ANFIELD ALERT: NUNO'S WEST HAM FACE HIGH-STAKES LIVERPOOL CLASH TO ESCAPE THE RELEGATION ZONE
Liverpool vs West Ham. Get the report on Nuno Espirito Santo’s counter-attacks and the fight to escape relegation.
West Ham are heading to Anfield on Saturday, and you can bet they’ve got one thing in mind: finally beating Liverpool there, something they haven’t pulled off since 2015.
Sure, the Hammers only managed a 0-0 draw with Bournemouth last weekend, dropping a couple of points at home. But the silver lining? They’ve managed to close the gap on Nottingham Forest in 17th to just two points. Not bad, all things considered.
Next up is Arne Slot’s Liverpool, a team that's been all over the place this season. Just look at that wild 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, who were sitting 19th at the time, back in November. Liverpool rarely loses twice at home to teams starting the day in the relegation zone; the last time was way back in the 1992-93 season.
But with Nuno Espirito Santo in charge, West Ham look dangerous, especially because they tend to come out flying in the first half. If Liverpool start slow, like they often do, West Ham could punish them.
Here’s what West Ham needs to do: keep up that strong start. They’ve picked up 11 points from their last six games, mainly thanks to their first-half performances. In fact, 59% of their Premier League goals this season have come before halftime, the highest proportion in the league.
Liverpool, on the other hand, barely gets going until after the break. Only 31% of their goals come in the first half, which is the lowest share in the division. Remember when West Ham struck first against Chelsea, Tottenham, and Sunderland? They ended up winning two of those three matches. If they can do the same at Anfield, Nuno’s counter-attacking setup might just cause Liverpool some real headaches.
But here’s where things get tricky. Liverpool never know when they’re beaten, and some of their wildest games have come down to the wire this season. More goals have been scored in the 90th minute (and stoppage time) of Liverpool’s matches than any other team’s. Nine of those late goals have changed the result from last-gasp winners to heartbreaking losses. Just last Sunday, Alexis Mac Allister scored in the 97th minute to snatch all three points against Nottingham Forest.
So, if West Ham do grab the lead, great. Nuno’s plan is working. But fans shouldn’t get too comfortable. If they sit back and try to protect that lead, things could get tense. Liverpool loves a dramatic finish, and they never stop coming.
BREAKING: WEST HAM TO BLOCK ALL SUMMER OFFERS FOR BOWEN, SUMMERVILLE, AND FERNANDES
West Ham United will refuse all summer bids for Jarrod Bowen, Crysencio Summerville, and Mateus Fernandes if they avoid relegation.
West Ham United aren’t letting Mateus Fernandes, Crysencio Summerville, or Jarrod Bowen go this summer. If they stay in the Premier League, they’ll shut down every approach for these three. That’s the plan, and right now, the club’s survival looks more likely than it did earlier this season.
With only four games left, West Ham’s future is still in its hands. They've picked up 16 points from the last ten games, which is a big turnaround compared to the rough start their fans had to sit through. Heading into Saturday against Brentford, West Ham sit two points above Tottenham in 18th place, although Spurs have a better goal difference.
Most of this improvement comes from their forward line. Bowen’s been his usual self, leading up front, Summerville has found some real form, and Fernandes shines in midfield. Together, the trio valued at a combined £160 million have racked up 30 goals and assists this season. That’s over 70% of the team’s attacking output. Their impact is huge, and inside the club, everyone knows it; they’re considered absolutely key.
If West Ham stay up, they’ll back manager Nuno Espirito Santo in the transfer market, and keeping those three is a big part of that. Selling isn’t on the table.
Bowen remains one of the club’s best, and both Liverpool and Spurs are interested in the £60 million England international. Summerville’s been on Tottenham’s radar since January, and they’re still watching him, assuming they stay up themselves. Besides Villa and Everton wanting Summerville, clubs like AC Milan and Marseille are also paying attention.
Then there’s Fernandes. Since arriving from Southampton last summer, he’s become one of Europe’s hottest young prospects, especially after Lucas Paqueta left. At 21, he’s already posted eight goal involvements: five goals and three assists, and his performances haven’t gone unnoticed. Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, and PSG are watching him, and Liverpool especially have been told he’s “the real deal", as good as PSG’s top players.
But West Ham aren’t budging. People close to the club confirm these three are vital for long-term plans, and they want to build around them, not break up a partnership that’s got them back on track.
Everything comes down to staying in the Premier League, though. If West Ham manages it, they'll use every resource to hold onto their stars and keep Nuno’s core together. If they drop to the Championship, money talks, and that could force them to sell all three, something that would sting as badly as losing Declan Rice to Arsenal last year.
LEEDS UNITED REVIVAL: HOW DANIEL FARKE MASTERED APRIL TO SECURE PREMIER LEAGUE SAFETY
Leeds United eye a double award win as Farke and Okafor make the April shortlists. Read the full story on their survival surge.
Daniel Farke has really had a standout April at Elland Road. The Leeds United manager is up for the Premier League Manager of the Month award after a string of impressive results.
Farke dragged Leeds closer to Premier League survival, and honestly, you can’t ignore their form lately. Leeds managed back-to-back wins for the first time this season, beating Manchester United and Wolves. Then they grabbed a 2-2 draw against Bournemouth. That win at Old Trafford? Huge. Leeds hadn’t won there in the league since 1981. They bagged seven points out of nine in April and hit the magic 40-point mark, so now they're just one win away from securing another year in the top flight.
This hot streak earned Farke a spot on April’s seven-man Manager of the Month shortlist. It’s not just him, though. West Ham’s Nuno Espirito Santo and Nottingham Forest’s Vitor Pereira made the list too, both pulling in seven points from three games. Manchester City and Liverpool cleaned up with perfect records in April, so their managers, Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot, got nominations as well. Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler round out the shortlist.
Leeds could pull off a double celebration this month. Noah Okafor, Farke’s go-to attacker, is up for Player of the Month. Okafor scored both goals against Manchester United and then added a goal and an assist against Wolves. He’s been everywhere for Leeds in April.
Farke’s looking to hit another milestone on Friday night. If Leeds beat Burnley, they’ll move up to 43 points. And get this: No team has ever been relegated from the Premier League with that tally in a 20-team season.
On Thursday, Farke said, “We’ve shown the desire lately. We want to keep going, focusing on every game. There are 12 more points out there, and we’re really motivated to get another win.”
One more victory would ease the nerves; it’s just way better not having to sweat it out on the final day. Leeds face Burnley next, who just named Mike Jackson interim manager after parting ways with Scott Parker. The Clarets were officially relegated after last week’s loss to Manchester City, and, honestly, they’ve only managed four league wins all season.
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