Liverpool Look To Extend Winning Run As Van Dijk Says Not Perfect Ahead Of West Ham Clash

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Liverpool aim to extend a strong run when West Ham visit Anfield, with Opta data favouring the hosts. The model gives Liverpool a 71.3% chance of victory, compared with 16.4% for a draw and 12.3% for a West Ham win. Both teams arrive with decent form, yet different pressures, as Liverpool chase Champions League spots and West Ham battle to escape the relegation zone.

Recent meetings heavily support Liverpool as well. West Ham have taken only one win from the last 19 Premier League clashes between the sides. At Anfield the record is even more one-sided, with West Ham winning just once in 52 league trips, that solitary success coming in August 2015.

Arne Slot’s team enter the weekend after three successive victories in all competitions, including a late 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest. That result followed another 1-0 league success, meaning Liverpool can claim a third straight Premier League victory without conceding. Slot last achieved that defensive sequence in the opening three league games of the previous season.

Across the wider run, Liverpool have won five of their last six matches and sit three points behind Manchester United, who occupy fourth place. However, a 3-0 home defeat by Forest in November still lingers. That setback serves as a warning, as Liverpool have not lost two home league fixtures in one season to teams starting in the relegation zone since 1992-93.

Virgil van Dijk admits Liverpool are grinding out victories rather than playing fluent football every week. The narrow success over Forest featured limited creativity, yet the defender values the ability to secure points regardless. Van Dijk stresses that standards remain high inside the squad, even while the group accepts that performances are still short of the ideal level.

Van Dijk explained Liverpool’s mindset, telling the club website: "We want to play our best football, and I think at times in the games we are definitely doing that. But obviously, we are still looking for improvement, and we are not perfect. We are human beings, and we want to do our best for the club. We want to be performing on the absolute highest level, and we need each other at their best, and it's a process. But we keep going and focus on the next one. It will be another difficult one at the weekend again [versus West Ham United], so onto the next."

Liverpool vs West Ham key players and tactical notes

Creativity could improve for Liverpool if Florian Wirtz returns from a minor back problem. The Germany international missed the Forest match, when Liverpool struggled to open up the defence. Wirtz has six goals and three assists across his last 14 appearances in all competitions, and Slot expects that productivity to help unlock West Ham’s tighter back line.

West Ham’s recent defensive stability has coincided with Axel Disasi’s loan move from Chelsea. The France international has featured in four league games, contributing to three clean sheets. Teammates around Disasi have also raised defensive levels, giving Nuno Espirito Santo a stronger platform, even though the team still sits inside the bottom three with 11 matches remaining.

Liverpool vs West Ham: West Ham resurgence and Nuno’s message

West Ham’s league form has picked up sharply, as they have collected 11 points from the last six matches, matching the total from the previous 18 games. The Hammers now trail 17th-placed Nottingham Forest by only two points. However, a goalless home draw with Bournemouth last weekend underlined the difficulty of converting improved performances into wins.

Nuno outlined the situation, saying: "Unfortunately, some results are not coming, which we need. But in terms of performance, they are improving in different aspects and getting a clean sheet always motivates us. We cannot spend too much time and sorrow thinking what could be. We have to react and bounce back. It's a big challenge, and it can bring the best out of us. That's the main motivation. We have to keep chasing, and its going to be a fight."

West Ham arrive at Anfield in better condition than their league position suggests, yet history and data both lean towards Liverpool. With Liverpool chasing a top-four finish and West Ham fighting to move above the drop line, the match offers high stakes for both sides, and the response to recent form trends could prove decisive.