Ben Johnson has urged West Ham United to go to Anfield with no fear and aim to keep their unbeaten run going against Premier League powerhouses Liverpool.
The Irons head to Merseyside having collected seven points from the previous three top-flight matches and unbeaten in five games in all competitions, with four wins and a draw.
With confidence rising, while defender Johnson knows the Reds on home turf pose one of the most difficult challenges in English football, especially following Sunday’s home win over Manchester City, the Hammers must not take a backward step against Jürgen Klopp’s side.
West Ham split the points with Liverpool last season, winning 3-2 at home before losing 0-1 away, with Johnson starting both matches, while the previous two campaigns brought narrow 2-3 and 1-2 defeats at Anfield.
“One hundred per cent, [we can go there and have a go],” he confirmed. “The last few times we’ve been there, we’ve been unfortunate with the results, during COVID and last season as well, when we lost one-nil
“All the lads will be up for it in that atmosphere and to play in such a fantastic stadium against fantastic players, so we’ll go toe-to-toe with them.”
One player who could be vital to West Ham’s chances at Anfield is Gianluca Scamacca, whose centre-forward play in recent matches has caught the eye.
The Italian has not just scored goals, but his link and hold-up play and willingness to make himself available for the ball have impressed his teammates and supporters alike.
“Luca has been a fantastic addition and I think competition in all areas of the pitch makes you play better,” Johnson observed.
“For Mick (Michail Antonio) as well, whenever Mick has come in in Europe and in the Premier League as well, he has looked very sharp since Luca has come and I’m sure he’ll have his chance starting again or even playing with both of them up front.
“He brings us a different option to Mick and I think that’s what you need in a squad. For example, Flynn [Downes] gives you something different to Tom [Soucek] and Dec [Rice] and it gives the manager options.
“Around the back as well, we’ve got a lot of options, so hopefully we can push on with that and gain a lot of momentum in the Premier League because it’s the most important competition for us.”
