the park, completing 216 of 335 passes. He has also completed 108 of 145 passes in the final third, giving him an accuracy of 74%. West Ham fans will surely be hoping that Downing will use his Anfield return as a means of inspiring the side to victory.

Prediction
I’ve not been right with many of my predictions so far this season but then it has been a strange season all round! In this game though, I think Liverpool have the advantage over West Ham. The visitors are missing their best player in Morrison and aren’t on the best run of form. If Suarez has another game like the one against Norwich, then the Reds will win. I think it will finish 2-0 to Liverpool.

West Brom vs. Manchester City Preview

On Thursday, Manchester City will head to The Hawthorns to take on West Bromwich Albion in an all-important Premier League clash between two teams looking to move up in the table.

So far, Manchester City has been absolutely unstoppable on home turf but haven't been nearly as impressive on the road, so Manuel Pellegrini's side will be looking to reverse that trend this evening.

As of now, City sit six points back of Arsenal, but after watching Liverpool and Manchester United both struggle last weekend, this squad knows nothing has been decided yet.

At the other end of the pitch, West Brom will be looking to once again notch a favorable result against a league heavyweight, having drawn with Chelsea and emerging victorious against Manchester United already this season.

Heading into what should be a very entertaining tilt, here's a look at everything you need to know in order to catch all the action.

When: Wednesday, Dec. 5, at 4 a.m. GMT+8

Where: The Hawthorns

Top Storyline: Will Vincent Kompany's Return Help City to Second Road Victory of 2013?

After spending roughly two months on the shelf due to a thigh injury, Vincent Kompany is reportedly ready to return to action for City.

As such, Pellegrini's defense, which is coming off two consecutive clean sheets, will be even stingier than before with the Belgian star back in the mix. 

But even with the captain back on the pitch, this team's biggest hurdle will be finding a way to secure a victory away from Etihad Stadium.

Thus far, Kompany's club has just one road triumph on the season, which is simply unacceptable for a team that once looked destined to challenge for the Premier League crown.

And, though West Brom are obviously a far less talented side, there's no overlooking their results against top-caliber clubs so far in 2013.

Ultimately, Pellegrini's troops need to produce offensively, because just eight of the club's 37 goals have come away from home, which won't be good enough to keep pace with Arsenal and Chelsea. 

Prediction: Manchester City 2, West Bromwich 1

Despite Man City's struggles on the road, the offensive firepower of Pellegrini's side will be the difference, and the Citizens will come away with a very important victory.

Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Negredo have been extremely reliable up front, and they'll continue that trend tomorrow against an overmatched opponent.

While West Brom would clearly be at a disadvantage as far as talent goes (even with a full squad), the absences of Youssouf Mulumbu, Ben Foster and Scott Sinclair certainly won't help.

Simply put, Man City has way too many weapons to fall or draw against an inferior foe once again on the road, so this will be the match where Pellegrini and company turn things around.

Furthermore, with just one goal in the previous six tilts with City, West Brom won't have an answer to the visitors' impressive offensive attack.