After a late show six days ago, Liverpool have an opportunity to lay down a marker in the Premier League top-four battle when they host relegation-threatened West Ham this afternoon. The Reds were far from their best against Nottingham Forest but Alexis Mac Allister's goal deep into second half stoppage time ensured a 1-0 win at the City Ground, and a result that could prove crucial come the end of the season.
Liverpool have dealt a blow in their attempt to move level on points with rivals Manchester United in the table with Florian Wirtz ruled out through injury having not recovered from the knock that forced him to pull out of the starting line-up last weekend. Jeremie Frimpong, however, is fit and available for selection after a month on the sidelines with a groin issue.
The Hammers, meanwhile, are unbeaten in four games across all competitions and will move out of the bottom three - albeit potentially for 24 hours - if they can secure a first win at Anfield since August 2015. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog.
Liverpool vs West Ham latest news
- Liverpool XI CONFIRMED: Slot makes one change
- West Ham XI CONFIRMED
- Kick-off: 3pm GMT | Anfield
- How to watch: No TV coverage
- Standard Sport Prediction
HERE WE GO!
14:56 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneThe teams are out at Anfield.
Liverpool route to Champions League final
14:53 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneLiverpool have been drawn into the more difficult half of the Champions League knockout phase bracket.
Arne Slot’s side, who finished top of the league phase last season only to face Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16, finished third this year to book their place straight through to the knockout stages.
However, for the second year in a row, their higher-placed finish in the table has not resulted in a more generous draw as they might have hoped. That said, they will have the advantage of playing the second leg of their last-16 tie at Anfield.
Around the grounds
14:50 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneWolves 2-0 Aston Villa
Bournemouth 1-1 Sunderland
Burnley vs Brentford
Newcastle vs Everton
Leeds vs Man City - 5.30pm GMT
Kick-off approaching on Merseyside
14:45 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne15 minutes to go until kick-off at Anfield.
Fan reaction
14:40 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneSome optimism in the West Ham ranks ahead of kick-off.
Lineup is about the best we’ve got atm.
— Daena (@daena_bodie) February 28, 2026
There’s enough there to make this difficult for them if we’re at it.
Reckon there could be a result here for us today.#WHUFC https://t.co/6URSqeiWdH
Why Florian Wirtz is missing from Liverpool squad today
14:35 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneFlorian Wirtz is not involved for Liverpool against West Ham this afternoon after failing to recover from a back issue.
Wirtz withdrew from the Liverpool XI prior to the 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest last weekend after not feeling 100% in the warm-up.
There was hope that the situation was not too serious and that the attacking midfielder would be able to return to action today against the Hammers.
However, Wirtz is not in the matchday squad for the Premier League clash at Anfield.
Team news reminder
14:30 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneHere is how both teams will line-up today.
Liverpool XI: Alisson; Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Ekitike.
Substitutes: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Chiesa, Jones, Robertson, Frimpong, Nyoni, Ramsay, Ngumoha.
West Ham XI: Hermansen, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf, Magassa, Fernandes, Soucek, Bowen, Summerville, Taty
Substitutes: Areola, Walker-Peters, Scarles, Mayers, Todibo, Kilman, Kante, Adama, Wilson
Fan reaction
14:25 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneAt last, a Liverpool fan (on social media) happy with the lineup.
Great to see Joe at right back. And our best midfielder, in midfield 💪🏽
— Jin Singh (@JinBinning) February 28, 2026
Up the Reds! 🫡 #LIVWHU https://t.co/YcweNc2cQY
West Ham changes
14:20 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneWest Ham are unchanged from their goalless draw against Bournemouth last weekend.
In-form Crysencio Summerville starts again, he has previously scored a winning goal at Anfield.
Fan thoughts
14:15 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneNo Rio Ngumoha in the Liverpool XI has garnered plenty of chatter on social media...
Slot says that Rio isn’t “Premier League ready” but proves when he comes on that he is and has talent yet he doesn’t give him the start he deserves, I don’t get what more he can do, it’s becoming a joke now.#LIVWHU
— JESS 🐦🔥⚽️ (@_Jessbrydon) February 28, 2026
Fan reaction
14:10 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneThis Liverpool fan did not think for a single moment that Cody Gakpo would be dropped.
People thought Slot would drop Gakpo for Rio 😂😂😂 #YNWA #LIVWHU
— Alcatraz (@isaacjb19) February 28, 2026
Liverpool changes
14:05 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneJust the one change for Liverpool this afternoon from the 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Joe Gomez comes into the defence which should see Dominik Szoboszlai push into the No10 role.
Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo continue in attack, Rio Ngumoha on the bench.
West Ham team in full
14:00 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneWest Ham XI: Hermansen, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf, Magassa, Fernandes, Soucek, Bowen, Summerville, Taty
Substitutes: Areola, Walker-Peters, Scarles, Mayers, Todibo, Kilman, Kante, Adama, Wilson
Liverpool team in full
13:55 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneLiverpool XI: Alisson; Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Ekitike.
Substitutes: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Chiesa, Jones, Robertson, Frimpong, Nyoni, Ramsay, Ngumoha.
CONFIRMED WEST HAM TEAM NEWS
13:50 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneLining up for the visitors this afternoon...
Our Hammers to face the Reds 📄 pic.twitter.com/WLF3WNEpro
— West Ham United (@WestHam) February 28, 2026
CONFIRMED LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWS
13:45 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneHere is the Liverpool team selected by Arne Slot...
The Reds to take on West Ham United 🔴 #LIVWHU
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 28, 2026
Liverpool vs West Ham live - team news imminent
13:40 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneThe teams will be announced shortly!
Stay tuned...
Slot backs Salah
13:35 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneArne Slot has backed Liverpool star Mohamed Salah to rediscover his goalscoring form.
Salah hasn't scored in the Premier League since the 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at the start of November.
His current nine game drought is his longest spell without a top flight goal since he joined the club from Roma in 2017.
However, Slot is confident the Egypt international can get back to his best, insisting "he always scores in the end."
"He set his own standards and those are so, so, so high that the moment when he doesn’t score for a few games, people are immediately surprised," the Liverpool head coach said in the pre-match press conference.
"So that is only something that’s probably the biggest compliment he can get. And then with data you can use it in your advantage or disadvantage.
"So, not to use the FA Cup game if we play a Premier League side, you can argue if that is fair. But that’s the way it works. If we want to highlight something really positive, we try to forget one or two games. If we want to highlight something really negative, we can try to forget one or two games as well.
"For me, I think it’s quite recently – three games ago – that he had an assist and a goal against a Premier League side, Brighton, that is a very good Premier League team for so many years already. So, that’s the reality. Then you can change data and say he did not score in nine Premier League games.
"That’s the standard he set for himself, that’s why people are surprised when things like that happen."
How Nuno Espirito Santo breathed new life into West Ham's fight
13:30 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneWest Ham looked to be heading for relegation after their 2-1 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest at the start of January, writes Sam Tabuteau.
Seven points from safety and with five defeats in six games, the Hammers looked in serious trouble and Nuno Espirito Santo was coming under increasing external pressure.
But there was no such pressure internally, with the club retaining faith in Nuno, who vowed to keep fighting what at the time appeared to be a losing battle.
Eight games on and West Ham have lost just once in all competitions and are hot on the heels of Forest in their battle to climb out of the bottom three and beat the drop.
Premier League result
13:25 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneThe Premier League weekend got underway last night with a fixture of massive importance to Liverpool and the top-four battle.
Aston Villa - currently in third place - took on Wolves at Molineux and were beaten 2-0.
Huge incentive for Liverpool this afternoon as a win will take them to within striking distance of Unai Emery's side and they are faltering in the league.
Pablo Felipe latest
13:20 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneNuno Espirito Santo has delivered an update on Pablo Felipe ahead of West Ham’s Premier League clash against Liverpool.
Pablo has not featured for West Ham since the 2-0 win against Burnley at the beginning of the month when he came on in the closing stages.
The Brazilian has subsequently missed draws with Manchester United and Bournemouth, as well as the FA Cup fourth round win over Burton.
Predicted Liverpool XI
13:15 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneAs Florian Wirtz is not available for selection, Arsenal Slot may opt to stick with the Liverpool team that started the 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
This would mean Curtis Jones keeps his place in midfield and Mohamed Salah continues in attack despite a poor showing at the City Ground as well as going nine Premier League games without a goal.
Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Jones, Gakpo; Ekitike.
Champions League draw
13:10 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneHaving finished third in the league phase of this year’s competition, Liverpool were destined to face one of the teams who placed 13th, 14th, 19th or 20th.
Namely, those teams were Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Club Brugge and Galatasaray.
Galatasaray knocked out the Italian giants Juventus in a thrilling tie and will now play Liverpool again.
Today's settings
13:05 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneLiverpool have not lost at home to West Ham since August 2015 when Manuel Lanzini, Mark Noble and Diafra Sakho left the majority inside Anfield stunned.
Liverpool vs West Ham latest match odds
13:00 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneLiverpool to win: 4/11
West Ham to win: 11/2
Draw: 16/5
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
Head to head (h2h) history and results
12:55 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneLiverpool beat West Ham in the reverse fixture earlier in the season thanks to goals from Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo.
Liverpool wins: 87
West Ham wins: 29
Draws: 38
Score prediction
12:50 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneThis could be a closer game that many might think, particularly when considering West Ham’s recent form, which sees them beaten just once in their last eight games in all competitions.
Liverpool are, however, in good form, having won five of their past six games in all competitions. Their only defeat in that time came in their dramatic 2-1 loss against Manchester City.
Liverpool to win, 3-1.
West Ham team news
12:45 , Tashan Deniran-AlleynePablo Felipe, West Ham's January arrival remains sidelined, while Freddie Potts is suspended following his red card in the FA Cup fourth round win over Burton.
Liverpool team news: No Wirtz
12:40 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneFlorian Wirtz will miss out for Liverpool this afternoon and Arne Slot is unsure as to when the attacking midfielder will be available for selection again.
Conor Bradley is also sidelined, but Jeremie Frimpong could play after Slot confirmed that the Dutchman was back in training.
How to watch
12:35 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneTV channel: In the UK, the game will not be televised live as it lands during the 3pm Saturday blackout.
LIVE coverage: You can follow all the action right here via Standard Sport’s live blog.
Liverpool vs West Ham live
12:30 , Tashan Deniran-AlleyneHello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Liverpool vs West Ham!
It's a massive game at both ends of the Premier League table. Liverpool are firmly in the race for Champions League qualification, while West Ham are battling to avoid the drop.
We’ll have all the latest updates, build-up and team news right here ahead of kick-off, which comes at 3pm GMT from Anfield. Stick with us!
