West Ham United

Ciaran Kelly
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Michael Carrick's love of the game was quickly apparent when he was profiled on the BBC's Saturday morning children's television show Live & Kicking in 1995.

Seated in front of the camera in a Newcastle shirt and surrounded by posters of his idols, including Peter Beardsley, viewers might have felt he was destined to one day represent his boyhood club.

Newcastle had even attempted to pull out one or two stops to convince Carrick to join.

Beardsley presented Carrick with a cake on his 13th birthday at St James' Park while the youngster was invited to play in the prestigious Milk Cup youth tournament a year early.

However, that trip to Northern Ireland left a lasting impression for all the wrong reasons after a few of the players 'borrowed' a Mini and drove it around a car park.

Carrick ultimately felt more comfortable at West Ham - a long way from home - after spending time touring a host of suitors across the country.

Although local talents like Lee Clark, Steve Howey, Steve Watson and Robbie Elliott had made the breakthrough into Newcastle's first-team squad, at the time the club did not even have a reserve side.

By contrast, at West Ham, there was a clear pathway - and Carrick never looked back.

This future England international went on to play for the Hammers and Tottenham Hotspur before joining Manchester United, where he won 18 trophies, including five Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Noel Sliney
BBC Sport senior journalist

East meets west at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night, with Fulham vying to emulate their victory over West Ham in December's reverse fixture.

While Fulham have rekindled their hopes of European football with successive wins, West Ham's revival has lost some momentum and they remain two points from safety.

Wilson key as Fulham dare to dream

Fulham's season is following a similar pattern to their previous campaigns since promotion in 2022 – sat comfortably mid-table or higher heading into March, with aspirations of qualifying for Europe for the first time since 2011.

They've eventually settled for final league positions of 10th, 14th and 10th again, but could it be different this time?

Last Sunday's victory over Spurs left Fulham in ninth place, behind Everton by the narrowest of goal difference. Eighth could be enough for European qualification this season.

If they are to achieve that target, their difference maker could be Harry Wilson. The in-form winger is a minor fitness doubt to face West Ham after being substituted with an ankle injury at the weekend but only after he'd registered his ninth goal and sixth assist in the Premier League this season. No Fulham player has been directly involved in more goals in a top-flight campaign since Dimitar Berbatov provided 15 goals and three assists in 2012-13.

Wilson, who is out of contract this summer, is reaping the benefits of regular football; he has played 83% of the available minutes in 2025-26, having never before reached 50% in a Premier League season. His impact has been particularly strong over the past 15 top-flight games, during which his 13 goal involvements was only bettered by Bruno Fernandes and Erling Haaland.

Familiar failings return for West Ham

Prior to Saturday's defeat by Liverpool, West Ham had taken 11 points from six games – as many as in their previous 18. They've narrowed the deficit to fourth bottom Nottingham Forest from seven points to two over the past six weeks and can take solace from giving Liverpool a harder game than the 5-2 scoreline suggests.

The Hammers conceded as many goals at Anfield as they had in their previous five league matches combined, and the first three on Saturday all came from corners.

Notwithstanding the fact West Ham had previously gone nearly two months without conceding from a set-piece, they have now let in 15 goals from corners this season – five more than any other side in Europe's top five leagues.

Several other unwanted statistics are hindering West Ham's survival chances. They have now only taken one point from the six most recent fixtures in which they conceded first and are winless in 10 top-flight kick-offs at 7pm or later since beating Leicester a year ago. The Hammers have also lost seven of their eight Premier League London derbies this season – only three sides have ever fared worse.

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo was very upbeat about his side's performance at Anfield on Saturday, but they lost 5-2.

The only consolation for the Hammers is that the teams immediately above them all lost too.

They lost at home to Fulham in December I don't see them getting anything on Wednesday, either.

Marco Silva's side played really well in their win against Tottenham on Sunday and Harry Wilson is on fire - my advice is to get him in your fantasy team, now.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Holly Turbutt
Fan contributor

West Ham are showing signs that we can actually fight our way out of relegation and this might seem surprising given the Liverpool score.

Let me explain why that score has not destroyed my hope.

So, against Liverpool, conceding five goals is never what you want, but we suffered from the same issues we've had for so long: our inability to defend against balls into the box and giving the opposition so much time with the ball in dangerous positions.

When you watch the goals back, it is the same themes we've seen before - they're unchallenged, giving Liverpool players time to calmly send the ball into the box. Some took a deflection but, ultimately, we let them get too close to the goal without challenging them. Again, this has cost us massively and meant that we weren't in with a shot of winning that game.

But there are positives which make me think there is still hope West Ham stay up.

First of all, we did manage to score two against Liverpool, which in any normal game you'd see as a decent result from an attacking perspective. When you look at the stats, we had 50% possession, we had 10 shots - five of which were on target - we had just four fewer passes than Liverpool and a passing accuracy of 82%.

So, when you look at the stats alone, we did manage to hold our own to some degree and compete, and this is why, despite that scoreline, I do think that West Ham are showing signs we can still outscore the opponents we have coming up. I say outscore because we really do struggle to keep clean sheets.

Up next we've got Fulham, which is going to be a massive test of how we can perform against a mid-table side.

These are the points we need to be getting and I'm hopeful we can get enough goals against them to take home the three points.

Find more from Holly Turbutt at West Ham Network, external

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Premier League game against Fulham at Craven Cottage (kick-off 19:30 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Pablo Felipe is "not yet" ready to return to training after being sidelined with a calf problem, but he is being assessed every day.

• Nuno added that "hopefully everyone" else from the squad should be available.

• On West Ham announcing they need to sell players this summer even if they avoid relegation: "This is not something we have to think about now. We have a big task on our hands. With the things we have to improve and make happen, every day is about how we prepare ourselves for the matches."

• On if he has been watching the games played by other teams involved in this season's relegation battle: "I watch all the games in the Premier League. We focus on ourselves, we didn't achieve a result in our game."

• On if he is surprised that Tottenham and Nottingham Forest are currently involved in the battle for safety: "It shows how difficult the Premier League is for all teams. It's the best league in the world, anything is possible in the Premier League."

• On if Jarrod Bowen's ambitions for a World Cup spot with England helps West Ham: "Many of our players have goals to join their national teams in the World Cup. It only motivates them and makes them stronger. Jarrod is a talented player. He's been huge for us, he is the club captain and every game he gives his best."

• On Fulham: "They are a very good team. Marco Silva is doing an amazing job. You can see that it's a tough team, Alex Iwobi, the goals he scores... So many talented players."

Follow all of Monday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Steve Wyeth
Final Score reporter

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Having been soundly beaten at a ground where they have won just once in 53 attempts now in the league, West Ham will be grateful it's 'as you were' in the race for Premier League survival. But will they also reflect upon what might have been?

On quality of chances created at Liverpool on Saturday, the 5-2 scoreline was an exaggeration. Indeed West Ham's xG (if you buy into such things) was marginally superior. Nuno Espirito Santo was correct that 3-0 at half-time was an unfair reflection on what we had witnessed. With greater focus at set-pieces and ruthlessness in front of goal West Ham might have further intensified the pressure on Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur immediately above them.

If the Hammers can replicate the way they tested Liverpool's defence against Fulham on Wednesday the picture at the bottom of the Premier League could suddenly look more favourable.

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Liverpool and West Ham.

Here are some of your comments:

Liverpool fans

Ian: The time is lonng overdue for Jeremiah Frimpong and Rio Ngumoha to start matches. The team felt more balanced when they were brought on. I cannot understand why tiredness is an issue and why it matters if it was at the beginning or end.

Jon: The result disguises some worrying problems for us defensively. On too many occasions the defence and midfield gave the ball away sloppily. To be 3-0 up and still nervous about them getting one goal to change the game at Anfield is not the Liverpool we have seen in the past. A few sitters missed by some of the team didn't help us and, I must say, what Mohamed Salah has been for us in the past is no more - zero work-rate from him and should have been dragged off the pitch early second half. Take the positives, which are three points and five goals, but against this West Ham team it could have been better.

Rae: A good result, five different goalscorers [one own goal] - which is just as well as Cody Gakpo and Salah are still off form. The main difference, though, is that other players are finding form - Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Milos Kerkez. Lots of work still to do.

Ravi: Top performance from the Reds. We were clinical, and to score five (it should've probably been more!) is always a positive thing. Six in seven now - let's keep the momentum going!

West Ham fans

Richard: I hope the 'Moyes Out' crew at West Ham take a long look at themselves in the mirror. While Everton are chasing Europe, we are chasing survival. Some fans seemed to think we still had Bobby Moore at the club when David Moyes was manager, and even winning the Conference League wasn't enough for them. That was the beginning of the rot and, along with David Sullivan and Karren Brady (who wanted to keep Moyes), the fans who wanted him out have played a part in our downfall.

Neil: If we'd played like that in the first half of the season we'd be challenging for Europe right now... why has it taken half a season?

James: The cliche of ‘the season is not going to be defined by this result’ comes to mind. It was always going to be tough, but West Ham must not let this curtail their previous good form.

Chris: Disappointing they let the game get away from them so quickly and from set-pieces, where we had tightened up so much in recent games. Positives were we took two goals and had plenty of other chances. We also didn't give up, despite the scoreline. I don't think it'll change much, but I hope the goals conceded don't cost us dear at the end of the season.

West Ham and Sunderland are interested in 24-year-old Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez, who could be allowed to leave AC Milan. (AS - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Pundits Alan Shearer and Ashley Williams join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Newcastle 2-3 Everton

• Liverpool 5-2 West Ham

• Leeds 0-1 Manchester City

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "The first half was hard to explain that we were losing 3-0 at half-time. It was frustrating to concede from set pieces. We created situations. We said at half-time that anything can happen and we went and scored early. In terms of football, there are a lot of positives."

On four of Liverpool's goals taking deflections: "Some days it's like this. This is the game. It's hard to explain.

"The players have been playing good. In terms of football and the game, our organisation is good. We had chances. I'm positive and confident things will change."

Did you know?

• West Ham United have conceded five goals in the opening five minutes of Premier League games this season, more than any other side. Only Watford in 1999-00, Blackburn Rovers in 2003-04, Charlton Athletic in 2003-04, Newcastle United in 2010-11, Burnley in 2018-19 and Manchester United in 2024-25 have conceded more (all conceded six).

• West Ham's El Hadji Malick Diouf provided his fifth Premier League assist of the season, the most of any defender so far this term.

Aadam Patel
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham will travel back to London and wonder how this game ended 5-2. For what it is worth, the final xG tally was 1.75 for Liverpool and 1.84 for the Hammers.

Nuno's side played well in phases, but simply did not win the key moments - and it is hard to have many excuses when you concede five goals.

But West Ham, who were unbeaten in February until this defeat, will take some solace from the fact they gave Liverpool a much better game than the scoreline suggested.

In a week where the Hammers confirmed they will need to sell players this summer even if they avoid relegation, after revealing a £104.2m loss for the last financial year, this was ultimately a damaging defeat.

And the sight of some travelling supporters heading for the exits before half-time summed up the bleakness of their situation. West Ham are in serious danger of going down - but there is still time to turn things around.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Liverpool's performance

What did you make of West Ham's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Image source, BBC Sport

Arne Slot makes one change for Liverpool with Joe Gomez starting at right-back and Curtis Jones dropping to the bench.

Liverpool XI: Alisson: Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Ekitike.

Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Chiesa, Jones, Robertson, Frimpong, Nyoni, Ramsay, Ngumoha.

Nuno Espírito Santo names an unchanged West Ham side from the eleven that drew against Bournemouth last weekend.

West Ham XI: Hermansen; Wan Bissaka, Disasi, Mavropanos, Diouf; Soucek, Magassa, Fernandes; Summerville, Bowen, Castellanos.

Subs: Subs: Areola, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Wilson, Adama, Todibo, Scarles, Kante, Mayers

Image source, BBC Sport

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Bournemouth v Sunderland (12:30)

• Burnley v Brentford

• Liverpool v West Ham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Newcastle v Everton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Leeds v Manchester City (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v West Ham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Newcastle v Everton", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

I keep hearing how West Ham have turned a corner, and they have improved recently, but I still thought last week's draw at home to Bournemouth was a poor result.

The Hammers were helped by Nottingham Forest and Tottenham both being beaten, but a win would have been massive for them.

Liverpool were very unconvincing at Forest, but they did nick the win.

Some of their fans are still whinging about Arne Slot and he is always being compared with Jurgen Klopp, but they are actually on a decent run of results and showing a bit of spirit too.

They are right in the mix for the top four but now they need to keep winning - I expect them to do that on Saturday.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Paul Birch
BBC Sport journalist

Relegation-threatened West Ham travel to Liverpool in search of what would be only their fourth top-flight win at Anfield.

When scrapping in a relegation battle, Anfield is arguably the last ground West Ham would want to visit to try to pick-up some much-needed points.

The Hammers have won just three of their 63 top-flight visits to Liverpool and only one of those – in August 2015 – has come since 1963.

Encompassing home games, their overall record against the Reds is also poor, with a solitary victory in their past 19 encounters.

At least boss Nuno Espirito Santo has a win at Anfield on his CV having masterminded his then Nottingham Forest side to their first win at Liverpool in any competition since 1969 with a 1-0 top-flight victory last season.

However, the eight defeats the Portuguese has suffered in the Premier League against the Reds is his most against any side.

At least the Hammers come into this match in form. The 11 points they have accrued over their past six league games is as many as they had mustered from their previous 18.

They were left extremely frustrated by their goalless draw with Bournemouth last Saturday, during which they had 20 shots and an xG of 3.27 that was comfortably the highest by a Premier League side not to score in a game this season.

They did, though, find comfort at the other end of the pitch as they recorded a second clean sheet in three matches, equalling their tally across their previous 35 league games.

Liverpool increase unbeaten run but not hitting top form

Liverpool extended their run to just two defeats in 20 matches with a victory at Nottingham Forest last weekend, but they were again unconvincing.

The Reds had to rely on a Premier League record-extending 48th winning goal in the 90th minute or later to secure the three points that keeps them in the mix for a Champions League spot.

It was their third injury-time winner this season - the most of any side - and only one short of their record for a Premier League campaign set in 2008-09.

However, given Arne Slot's struggles with the club's injury list, players losing form and an increasingly restless fanbase, a win is a win.

After back-to-back 1-0 victories, they are now targeting three wins without conceding for the first time since Slot's first three games in charge of the club.

Following their Anfield defeat by Forest, who were 19th in the table at the time, in November, the Reds will be desperate to avoid losing two Premier League home games in a season against sides starting the day in the relegation zone for the first time since 1992-93.

One further statistical quirk involving these sides: Liverpool have scored the lowest share of their goals in the opening 45 minutes of top-flight games this season - just 31% (13 of 42) - while West Ham have scored a Premier League high 59% of theirs in the second half of games (19 of 32).

West Ham's Crysensio Summerville says "top manager" Nuno Espirito Santo's "straightforward" coaching has helped him find his top form.

The 24-year-old only scored one goal in an injury-hit first season at the club after moving from Leeds in the summer of 2024 but has scored six goals in his last eight games in all competitions and is thriving under Nuno's tutelage.

"Obviously you have to come to to your full fitness first," he told BBC Sport's Betty Glover.

"You need to get used to the game, to the intensity as well. I think the people, my teammates, the physios, everyone helped me a lot to get there. I know if I get the best version of myself, I'm unplayable. I hope I can be consistent about it.

"I think the coach is a top manager and top person as well. When he first joined I had a lot of conversations with him and he's just straightforward. He asked me how he can get me on top of my game and get me even higher on the levels, how he can help me improve my game statistics as well. I think when we work he gets something out of me."

The Hammers are on a run of three wins and two draws in their last six games and are just two points from safety despite being seven points adrift in early January.

"I think we improved a lot from like how it was in the start of the season and hopefully we can keep this going," Summerville added.

"We know where we are and we know that we have to fight and it's until the last game we to do this for the fans as well, because I think we belong in the Premier League.

"We know how it's going to be, it's going to be a fight. We know that we don't belong here like where we're at. So it's going to be a fight until the end. I think we improved a lot from what it was at the start. I think we have to take all the positives from the last couple of games, and now we see it game by game.

"Every game for us is a final, and I think that needs to be the mentality."

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Liverpool at Anfield (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Nuno starts with an update on Pablo Felipe, who is out with a calf problem: "He didn't join us yet as he's starting his own programme, so he's improving day by day. It all depends on him, so hopefully soon because we miss him."

• On West Ham's recent form: "Unfortunately, some results are not coming, which we need. But in terms of performance, they are improving in different aspects and getting a clean sheet always motivates us." He added: "We cannot spend too much time and sorrow thinking what could be, we have to react and bounce back."

• He says fighting for survival is tough but his side are motivated: "It's a big challenge and it can bring the best out of us. That's the main motivation. We have to keep chasing, and it's going to be a fight. Being a chaser is the reality. It's been that way for a while, but we're in the fight."

• When asked about clean sheets, he said: "When we speak about our defensive organisation it comes from all the team, not only the back line. It comes from our striker, the way we organise, the way we intend to press. I think we are growing in that aspect of the game, which improves our defensive organisation. But I think players have been knowing each other better, realising that it is a team effort to achieve a clean sheet in the Premier League."

• On West Ham conceding late goals recently while Liverpool have a tendency to score late goals: "Minute one is important, and then you have to play the game action after action. What I ask is for total focus during the game... We are trying to correct conceding late goals, because it has impacted us. We're improving, but we will go into the match thinking of minute one not the end of the game."

• When asked what's changed since they last played Liverpool he said: "We know that we played at home against Liverpool now it's at Anfield. We know how tough it'll be. So new things, I always think that the game is new things happening require new questions, new answers, new challenge, but we are ready to play the game... The boys work hard and well, we still have tomorrow, but the atmosphere is good, so we are confident realising how tough it is going to be, but we want to challenge it."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news