Liverpool is probably no longer playing for the title, although it at least has the benefit of the early kick-off here to try and pile some sort of pressure back on Manchester City and Arsenal. A win, however artificially, would lift Jürgen Klopp’s side level on points with top for at least a day.
But it’s rare that Klopp hails the Saturday lunchtime slot as a blessing, and it does come with a ludicrously short turnaround from the Everton defeat. That was just the latest game where Liverpool has looked physically and mentally exhausted, so it will be a major test to put out an energized side.
In his latest attempt to do that, Klopp has once again rung the changes. The team echoes the side that took on Fulham, the one recent performance that was anywhere approaching convincing.
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Cody Gakpo returns to the Liverpool team to face West Ham. (Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool is probably no longer playing for the title, although it at least has the benefit of the early kick-off here to try and pile some sort of pressure back on Manchester City and Arsenal. A win, however artificially, would lift Jürgen Klopp’s side level on points with top for at least a day.
But it’s rare that Klopp hails the Saturday lunchtime slot as a blessing, and it does come with a ludicrously short turnaround from the Everton defeat. That was just the latest game where Liverpool has looked physically and mentally exhausted, so it will be a major test to put out an energized side.
In his latest attempt to do that, Klopp has once again rung the changes. The team echoes the side that took on Fulham, the one recent performance that was anywhere approaching convincing.
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Marco Silva acknowledged after that game that the absence of Mohamed Salah made Liverpool better off the ball, and the Egyptian misses out again here. Harvey Elliott takes his place.
Meanwhile, Cody Gakpo returns after missing the Merseyside derby for the birth of his child. There’s also another chance for Ryan Gravenberch, while Ibrahima Konaté has lost his place to Jarell Quansah. With the starting XI confirmed, here are the teams that some of our Liverpool.com writers would have selected
What should Liverpool do here? I’ve seen suggestions that you just rotate and give young players a go for the rest of the season but Liverpool needs to wrap up Champions League qualification and end the Klopp era on a high. It also needs to get the Everton game and a few lingering questions out of its system as soon as possible.
For that reason, I’m going fairly close to what the team was against Everton but with a couple of changes. I’m taking Ibrahima Konaté and Darwin Núñez out because they were particularly poor midweek. The latter wouldn’t have started, I don’t think, had Gakpo been available. The Dutchman is back now after welcoming a baby with his partner, and he comes back in for me
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