The stakes couldn’t be much higher as Liverpool welcomed West Ham United to Anfield on February 28, 2026, for a Premier League clash that could have major repercussions at both ends of the table. With just a handful of matches left in the campaign, every point is precious for Arne Slot’s Liverpool, who are locked in a fierce battle for Champions League qualification, and for Nuno Espirito Santo’s West Ham, who are fighting tooth and nail to avoid relegation.
Heading into the weekend, Liverpool sat in sixth place, tied on points with Chelsea in fifth, and just three points off the all-important top five. Thanks to England’s strong showing in European competitions, the Premier League is widely expected to earn a bonus Champions League berth this season, making the race for fifth spot more intense than ever. For Liverpool, the margin for error is razor-thin, and their form has been a rollercoaster ride all season long.
“He was completely fit, he played 80 mins and then I changed it for Robertson. I changed my wingers and full-backs for that fresh energy. That is the good thing about having more than 11 players. If I can, I do so. Milos played an OK game. He is available for tomorrow,” Arne Slot said in his pre-match press conference, confirming that Kerkez would be ready for selection. The Liverpool boss also provided updates on other key players: “Jeremie is OK, trained with us and is available, don’t expect Florian to be, which is a disappointment, every time my player isn’t available is disappointment and I didn’t expect. No [idea how long he is out] usually I do but don’t want to share it but I honestly don’t know. It’s a big accomplishment for him to stay fit for such a long time because he had to stay fit to make the step up but unfortunately he is not available, which is a disappointment for him and for us, because he played really well.”
Injuries have been a recurring theme for Liverpool all season. Star striker Alexander Isak has missed much of the campaign, and creative midfielder Florian Wirtz was ruled out with a back injury sustained during warm-ups last week. Right wing-back Jeremie Frimpong, who has not played in a month due to a hamstring issue, returned to training and was named in the squad, offering a potential boost to Liverpool’s attack. Frimpong’s dynamic style, more akin to a winger than a traditional full-back, has been sorely missed, and his return could help fill the playmaking gap left by Wirtz’s absence.
Liverpool’s confirmed lineup for the West Ham match featured Alisson in goal; a backline of Gomez, Van Dijk, Konate, and Kerkez; a midfield trio of Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, and Gravenberch; and an attacking trio of Salah, Gakpo, and Ekitike. On the bench, options included Mamardashvili, Woodman, Chiesa, Jones, Robertson, Frimpong, Nyoni, Ramsay, and Ngumoha.
For West Ham, the picture has brightened considerably after a rough start to the season. The Hammers have lost just once in their last six Premier League matches, a stretch highlighted by a 3-1 win over Sunderland and a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Champions League contenders Manchester United. Their recent defensive solidity is notable—they’ve kept clean sheets against Burnley and Bournemouth after a 3-2 defeat at Chelsea, and are now conceding just one goal per game, down from a season average of 1.8. Offensively, West Ham have upped their output to 1.7 goals per game, compared to their season-long average of 1.2.
Much of this turnaround can be attributed to the form of Crysencio Summerville, who has notched four goals in the last six matches, and Jarrod Bowen, who has contributed two goals and two assists in that span. West Ham’s boss Nuno Espirito Santo sounded cautiously optimistic: “I think we’ve performed well in the last two games, and in the FA Cup. There have been improvements. The results haven’t always been quite there, but we’re getting clean sheets and the performances have been good. Saturday is a new challenge, but we’re confident.”
However, West Ham were still without Pablo Felipe, as Nuno confirmed: “He didn’t join us yet. He’s starting his own programme, so he’s improving day by day. It all depends on him, so hopefully soon because we miss him. There are always things to assess, but we have tomorrow.”
The Hammers’ confirmed lineup featured Hermansen in goal; defenders Wan-Bissaka, Disasi, Mavropanos, and Diouf; midfielders Soucek, Magassa, and Fernandes; and attackers Summerville, Bowen, and Taty. Their bench included Areola, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Wilson, Adama, Todibo, Scarles, Kante, and Mayers.
Despite the home advantage, Liverpool’s form has been patchy. Their most recent outing, a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest, was decided by a dramatic 97th-minute goal from Alexis Mac Allister, underscoring the Reds’ struggle to put away teams despite dominating possession and territory. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool’s talisman, has found the net just seven times across all competitions this season—a stark contrast to his 34-goal haul last year. The burden of scoring has shifted somewhat to Hugo Ekitike, who has tallied 14 goals in his first season in England, and Dominik Szoboszlai, who has 10 but was unavailable for this match due to injury.
As for West Ham, history was not on their side—prior to this match, they had managed just one win in their last 57 visits to Anfield across all competitions. Still, the East London club traveled north with renewed belief, knowing that a win could see them leap out of the relegation zone, especially after Forest’s defeat and their own recent draw against Bournemouth.
The match, with kickoff at 3 p.m. GMT (10 a.m. ET in the US), was broadcast on USA Network, with streaming options available on Fubo in Canada and Stan Sport in Australia. UK viewers, however, were unable to watch live due to the traditional Saturday 3 p.m. broadcast blackout—an age-old rule designed to protect attendance at lower-league matches.
As the teams took the field, fans and pundits alike wondered whether Liverpool’s injury-hit squad could muster enough firepower to break down a resurgent West Ham, or if the Hammers’ newfound defensive discipline would frustrate the home side and earn them a vital point or more in their fight for survival. With no substitutions made in the early stages and both managers sticking to their tactical plans, the tension inside Anfield was palpable.
With so much on the line—Champions League dreams for Liverpool and top-flight survival for West Ham—the contest at Anfield was always going to be a nervy, high-stakes affair. As the action unfolded, every tackle, pass, and chance carried extra weight, with both sets of supporters daring to hope that this match could define the trajectory of their season.
As things stand, the match remains in progress, with both Liverpool and West Ham battling for every inch on the pitch. With injuries, form, and history all in play, this Premier League clash is shaping up to be a memorable chapter in the 2025-26 season.