Liverpool get another chance to go top against West Ham

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This is the closest Liverpool have ever come to winning the Premier League and the TV schedulers seem to enjoy torturing them. Once again the Reds play before Manchester United, offering them the chance to experience being top with just two games to go, only to probably have it cruelly snatched away from them a day later. West Ham won’t be a pushover though - even if odds of 23/4 with 888sport suggest otherwise:

Key Trends

» West Ham have lost all five of their home games against teams above them in the league.

» Liverpool have the best record against top-half teams in the Premier League and haven’t lost to any of the top nine clubs.

» In only one of West Ham’s previous 13 Premier League seasons (2000-01) have they failed to beat any of the Big Four - this is their last chance to win against one of them this year.

Other stats

» Liverpool have the best attack in the Premier League since Christmas (42 goals in 17 games) but only Arsenal have conceded less league goals than West Ham (10 goals in 15 games) in 2009.

» West Ham won this fixture 1-0 last season but prior to that they had waited over eight years for a win against Rafael Benitez’s side.

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» Eight of West Ham’s first ten league wins under Gianfranco Zola came in pairs of two. Win number 11 came in their last game against Stoke.

» The Irons have conceded two goals or more in just one of their last 14 league games but have scored more than once in only one of their last 12.

» Therefore, you won’t be surprised to hear that none of West Ham’s last nine league games have had over 2.5 goals, while just one of their last 16 in all competitions has. Bet365 offer 39/40 on two or less goals being scored.

» But while West Ham games have been relatively low on goals since Craig Bellamy left and Carlton Cole got injured, Liverpool have also defied stereotype with a number of thrillers. Nine of their last ten have featured over 2.5 goals but notably the one exception came away to a London club with an impressive defensive record - Fulham.

» Liverpool have scored in each of their last 11 games in London.

» Three of Liverpool’s last four wins over West Ham have come by a 2-1 scoreline, which can be backed at 15/2 with 888sport.

Posted: May 8th, 2009 by Michael Lintorn |