Barclays Premier League
Anfield
Wednesday 5 March
8pm
Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent)
WHUTV - Pre-match press conference, plus live commentary to come
WESTHAM.WAP.COM - All the news, on the move
Introduction
* West Ham United travel to Liverpool looking to complete what would be a famous double, having beaten the Reds with a 1-0 home win on 30 January. That success was secured by a last-gasp Mark Noble penalty but Anfield has not been a happy hunting ground for the Hammers. The last time West Ham United took all three points was back on 14 September 1963 - incidentally that season the club did the double with a 1-0 win at the Boleyn Ground as well.
* West Ham United are tenth and will remain in that position, regardless of what happens although a victory would move them to within seven points of fifth-placed Liverpool. The Reds can go fourth with a win, as they have a superior goal difference to Everton who currently occupy the last of the Champions League qualifying spots.
* Liverpool have won the last six meetings between the clubs at Anfield. This match was originally scheduled to be played in the first midweek fixtures of the season, week commencing Monday 13 August, but was postponed because of Liverpool's Champions League commitments. This fixture date became possible when the Reds' second-leg match of their last-16 tie away to Inter Milan was pushed back to 11 March as AC Milan are at home on Wednesday.
* Alan Curbishley has won at Anfield, guiding Charlton Athletic to a 1-0 victory there on 12 April 2004, while his last trip came with Charlton on 4 March 2006 when he picked up a goalless draw. Liverpool have only lost once at home this season, to the champions Manchester United on 16 December.
* Since the Manchester United home win on 29 December, West Ham United are on a run, in all competitions, of win, loss draw, win loss, draw, win, loss, draw, win and loss - with that sequence alone pointing to a draw on Wednesday night. Liverpool after defeating Middlesbrough (3-2) and Bolton Wanderers (3-1) can make it a third straight league win.
* Speaking to whufc.com, West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble said: "We have got to stick together now and get our heads up for Wednesday. We have just got to go there and do everything we can to put this behind us and get a result. If we can do that we will go into the Tottenham game [on Sunday] confident and then push on to the end of the season."
* Steven Gerrard knows Liverpool have to battle hard to secure a Champions League spot this season. "We're confident that if we play to our capabilities between now and the end of the season we'll take that fourth spot," he told Liverpool's official website. "Confidence is high at the moment but if we don't now go and beat West Ham, the Bolton result becomes irrelevant."
* The clubs contested the 2006 FA Cup final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff when the sides drew 3-3 before a 3-1 win on penalties.
Last match
West Ham United 0-4 Chelsea (1 March): Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney, Faubert (Solano 66), Mullins, Noble, Ljungberg, Boa Morte (Ashton 46), Cole (Zamora 65).
Subs not used: Wright, Spector
Goals: Lampard 17, J Cole 20, Ballack 22, A Cole 64
Bolton Wanderers v Liverpool (1 March): Reina, Carragher, Hyypia, Skrtel, Aurelio, Gerrard, Alonso, Mascherano, Babel, Kuyt (Arbeloa 86), Torres (Riise 77).
Subs not used: Martin, Benayoun, Crouch.
Goals: Jaaskelainen 12 og, Babel 60, Aurelio 75.
Team news
* In addition to the matchday 16 that faced Fulham, Alan Curbishley has John Pantsil and Kyel Reid in contention for selection, along with some in-form youngsters from the reserves - namely Jack Collison and Freddie Sears who will both travel. The 18-year-old homegrown Hammers fan Sears scored his 25th goal in 24 matches at U18 and reserve-team level at the weekend while reserve-team captain Collison, 19, is a Welsh Under-21 midfielder.
* Fit-again after a long-term knee injury that has kept him out since 28 August, Bobby Zamora got the last 25 minutes against Chelsea. He had previously played in three official reserve-team matches, scoring three goals.
* Julien Faubert has now made two consecutive starts but been replaced with just over an hour played in each of them. He picked up a knock on Saturday and is doubtful for Wednesday night. Meanwhile, his replacement Nolberto Solano is challenging hard for a return to the first eleven. Dean Ashton got 45 minutes off the bench against Chelsea and is also bidding for a starting berth. Jonathan Spector is also hoping to be involved in the matchday 16 again.
* Lee Bowyer and Matthew Etherington (both groin) are still out and have not travelled.
* Scott Parker has been back in training for two weeks, after his recovery from a knee injury unrelated to the condition he had previously in the season. He is not expected to be back in time for the Tottenham fixture on Sunday. Kieron Dyer also continues to make progress from his double leg-break. James Collins (cruciate knee ligaments) and Calum Davenport (neck) will not return this season.
* Craig Bellamy has had an abdominal strengthening operation and has been ruled out until April at the earliest. Danny Gabbidon (groin) is also some way off a first-team return as is Nigel Quashie (foot).
* As with Chelsea at the weekend, Liverpool are at near full-strength with defenders Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel and midfielders Xabi Alonso and Harry Kewell all in contention after injury. Only Andriy Voronin (knee) is out long-term while Steve Finnan (groin) is also sidelined. Agger has not played since a metatarsal injury suffered back in September.
Background
* After 27 games last season, West Ham United had half the points (20) they have achieved from the same number of matches this campaign (40).
* Prior to the Chelsea defeat, the club had been unbeaten in the last six matches at the Boleyn Ground.
* Alan Curbishley's side are in good overall league form, with eight wins and six draws from the last 19 fixtures.
* Victory could take the tenth-placed Hammers up to striking distance of seventh place. Tottenham Hotspur, in eleventh, are eight points behind West Ham United with the two teams to meet at White Hart Lane this Sunday.
* West Ham United and Liverpool last met on 30 January 2007 when Mark Noble's penalty deep into added time, after Jamie Carragher fouled Freddie Ljungberg, was all the separated the sides in a 1-0 home victory at the Boleyn Ground.
The lineups were:
West Ham United: Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney, Bowyer (Ashton 58), Mullins, Noble, Ljungberg, Boa Morte (Etherington 59), Cole (Spector 81)
Subs not used: Wright, Solano
Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Aurelio, Benayoun (Babel 72), Gerrard, Alonso, Kewell (Lucas 61, Torres, Kuyt.
Subs not used: Itandje, Skrtel, Crouch
* Last season's meeting at Anfield came just three games into the campaign with Zamora's 12th-minute goal being cancelled out by Agger (42) and Peter Crouch (45). Craig Bellamy played the whole game for Liverpool while Yossi Benayoun figured for West Ham United.
* The Hammers have still not lost in all 14 league games this season when they have taken the lead.
* Like Manchester United, West Ham United have conceded only ten goals away from home in the league this season, a mark bettered only by Liverpool and Chelsea (both nine).
* Robert Green has kept eight clean sheets in 26 league games.
* Jon Spector turned 22 with the visit of Chelsea. Mark Noble made his 50th appearance for West Ham United in the same game.
* George McCartney is bidding to make his 34th appearance this season in all competitions. He has not missed a match since the 4-3 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur on 4 March 2007 - 42 games ago.
* McCartney is the only West Ham United player who has featured in every league and cup game to date, starting in each one.
* In terms of the Premier League, only Green and Matthew Upson have played every minute of the 27 matches.
* West Ham United have not received a caution in four out of the last five league matches, while Bowyer's red card against Birmingham City on 9 February was rescinded on appeal.
* McCartney, Lucas Neill, Mark Noble and Luis Boa Morte are all no longer on the threat of a one-match ban after four cautions each this season. The 'one-match ban for five cautions' rule was for all yellow cards up to the end of February. However, a player receiving ten cautions before the end of the second Sunday in April will be suspended for two matches, starting seven days after the tenth offence.
* No other top-flight club still has two league ever-presents while Upson, along with Stephen Kelly of Birmingham, is one of only two outfield players in the whole division to have achieved that feat.
* Only Pepe Reina has played every minute of the top-flight campaign so far for Liverpool and no other player has featured in each one of their games.
* Ashton, with six goals, five in the league, is the club's leading scorer. Fernando Torres is the first Liverpool striker for five seasons to break the 20-goal barrier and now has 21, with 15 of those coming in the top flight.
* Javier Mascherano, who was suspended for the 30 January meeting, and Yossi Benayoun could potentially be facing their former club. Mascherano made five league and cup starts, and two substitute appearances between August 2006 and January 2007 at the Boleyn Ground. Benayoun was in east London for two years until last summer. He played 72 times in all competitions and found the net on eight occasions.
* The injured Bellamy spent the 2006/07 campaign at Anfield, making 42 league and cup appearances, scoring nine times.
* West Ham United will next be in action on Sunday when they go to Tottenham, the day after Liverpool welcome Newcastle United to Anfield.
Head to head (last six meetings, league unless stated)
30 January 2008 - West Ham United 1-0 Livepool
30 January 2007 - West Ham United 1-2 Liverpool
26 August 2006 - Liverpool 2-1 West Ham United
13 May 2005 - Liverpool 3-3 West Ham United, 3-1 on pens (FA Cup final)
26 April 2006 - West Ham United 1-2 Liverpool
29 October 2005 - Liverpool 2-0 West Ham United
Overall record v Liverpool (all competitions): W 23, D 33, L 59
General information
Tickets: Please note this match is SOLD OUT. For ticket information, click here. For details of getting to the Anfield, click here
Weather: The forecast is for an overcast evening with the temperature is set to peak at around 8C.