Key events
Nuno was chatting about Liverpool during his pre-match duties: “Liverpool is a good team and in football, what matters is what you do on the day. So what we expect is the champions of the Premier League, players that are talented and capable of doing good things, so we have to get ready.
“The history of the results before, the form of the teams, doesn’t really matter. It is about the day. Knowing that we are going to face a very good team, that has players capable of doing fantastic things, so we have to get ready, to compete.”
Three changes for West Ham. Konstantinos Mavropanos, Soungoutou Magassa, and Lucas Paqueta in for Luis Guilherme, Maximilian Kilman, and Igor Julio.
Looks like Florian Wirtz in for Salah, and Alisson back in the goal. Joe Gomez is making his first Premier League start in 11 months, meaning Curtis Jones will have to smash people off the bench. Alexander Isak could do with a goal.
Salah dropped by Liverpool – teams
West Ham: Areola, Magassa, Mavropanos, Todibo, Wan-Bissaka, Fernandes, Potts, Diouf, Bowen, Wilson, Lucas Paqueta. Subs: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Igor, Fullkrug, Luis Guilherme, Rodriguez, Soucek, Irving.
Liverpool: Alisson, Gomez, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Gakpo, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Isak. Subs: Mamardashvili, Endo, Salah, Chiesa, Jones, Ekitike, Robertson, Nyoni, Ngumoha.
Billy Bonds – 1946-2025
Sad news of the death of the ultimate Hammer, 799 games for the club, and playing into his 40s. One of the fittest players in football in his day, captain for two FA Cup wins, in 1975 and 1980.
Update from Nottingham
Will Unwin
It is a gloriously sunny day at the City Ground, a place that provides dreadful memories for Brighton and Fabian Hurzeler. Nottingham Forest thrashed the Seagulls 7-0 here last season, with Brighton offering up one of the worst team performances in Premier League history. That result came only 10 months ago, so will be fresh in the minds of those travelling up from the south coast.
Things are very different in Nottingham, with the Sean Dyche revolution gathering pace. They are unbeaten in three Premier League games, seeing off champions Liverpool last time around and find themselves out of the relegation zone. Players love playing for the former Burnley and Everton manager, and a sense of positivity has returned to the banks of the Trent.
Brighton will be out for revenge after February and with only one defeat in their past seven matches will fancy their chances. Their only away victory this season, however, came at Chelsea, implying the odd issue on their travels but Hurzeler says his side are ready for a “big battle” today and Dyche will ensure the have one.
Preamble
This is massive for Liverpool, and Arne Slot. How long can the rot be allowed to set in? Are West Ham ideal opposition for a team struggling so badly? Perhaps not now Nuno is in charge, and the Hammers play a direct style. There will also be updates from the two other matches taking place in the Premier League.
