WEST HAM UNITED v LIVERPOOL
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SUNDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2011
KICK-OFF: 1.30PM
FULL AUDIO COVERAGE ON WEST HAM TV I TEXT COMMENTARY
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• West Ham United, who start the weekend in 19th place, welcome Liverpool to the Boleyn Ground knowing a win would be a major boost to their survival hopes with ten more matches after that in the 2010/11 Barclays Premier League season. They will also be hoping to avenge a 3-0 defeat at Anfield on 20 November but face a resurgent Reds side who are up to sixth under Kenny Dalglish.
• West Ham have not won at Anfield in 47 years but have had better luck at home, most recently winning 1-0 on 30 January 2008. However, Liverpool have won on their last two trips to east London.
• The Hammers have lost their last four matches against Liverpool with the Reds scoring three goals in each of those contests.
• Liverpool are unbeaten in eight matches in all competitions and have only conceded three goals in that period.
• This is the 107th league meeting between the two sides. Liverpool have won 57, West Ham have won 21 and there have been 29 draws.
• The Hammers have scored at least three goals in four of their last five matches but have not kept a clean sheet in nine.
• The Reds only defeat in the last 17 meetings was that loss thanks to Mark Noble's last-gasp penalty in January 2008.
Match sponsor
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Matchball sponsor
Hainault Golf Club offers golfers of all standards the choice of two picturesque and challenging courses set in over 300 acres. The club is also supported by excellent practice facilities and a traditionally designed yet friendly and relaxed clubhouse. A new March deal will see 18 holes of golf for just £15 per person between Monday and Friday.
Contact details: www.hainaultgolfclub.co.uk or call 020 8500 2131
Last time out
Monday 21 February 2011
FA Cup fifth round
West Ham United 5-1 Burnley
West Ham: Green, Jacobsen, Bridge, Reid, Tomkins, Parker, Noble, Hitzlsperger, Barrera 67), Cole (Spector 73), Ba (Piquionne 82), Sears
Subs not used: Boffin, Hines, Da Costa, Boa Morte
Goals: Hitzlsperger 23, Cole 48, 50, Reid 58, Sears 90
Thursday 24 February 2011
UEFA Europa League last-32 second leg
Liverpool 1-0 AC Sparta Praha
Liverpool: Reina, Agger (Skrtel 85), Krygiakos, Wilson, Kelly (Carragher 46), Meireles, Cole, Lucas, Poulsen (Spearing 65), Kuyt, Ngog
Subs not used: Gulacsi, Maxi, Pacheco, Jovanovic
Goal: Kuyt 86
Previous meeting
The last meeting came at Anfield back on 20 November when the Reds were rampant. Glen Johnson, a Dirk Kuyt penalty and a Maxi Rodriguez all scored before half-time to leave the Hammers in deep trouble at the bottom of the league - five points from safety
Liverpool: Reina, Konchesky, Carragher, Skrtel, Johnson, Maxi Rodriguez, Raul Meireles (Shelvey 83), Kuyt, Poulsen, Torres (Babel 85), Ngog (Aurelio 74)
Subs not used: Jones, Kyrgiakos, Eccleston, Kelly
West Ham United: Green, Gabbidon, Jacobsen, Upson, Ilunga (Tomkins 76), Kovac, Noble, Boa Morte, Piquionne, Cole (McCarthy 69), Obinna (Barrera 45)
Subs not used: Stech, Reid, Spector, Nouble
Background
• Thomas Hitzlsperger is in line for his 100th Premier League appearance - on his top-flight debut for the Hammers.
• Carlton Cole is the Hammers' top scorer with ten goals in 32 matches in all competitions. Steven Gerrard is Liverpool's top marksman with eight, although Andy Carroll hit eleven for Newcastle United before his £35m January transfer to Anfield.
• Two Liverpool players, Jamie Carragher and Dirk Kuyt, made their debuts against West Ham. Carragher's first appearance came at Anfield in January 1997, while Kuyt's came at Anfield in August 2006.
• Raul Meireles has scored five goals in his last six matches, after 17 games without registering.
Last six meetings (Premier League unless stated)
20 November 2010 - Liverpool 3-0 West Ham United
19 April 2010 Liverpool 3-0 West Ham United
19 September 2010 West Ham United 2-3 Liverpool
9 May 2009 West Ham United 0-3 Liverpool
1 December 2008 Liverpool 0-0 West Ham United
5 March 2008 Liverpool 4-0 West Ham United
Overall record v Liverpool (all competitions) W 23 D 34 L 64
Ten-year records
West Ham United
2009/10 Premier League 17th (35 points)
2008/09 Premier League 9th (51 points)
2007/08 Premier League 10th (49 points)
2006/07 Premier League 15th (41 points)
2005/06 Premier League 9th (55 points)
2004/05 Championship 6th (73 points - promoted to Premier League via play-offs)
2003/04 Championship 4th (74 points)
2002/03 Premier League 18th (42 points - relegated to Championship)
2001/02 Premier League 7th (53 points)
2000/01 Premier League 15th (42 points)
Liverpool
2009/10 Premier League 7th (63 points)
2008/09 Premier League 2nd (86 points)
2007/08 Premier League 4th (76 points)
2006/07 Premier League 3rd (68 points)
2005/06 Premier League 3rd (82 points)
2004/05 Premier League 5th (58 points)
2003/04 Premier League 4th (60 points)
2002/03 Premier League 5th (64 points)
2001/02 Premier League 2nd (80 points)
2000/01 Premier League 3rd (69 points)
Team news
• All members of the first-team squad - including Matthew Upson - trained on Friday except for Victor Obinna (foot), Kieron Dyer (thigh), Robbie Keane (calf) and Junior Stanislas (hernia). Jack Collison is doing light training work at Chadwell Heath after nearly a year out with a knee injury.
• Dyer could return to training next week while Keane is out for another month.
• Junior Stanislas is still recovering from surgery on an abdominal hernia while Victor Obinna's sore foot that kept him out of the West Brom trip and Burnley game are still proving troublesome.
• Avram Grant has been keeping a close eye on Australia U17 striker Dylan Tombides, after his recent impressive form for the reserves. The tall Academy product was on target in the 1-1 draw against West Bromwich Albion on 2 February.
• Liverpool could welcome back captain Steven Gerrard from a groin injury. The No8 missed the UEFA Europa League victory over Sparta Prague on Thursday evening.
• Denmark defender Daniel Agger and England pair Glen Johnson (achilles) and Andy Carroll (thigh) are all doubts, while young full-back Martin Kelly is hoping to return from a thigh problem.
Referee
• Sunday's referee will be Mark Halsey
• He played semi-professional football for Barnet and St Albans City in the 1980s before becoming a referee in the early 1990s. At the time, he would continue to train with Barnet and later Potters Bar in order to maintain his fitness.
• Halsey was the referee for the 2007 Community Shield between Chelsea and Manchester United and the 2008 Carling Cup final contested by Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Old boys
• Glen Johnson, 25, came through the ranks at West Ham, making 15 league appearances in the 2002/03 season. He was transferred to Chelsea for £6m in summer 2003 and subsequently moved on to Portsmouth before Liverpool snapped him up in June 2009.
• Joe Cole played 149 games in all competitions, scoring 13 goals, before his switch to Chelsea in August 2003.
• Among the other players who have represented both clubs are Craig Bellamy, Yossi Benayoun, Tom Bradshaw, David Burrows, Titi Camara, Charles Cotton, Julian Dicks, Ray Houghton, Don Hutchison, Paul Ince, David James, Rob Jones, George Kay, Paul Konchesky, Mike Marsh, Neil Mellor, Neil Ruddock, Danny Shone, Rigobert Song and Thomas Stanley.
• Liverpool coach Steve Clarke was assistant manager to Gianfranco Zola at West Ham between September 2008 and June 2010
General information
• For ticket information, click here. For details on getting to the Boleyn Ground, click here.
Weather
• The forecast is for a clear day with temperatures peaking around 9C