After a recent defeat at hands of Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth, the red half of Merseyside – Liverpool – are bracing themselves for the visit of Slaven Bilic’s West ham United.

Liverpool, despite owning a comfortable two-goal lead, slipped in the last 15 minutes at the Dean court past weekend and dropped the all important three points, which saw them losing their second spot on the log to Arsenal. Up next is the visit of a lowly West Ham side, who are struggling to find consistency and are sitting 17th  with just three points off the 20th placed Swansea.

To say the least, both the teams have to win the game to support their respective cause and looking at the recent form, it is Liverpool who are the clear favourites as they have won four of their last six games, have drawn once and lost once.

West Ham, on the other hand, have lost four of their last six games and have drawn two. On paper, this looks like an easy game for the reds but in the premier league, surprises can pop out of thin air.

Here is how Jurgen Klopp might line his men up for the game:

Goalkeeper: Simon Mignolet-

A rotation between the sticks can be observed, as the manager might use the Belgian stopper to replace the still error prone Loris Karius. The newly arrived German has been defended by the manager many times, but this is no secret that he still has a long way to go before owning the no 1 spot at Anfield.

Defence: Clyne; Lovren; Matip; Milner-

Clyne has been one of best performers for the side, but the English defender needs to be focused in the entirety of the game. Bournemouth wingers gave him lots of trouble and this time around, he is set to face an all-confident Michail Antonio.

The reports from Sky Sports have mentioned that Joel Matip is expected to be available for the game after missing the past fixture, hence the manager will no doubt use the Cameroonian. With him on one side, Dejan Lovren will be a sure starter for the side, even though he is far from his best this season. With Andy Carroll back from injury for West Ham, the defensive duo will be given the task of neutralising the English man’s arial threat.

Then on the left, James Milner will be plying his nails, but the English veteran will have to be cautious as Aaron Cresswell is set to return and the wingman could well get the better of Milner with his pace and trickery.

Midfield Trio: Henderson; Can; Lallana-

This is the spot where Liverpool could turn the game on its head as Adam Lallana is back in the squad.

The deepest midfielder would surely be Jordan Henderson, and he will be doing his usual task to railing the team on its track with his precise and pinpoint passes. Besides this, his ability to break the attack in the middle of the park would be crucial for the Klopp’s men.

Ahead of him would be Emre Can, who has recently found himself starting in advanced roles, would like to continue his good form and support other attackers at front.

The attacking midfielder would be Adam Lallana, as he will be replacing a dull Gini Wijnaldum for sure. With Coutinho out, the former Southampton man will have to carry all the playmaking duties and his performance will be a real key to unlock the West Ham defence.

Attacking Trio: Mane; Origi; Firmino-

As reported by Sky Sports, Mane is expected to be the part of the game and in that case, he will be a sure starter for the side. Going up against Cresswell won’t be easy but the pacey winger has the required attributes to test any defender in the league.

The target man for Liverpool would surely be Divock Origi and the young Belgian will be looking to add more numbers to his tally, having scored two goals already.

Coutinho’s position will be occupied by Roberto Firmino, and even though he struggled to bring anything productive against Bournemouth from the same spot, he still remains a vital player for Jurgen Klopp.