Can West Ham defeat Liverpool and history?
The Hammmers go to Anfield on Saturday evening looking for the first win there since 1963.
WE ARE not going to bother to talk about how West Ham have not won at Anfield in any competition since September 1963.
It would be cruel to mention that it is 42 competitive games since that magnificent 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst and a penalty save from Jim Standen.
It would be going over old ground to mention that on the day West Ham won at Anfield, the Beatles were number one with ‘She Loves You’ or that the Oscar winning film of 1963 was Tom Jones starring Albert Finney.
We would tell you the price of a pint in 1963, but it is so long ago, that nobody seems to remember.
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What will tell you though is that it is now 24 league games for West Ham since they lasted tasted victory away from Upton Park, so to say the odds are stacked heavily against the Hammers in the televised game on Saturday is something of an understatement.
And yet, Liverpool certainly look a fragile team at the moment.
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Blackpool have triumphed at Anfield this season and the Reds have lost five games already during the campaign, the last of which came at Stoke City on Saturday when they were dispatched 2-0.
Roy Hodgson has struggled to win over the Liverpool fans, while signings like Christian Poulsen, who cost �4.5million from Juventus and Porto’s Raul Meireles, an �11.5m acquisition have also found it tough.
Ex-Hammers Joe Cole and Paul Konchesky were also brought in, but the former has struggled with injury, the latter with form.
Of course, Liverpool still have one or two star men.
Pepe Reina is always tough to beat, despite his aberration against Arsenal at the start of the season, while Steven Gerrard holds them together and Fernando Torres is still the man to get the goals. He has five to his name despite various injury setbacks.
He should be fit for Saturday, while Cole is battling for a place on the bench after a hamstring injury.
Lucas is suspended after being sent off at Stoke and there appears to be no truth in the rumour that West Ham are to appeal the red card in a bid to allow him to play against them!
History tells us that West Ham are not going to win this game. The Hammers’ current away form suggests the same, so what price on a magnficent away win?
Maybe next year.
Possible team: Reina, Kyrgiakos, Konchesky, Carragher, Skrtel, Rod-riguez, Gerrard, Meireles, Babel, Kuyt, Torres.
Prediction
Liverpool 3 West Ham 0