Liverpool Begin EFL Cup Title Defence Against West Ham at Anfield

Liverpool vs. West Ham: EFL Cup Third-Round Showdown at Anfield

For the second consecutive year, Liverpool and West Ham United are set to clash in the EFL Cup, with the Reds kicking off their title defense on Wednesday in a third-round tie at Anfield. Both Premier League sides had contrasting results in their weekend league matches: Liverpool comfortably swept aside Bournemouth 3-0, while West Ham suffered a heavy 3-0 loss to Chelsea.

Match Preview
Jurgen Klopp may not have delivered the coveted quadruple for Liverpool, but his final act in charge last season was guiding the team to a record-extending 10th EFL Cup title, courtesy of Virgil van Dijk’s extra-time winner against Chelsea in the 2023-24 final. This marked Liverpool’s second EFL Cup win in three years, cementing their dominance in the competition.

Now aiming for an 11th crown, Liverpool have largely enjoyed a smooth transition under new manager Arne Slot, barring an unexpected home defeat to Nottingham Forest earlier this month. The Reds bounced back by overturning a deficit to beat AC Milan in the Champions League, and most recently secured a commanding win over Bournemouth. Luis Diaz’s two goals and Darwin Nunez’s superb finish lifted them to the top of the Premier League for a brief spell before Manchester City reclaimed the summit.

Liverpool haven’t been knocked out in the third round of the EFL Cup in six years, and they remain formidable at Anfield, having last lost a home match in the competition in 2020 during a penalty shootout against Arsenal.

West Ham, meanwhile, arrive at Anfield low on confidence after a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Chelsea. It was a tough outing for Julen Lopetegui’s side, as Chelsea dominated proceedings, with Nicolas Jackson netting twice before setting up Cole Palmer for a third. To make matters worse, a late effort from Mohammed Kudus was ruled out for offside.

West Ham currently sit 14th in the Premier League standings with just one win in five games, but they did secure a narrow 1-0 win over Bournemouth in the EFL Cup second round, thanks to a late strike from Jarrod Bowen. The Hammers also had a memorable EFL Cup run last season, eliminating Arsenal before being thrashed 5-1 by Liverpool in the quarter-finals.

Lopetegui will be eager for redemption after that Anfield rout, but the visitors know they face a tough challenge against a Liverpool side in form. A draw in their most recent meeting in April ended a five-match losing streak for West Ham, though Klopp’s touchline spat with Mohamed Salah stole the headlines.

Team News
Liverpool are expected to be without long-term absentee Harvey Elliott, sidelined with a foot injury until at least the end of October. Alisson Becker is also a doubt after aggravating a muscle issue against AC Milan, meaning Caoimhin Kelleher is set to start in goal once again. Kelleher impressed against Bournemouth with key saves to secure the clean sheet.

The cup tie could also see Federico Chiesa make his full debut for Liverpool, likely replacing Mohamed Salah, while Joe Gomez is in line for his first Premier League appearance of the season. Klopp is expected to make several changes to his starting XI.

For West Ham, the only injury concern is Niclas Fullkrug, who is likely to miss out again with a calf injury. Lopetegui is expected to rotate his squad after the poor showing against Chelsea, with Tomas Soucek, Carlos Soler, Jean-Clair Todibo, and Michail Antonio all pushing for starts. Veteran goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, now 39, is also set to replace Alphonse Areola in goal.

Possible Lineups
Liverpool: Kelleher; Bradley, Gomez, Quansah, Tsimikas; Endo, Morton; Chiesa, Jones, Gakpo; Jota

West Ham: Fabianski; Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Soler, Soucek; Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus; Antonio