LIVERPOOL
Carabao Cup fifth round, Anfield, Wednesday 20 December 2023, 8pm BST
West Ham United will need to make history if they are to reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals for the first time since the 2013/14 season.
The Hammers have never won at Anfield in this competition, albeit we have only played there twice in the competition’s 64-year history.
We lost at Anfield in a second-round replay in October 1973 (0-1) and again in the fifth round in January 1983 (1-2). We were also defeated by Liverpool in the final replay at Villa Park in April 1981 (1-2), having drawn 1-1 at Wembley.
Overall, West Ham have not exactly lit it up at Anfield down the years, with just one there win since September 1963 – a 3-0 Premier League victory scored in August 2015!
However, it is not all bad news, as we defeated Liverpool 4-1 in our most recent League Cup meeting in the fourth round in November 1988, with Tony Gale scoring a sensational free-kick (pictured, below) and also got the better of them at the Boleyn Ground (2-1) in the fourth round in October 1971.
How to get there…
If you planning to take the train, direct services to Liverpool Lime Street depart London Euston at .43 minutes past the hour and arrive about two hours and 20 minutes later. Alternatively, the 15.02 departure requires a change at Crewe and takes two hours and 40 minutes in total to reach Lime Street.
However, you will not be able to take a train back to London after the match, so you will need to stay over and return south on the Thursday morning.
From Lime Street, bus service 917 departs from Commutation Row in the City Centre and takes around 15 minutes to reach Anfield. Fans can use the return service from Walton Lane after the match.
Alternatively, from Liverpool City Centre, take the 26 from Liverpool ONE bus station or 17 from Queen Square Bus Station directly to the ground. Or you could take a taxi!
If you are driving, the best option is to park in the city centre and take the 917 bus.
Where to stay…
As a tourist destination in its own right, Liverpool has a wide range of accommodation options to suit all budgets and tastes. However, with it being Christmas week, those options are more limited than they would be usually.
There are some sensational hotels in the city centre and also around the redeveloped Albert Dock, with both areas also well stocked with restaurants and bars to keep you fed and watered!
For those for whom price is more important than style, there are the usual budget chain options in and around the city centre.
What to do…
Liverpool is FULL of interesting attractions, historic buildings and things to do.
Of course, the city is known best for its football and music, most notably legendary band The Beatles, so why not fill your visit with a bit of both?
With the football already taken care of, you can visit The Beatles Story or British Music Experience, take a Beatles Magical Mystery Tour around the city or even visit the childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
If music is not your thing, the World Museum tells the story of the Earth, the Museum of Liverpool and Mersey Maritime Museum do what you’d expect, while, if you’re driving, you can encounter over 700 wild animals at nearby Knowsley Safari Park.
For further information, head to visitliverpool.com.
What’s happened there before…
As mentioned in the introduction, West Ham United have won at Anfield just once in the last 54 visits in all competitions!
That victory came in August 2015, when Manuel Lanzini, Mark Noble and Diafra Sakho all found the net in a 3-0 success for Slaven Bilić’s Irons. After that memorable win ended a 52-year wait, the Hammers drew on their next two visits but have since lost on each of the last five.
That 3-0 win is also our largest margin of victory at Anfield, eclipsing the 3-1 First Division success achieved thanks to two goals from Jimmy Ruffell and one from fellow England international Vic Watson back in February 1928!
