STATS: West Ham vs Liverpool

West Ham vs Liverpool

West Ham will not be intimidated by the prospect of playing in form Liverpool this weekend following their persuasive win against Sunderland. The Hammers were 1- 0 in under ten minutes after Andy Carroll muscled himself into a position to head the ball into the net before Diamé doubled West Ham’s tally after 50 minutes. Sam Allardyce will be impressed by his side’s ability to cope with Sunderland’s spirited fight back

Andy Carroll made his physical presence felt against Sunderland, using his size effectively to muscle himself past the Sunderland defense to head home early in the first half. After the match, Hammers’ boss Sam Allardyce claimed that if Carroll continues to show this sort of form, he would be on the plane to Brazil this summer. Carroll has made just 9 appearances this season in the Premier League due to injury and has only scored twice but against Sunderland he demonstrated why he should certainly be a contender for the England shirt.

West Ham Skipper Kevin Nolan has seven goals to his name this season and was unlucky not to add to his total against Sunderland. The Englishman has had 18 shots on target this season giving him a shot accuracy rating of 48.6%. However West Ham fans will feel that their greatest attacking threat will come from Mark Nobel. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that the 33 year old has made a staggering 800 attacking contributions this season (shots on target, crosses, dribbles and passes) including an impressive 750 passes completed in the opposition half.

Aswell as Andy Carroll’s performance, It was West Ham’s defensive capabilities which stood out to the manager. Allardyce praised his men’s ability to shut down Sunderland’s spirited come back. The manager and fans alike will expect more of the same this week against Liverpool’s attacking fire Power. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that James Collins has made 320 defensive contributions ( tackles won, clearances, blocks and Interceptions) this season and has won 46 of his 62 tackles made this season; giving him a 74.2% success rate.

Liverpool will be full of confidence but must remain focused this weekend after their destruction of Tottenham at Anfield last Sunday. Their 4-0 win put Brendan Rogers’ team 2 points clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table and four points clear of fellow title contenders Manchester City. Liverpool have scored 15 goals in their last 4 games and remain unbeaten in their last 13 games.

Luis Suarez looked dangerous and full of confidence last weekend against Tottenham. The Uruguayan made 24 attacking contributions (shots on target, passes, crosses and dribbles) as well as scoring and providing an assist in his sides 4-0 mauling of Tim Sherwood’s men. The EA SPORTS Player Performance Index shows that he had 2 shots on target out of a possible 5 giving him a 40% shot accuracy.

Philippe Coutinho doubled Liverpool’s tally just before the hour mark with a blistering shot from 25 yards. The Brazilian has scored 4 times this season in 27 appearances and has a shot accuracy this season of 39.3%; finding the target 24 times out of a possible 61 times.

England hopeful Jordan Henderson also managed to get on the score sheet with 15 minutes left on the clock. Henderson has had an impressive season so far with the Reds and has played an integral role in their Premier League title campaign. The Englishman has made a staggering 969 attacking contributions this season and he was once again on top form against Spurs, making 25 in total including 24 completed passes in the opposition half.