Liverpool begin the defence of their EFL Cup title as they host West Ham in a third round clash. The Hammers have been far from their best this season and given their poor record at Anfield, should struggle against a confident Liverpool side.
The League Cup was the one bit of shining light for Liverpool in Jurgen Klopp's season with the Reds. While they will hope to challenge for bigger honours this term, new boss Arne Slot will be keen to retain the title.
It has been a solid enough start to the season for Liverpool, who have won five of their six matches across all competitions. They head into Tuesday’s clash with a 3-0 victory over Bournemouth in a Premier League fixture last Saturday.
West Ham have already knocked out one Premier League side as they claimed a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth in the previous round. Jarrod Bowen’s effort two minutes from time was enough to give Julen Lopetegui’s men the win.
That League Cup win has been one of the few things for West Ham to cheer about this season as they have struggled for consistency. They are winless in their last three matches and were beaten 3-0 by Chelsea last Saturday.
How the bookies view it: Reds to triumph
Liverpool are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies, with a home win priced at 1/3 by Betfred. A victory for West Ham is valued at 15/2 while a draw is set at odds of 9/2 with Betfred.
Head to head: Hammers always struggle at Anfield
Liverpool have a great record against West Ham but are often particularly impressive at home. The Reds have won the last eight meetings at Anfield, beating the Hammers twice last season as they claimed a 3-1 victory in the Premier League before a 5-1 thrashing in the League Cup.
Players to watch: Liverpool’s prolific attack
Liverpool have plenty of quality going forward with Diogo Jota, Federico Chiesa and Cody Gakpo likely to lead the line. All three men could combine to produce over 1.5 goals for the Reds at 1/3 with Betfred.
While Liverpool have been generally solid defensively, West Ham will be keen to take advantage of the changes to their team. Jarrod Bowen, Mohammed Kudus and Michail Antonio could combine to help the Hammers produce over 0.5 goals at 8/13 with Betfred.
Probable line-ups
Liverpool are likely to ring in the changes with Chiesa expected to earn his first start for the team. Gakpo, Curtis Jones, Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley are also in line to earn starts on Tuesday.
Antonio could earn a start for West Ham after coming off the bench on Saturday. Summer signing Carlos Soler could also be handed a start in midfield while Kudus and Bowen should retain their place in the team.
Liverpool: Kelleher, Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas, Jones, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Chiesa, Jota
West Ham: Areola, Cresswell, Mavropanos, Kilman, Coufal, Soucek, Soler, Kudus, Paqueta, Bowen, Antonio
Anything else catch the eye?
Fixtures between Liverpool and West Ham are often high-scoring encounters and Tuesday’s clash should be no different. Over 4.5 goals is priced at 5/2 with Betfred, who is also offering 11/10 for over 2.5 goals.
Liverpool are superior going forward and could be backed to score in both halves at 5/6 with Betfred. Given the minimal odds for a straight home victory, a win and both teams to score could be considered at 8/5 with Betfred.
This EFL Cup match between Liverpool and West Ham will be played on Sep 25, 2024 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Liverpool vs West Ham prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
