Liverpool can step a step closer to lifting the Premier League title if they beat West Ham United at Anfield but the confirmation of Mohamed Salah’s contract extension may mean it’s already party time on Merseyside.
The news of Salah’s new deal has given the Reds a timely boost after last weekend’s defeat at Fulham, and Arne Slot’s side now have the chance to move 13 points clear of Arsenal with a win this afternoon. The Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw by Brentford yesterday.
It leaves Liverpool three wins away from securing the title with seven games remaining this season and they will face a West Ham team have are without a win in their last four league games under Graham Potter. The Hammers have lost their last nine trips to Anfield and have only one win there from their past 57 visits.
Follow the latest updates from Liverpool vs West Ham below
Three more wins (if that) until Premier League immortality
Liverpool need three wins to become champions. Though they probably don’t, in reality.
But West Ham’s awful record at Anfield and undistinguished season suggests one could come today, even when Liverpool have lost three of their last four games.
Arne Slot may not have rotated enough this season but has omitted Dominik Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson today.
Closing in on kick-off
We’re just 10 minutes away from kick-off at Anfield.
Liverpool could go within just two wins of the Premier League title with victory over West Ham today, but can Graham Potter’s side throw a spanner – or hammer – in the works?
We’ll have all the action from Anfield, right here.
Graham Potter on Niclas Fullkrug’s benching
“The impact he has for us is clear but at the same time he has had a season of injury,” he told Sky Sports.
“He had some fatigue after the last game so we are being ultra careful with him because we need him to be fit for the remainder of the season and I think the impact he can have at the back end of the game is where he is at physically.”
Conor Bradley living his dreams as part of Liverpool title push
“It’s what I dreamed of since being a little kid, playing for Liverpool but also now being involved in a title race and hopefully bringing a title back to Liverpool again – it would be lovely, so hopefully we can do that,” he told Sky Sports.
“I think it is massive that we enjoy it [the run-in] but we want to finish the season as strong as we can and hopefully today we can put on a good performance and get a good win.”
Arne Slot on Anfield vibes following Salah extension
“I think it is only a positive vibe for the fans,” Slot told Sky Sports. “They love him [Mohamed Salah] so they will like to keep him here for two more years.
“But I think the main thing they would like to see today is the team getting a good performance in and getting a good result.
“We all know Mo has been really important in attributing to results so I think that’s what today is about – the West Ham game – but it’s very nice for the short-term and long-term picture of the club.”
Jarred Bowen hoping to star against old admirers
Jarrod Bowen might have failed to find the levels of last season, but he is still in double figures for the campaign, despite missing the whole of January due to injury.
He has 10 goals so far, compared to the 20 he scored last season but excluding own goals, he has been directly involved in six of West Ham’s last seven goals against Liverpool in all competitions.
The Reds once tipped the Englishman as a potential successor to Mohamed Salah down the right – and while the Egyptian is staying put at Anfield, today might pose the perfect opportunity for Bowen to show what Liverpool are missing out on.
FA Cup heartache for the Liverpool’s women’s team
Aggie Beever-Jones scored a stoppage-time winner as Chelsea denied Liverpool a place in the Women’s FA Cup.
Liverpool took the lead against the run of play through Olivia Smith’s low finish, but Erin Cuthbert levelled on the stroke of half-time for the hosts.
With the game seemingly destined for extra time, Beever-Jones’ late header secured Chelsea’s place in next month’s Wembley final and kept the team’s quadruple hopes alive.
Arsenal’s title hopes take another hit against Brentford
Arsenal’s wafer-thin hopes of contesting for the Premier League title were dealt another seismic blow following a 1-1 draw against Brentford at the Emirates.
Just days after their stunning 3-0 win against Real Madrid in the Champions League, Mikel Arteta’s men were brought crashing back down to Earth with a draw that puts them 10 points adrift of Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
Thomas Partey opened the scoring for Arsenal after 61 minutes but Brentford responded through Yoane Wissa 13 minutes later.
Virgil van Dijk hints at ‘progress’ in Liverpool contract talks
Virgil van Dijk appears set to follow Mohamed Salah in extending his Liverpool contract after revealing there has been “progress” in his talks with the club over a new deal.
The Liverpool captain is out of contract at the end of the season and has previously been tight-lipped about discussions.
Liverpool could break a new record against West Ham
These two sides have already met twice this season and Liverpool have scored five on both occasions, first in the League Cup when they won 5-1 at Anfield, before following it up with a 5-0 league win at the end of December in the capital.
Both Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota have scored three goals against the Hammers this season, while five other scorers have also been on the scoresheet. In fact, a Liverpool player also scored West Ham’s goal with Jarell Quansah putting through his own net.
No English top-flight team has ever scored five or more goals against another team three times in the same season before, but if anyone was going to do it you wouldn’t put it past Liverpool.