Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah may be going through a tough patch, but he has historically performed exceptionally well against West Ham. In fact, Salah is the leading goal scorer in the history of fixtures between the two teams, with 11 goals in just 14 appearances. This weekend, as he faces West Ham once again, Salah has the opportunity to become the second Reds player to score in three different matches against the Hammers in the same season, a feat previously achieved by John Toshack in the 1975/76 season.
Salah’s goal-scoring prowess extends beyond matches against West Ham. He has scored more goals for Liverpool against Manchester United (14) than any other team, and he has also found the net 11 times against Manchester City. This game against West Ham will mark Liverpool’s sixth 12.30pm kickoff this season. In the previous five, they remained unbeaten, winning four and drawing one.
Liverpool’s dominance over West Ham is evident in their track record. They are looking for their 11th league double over West Ham in the Premier League era, and they have emerged victorious in 35 out of the 155 Premier League meetings between the two teams. Their success against West Ham is only matched by their success against Newcastle, with both teams having been defeated by Liverpool 35 times. Out of the 155 goals scored in Premier League meetings, Liverpool has contributed 105.
When playing away at West Ham, Liverpool has won 14 out of 27 Premier League encounters and lost only nine. In fact, they have been beaten in just 11 out of the last 70 league meetings with West Ham. If Liverpool secures a victory in this game, it will mark a significant milestone under Jurgen Klopp, as they would amass 700 league points during his tenure.
Liverpool has been relentless this season, and they are closing in on several milestones. Their next first-half goal will be their 50th of the season in all competitions. Additionally, Liverpool needs just one goal to reach 100 in all league games at West Ham and four goals to achieve 50 in the Premier League when playing at West Ham. If they find the net in this game, they will set a new club record against West Ham by scoring in 16 consecutive league games, surpassing the previous record of 15 games set between December 1977 and September 1987.
On the other hand, West Ham’s performance this season has been unpredictable. Currently sitting in eighth place in the Premier League with 48 points, they have won more league games away from home than at their own stadium. In their last seven league games, they have only managed to secure one victory. They have lost their last two matches, conceding at least four goals in five league games this season. Their heaviest defeat came in a 6-0 home loss to Arsenal in February.
As the teams prepare to face each other, it will be interesting to see if Salah can regain his scoring form against West Ham and lead Liverpool to another victory. The outcome of this match could have significant implications for both teams as they strive to achieve their respective goals for the season.
(Note: The statistics mentioned in the narrative are courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea.)