Jarrod Bowen is set to make his 200th Club appearance in West Ham United’s lunchtime clash at home to Liverpool, with the top scorer returning to the line-up as one of two changes made by manager David Moyes.
Bowen, who has netted 19 goals in 41 appearances so far this season, missed last weekend’s defeat at Crystal Palace through injury, which he originally sustained in the away win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 6 April.
The 27-year-old will be looking to mark his appearance milestone by breaking the 20-goal barrier against a side he has faced nine times in his career, and scored against in the Premier League and EFL Cup earlier this season. He comes in for James Ward-Prowse.
At the opposite end of the pitch, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola replaces Łukasz Fabiański in the XI, having recovered from a groin injury he picked up during the Hammers’ narrow loss at Newcastle at the end of March.
The 31-year-old featured on the bench at Palace last time out, but will start between the sticks against Jürgen Klopp’s title-challenging Reds, in what will be his 30th outing of 2023/24. Fabiański would make his 200th West Ham appearance if called upon from the bench.
Ahead of Areola, captain Kurt Zouma will play his 100th West Ham game in the centre of defence, alongside experienced former Italy international Angelo Ogbonna. Zouma scored his first of six Irons goals against Liverpool in November 2021.
Elsewhere in defence, Vladimír Coufal and Emerson are set to start in the full-back positions, while Edson Álvarez, Tomáš Souček and Lucas Paquetá line up in midfield.
Bowen is joined in attack by Mohammed Kudus and Michail Antonio, the latter of whom has scored in back-to-back games, against Crystal Palace and Bayer Leverkusen, and has four goals in his last eight matches.
Aaron Cresswell and Ben Johnson both came on at half-time at Selhurst Park last Sunday, and are named as replacements here along with Fabiański, Ward-Prowse, Kaelan Casey, Kalvin Phillips, Maxwel Cornet, Divin Mubama and Danny Ings.
West Ham United: Areola, Coufal, Zouma ©, Ogbonna, Emerson, Álvarez, Souček, Paquetá, Kudus, Bowen, Antonio
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Cresswell, Johnson, Casey, Phillips, Ward-Prowse, Cornet, Mubama, Ings
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, van Dijk ©, Quansah, Robertson, Endō, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Díaz, Gakpo, Elliott
Subs: Kelleher (GK), Tsimikas, Gomez, Konaté, Szoboszlai, Jones, Bajcetic, Núñez, Salah
Referee: Anthony Taylor
