West Ham vs Liverpool Betting Tips (07/11/21) – Reds Won’t Take 1,000 Man Moyes Lightly

Liverpool powered their way into the Champions League knockout phase with games to spare on Wednesday evening with a superb 2-0 victory over Atletico Madrid. The Reds got off to what has become their trademark fast start, and they once again found themselves 2-0 up inside 25 minutes thanks to goals from Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota.

Atleti’s senselessly got himself sent off after 36 minutes for disobeying the referee’s instructions, but Jurgen Klopp was not about to rest on his laurels – the sloppy performance after going two goals to the good against Brighton at the weekend fresh in his memory.

This time around Liverpool showed far more intensity `and concentration after building their lead, and that completed another excellent win on the road to the last 16 of the competition.

While Mane and Jota took the plaudits for putting the ball in the net, much of the praise should go to Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was once again sublime and provided the assists for both goals. The right back produced an inch-perfect cross for Jota’s first, and then his cross-cum-shot weaved its way to Mane lurking at the back post, who doubled the Reds’ advantage.

Liverpool continued to pour forward, particularly after Felipe’s numbskull dismissal, and could have added more with Salah missing a golden opportunity and Jota’s run and finish narrowly ruled out for offside.

Luis Suarez also had a goal disallowed thanks to VAR, but this was not a contest in which Atletico ever looked like getting back into.

Progression assured, there’s another battle for three points forthcoming on Sunday, when Liverpool travel to London to take on a West Ham side in what will be David Moyes 1,001st career game as a manager.

Liverpool Team News

The win over Atletico did not come without its complications.

Bobby Firmino picked up a hamstring tweak, and that was after he came on as a half-time substitute for Mane. Good news – Mane is okay, he was simply subbed because he’s picked up a booking. Bad news – Firmino will probably be out until after the next international break.

There was a brighter note though: Thiago Alcantara came on for the last half hour or so, and so he is nearing a return to first team action.

That is timely. James Milner is also out for the foreseeable future with a hamstring strain of his own, while Curtis Jones has a bizarre eye injury that prevented him from playing against the Spaniards.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was subbed off after 78 minutes against Atleti, and that would indicate that he will start against the Hammers alongside Fabinho and Jordan Henderson in midfield.

And was Andy Robertson dropped in midweek? He isn’t injured, and deputy Kostas Tsimikas put in an assured performance in his place.

West Ham Form

Disciplined, organised and tough to beat, West Ham are flying high in the Premier League table – and they’re good value for it.

Choose any statistical measure you like, and the Hammers’ formline – W6 D2 L2 – stands up to scrutiny.

Moyes is doing the same kind of job that he pulled off at Everton, although the Londoners have a bit more attacking flair about them – in ten Premier League games, they have notched four goals in 30% of their outings, and two or more in a further 20%.

West Ham have only kept three clean sheets mind you, which might help inform our betting decisions, although it’s noteworthy that they head into this clash on the back of a three-game winning streak.

West Ham vs Liverpool Betting Tips

Priced at 3/4, this is amongst the longest that Liverpool have been for a Premier League game this term, and that is testament to how well West Ham are playing.

But the London Stadium has not been a fortress for them, with a formline of W2 D1 D2, with 1-2 defeats at the hands of Manchester United and Brentford. A similar sort of scoreline could be in the offing on Sunday.

Sometimes betting ideas fall naturally into your lap, and there’s definitely a case here for either Liverpool to Win & Both Teams to Score at 19/10, or Liverpool to Win & Over 2.5 Goals at 13/10. The evidence points in that direction.

Knowing that Firmino is injured, it’s almost a formality that Jota will play through the middle on Sunday – if you move fast, you can avail yourself of the 11/8 about him to find the net at any time.