West Ham United

Liverpool are looking to arrest an alarming run of form against a West Ham side who have steadied their own ship this month, when they meet at the London Stadium on Sunday (14:05 GMT).

Things are going from bad to worse for Liverpool, with no sign of things changing any time soon.

The midweek defeat by PSV was their ninth loss in 12 matches, their worst such run since the 1953-54 season.

What was at first seen as a case of new players settling in and old players suffering dips in form has become a full-blown crisis that goes beyond tactics and systems.

"Morale needs lifting but it is very difficult to lift it," says former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock. "There are no easy games for them."

West Ham has been one of the easier fixtures in Liverpool's calendar, with the Reds losing just one of their past 18 Premier League games against the Hammers (W14, D3).

But Liverpool's record at the home of London clubs has been awful in 2025, while West Ham have rallied after losing seven of their first nine league games this season.

The Hammers have taken seven points from the last nine available. It would have been nine from nine had they not thrown away a 2-0 lead at Bournemouth last weekend.

It must have felt like points dropped, but there were plenty of positives for Nuno Espirito Santo's side, including Callum Wilson scoring in back-to-back league games for the first time in 18 months.

West Ham are now looking for their third home league win in a row, something they haven't achieved in the same season for three years.

Liverpool won this exact fixture 5-0 last season, a victory which stretched their lead at the top to eight points.

Less than a year later and the champions are languishing in the bottom half of the table and trying to avoid conceding three goals for the third league match in a row for the first time since 1955 – against a side who have scored three goals in each of their previous two home league matches.

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Liverpool at London Stadium (kick-off 14:05 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news: "Both [Crysencio Summerville and Konstantinos Mavropanos] are getting better [and] still tomorrow to assess."

• Nuno believes confidence is steadily growing within the squad when playing at home: "Our fans have been supportive, and it's up to us to now try and deliver."

• He stressed, however, that success will ultimately come down to "what you do" on any given day, regardless of "what you did before."

• He underlined the team's broader aims, stating the "objective" is to "improve" players. He also recognised that not everyone can start every week but "all of them are going to be needed, even if you're not in the squad."

• On substituting Callum Wilson against Bournemouth last week after he had scored two goals: "[It was] something I think the team needed, but overall we didn't get the game and it was a good point. It's a tough place to go, and in the end, it was a positive game for us."

• He praised Wilson's mindset, highlighting his ambition and commitment to "challenging himself" to earn a place in England's World Cup squad. Nuno added he hopes Wilson succeeds and achieves it through scoring for West Ham.

• On what he anticipates from Liverpool and under-pressure counterpart Arne Slot:"I don't know. We can expect anything, especially teams that are in European competitions. Due to the amount of games, we cannot predict the starting XI. No matter who starts, we are going to face a tough XI."

• Addressing the wider managerial landscape, Nuno said there are "always questions" around managers and that such scrutiny "is part of the industry". His priority though remains on "how can I help my players, how can we prepare tomorrow, and then Sunday will come and we will have to compete."

• On Liverpool: "They are a good team. In football, what matters is what you do on the day. What we expect is [to play against] the champions of the Premier League, players that are talented and capable of doing good things."

• Finally, Nuno dismissed the importance of past results or current form in shaping the mindset of his players or staff.

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Full commentary of West Ham v Liverpool from 14:05 GMT on Sunday on BBC Radio 5 Live

West Ham are pushing for Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug to leave permanently in January and want to reinvest any funds from the 32-year-old's sale in one or two new forwards. (Florian Plettenberg), external

One option for the Hammers is 6ft 5in (1.96m) Union Saint-Gilloise striker Promise David and they could sign the 24-year-old Canada international for just £17m. (GiveMeSport), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Holly Turbutt
Fan contributor

Why does playing defensively and absorbing pressure keep failing West Ham?

Hammers fan Holly Turbutt believes it is down to a lack of organisation in the team and "poor split-second decision making" that they have demonstrated for a while now.

Find more from Holly Turbutt at West Ham Network, external

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Bournemouth and West Ham.

Here are some of your comments:

Bournemouth fans

Lee: Game of two halves! Tepid performance first half, with Callum Wilson coming back to haunt us. However, the second half was an onslaught and we should have won the game in the end. Will settle for a point after going two down, but the Cherries need to be more focused from minute one going forward.

Dave: Our never-say-die attitude showed through in the second half. Their goalkeeper was the difference between one point and three for us. Oh, and that penalty - red all day long.

Bob: Defence poor for Cherries, as usual. The opposition sit back when two up, and we luckily get a draw. A fortunate result.

Rob: Good performance second half, but too many players had an off day - Petrovic and Evanilson, to name just two. Credit to West Ham for holding on and credit to Unal for getting the equaliser after 50 seconds.

West Ham fans

Steve: Will West Ham ever learn that sitting back and defending a lead will never work in the Premier League with a team like ours? I fear not.

Gavin: Not a great performance, but we battled. Wrong subs as widely stated. Magassa needs more minutes when we need legs in midfield. Paqueta and Summerville missing really hurts our attacking options. Respect the point.

Tony: Wrong decision by Nuno to take Wilson off and go defensive, leaving no outlet up front. Letting Bournemouth attack our goal continuously. Bad tactics.

Robbie: A game we would have definitely lost a few weeks back and probably should have on Saturday. Not sure what the manager was thinking with the subs, but it would have taken a point away from home before kick-off.

John Acres
Final Score reporter at Vitality Stadium

Image source, Getty Images

A well timed substitution can often win you the game.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the 1999 Champions League final for Manchester United or Mario Gotze in the 2014 World Cup final for Germany, but on Saturday, Nuno Espirito Santo's switch six minutes into the second half was the tactical gamble that could have instead cost West Ham the win.

Two-goal striker Callum Wilson was replaced with midfielder Tomas Soucek and, while Nuno maintained the substitution was planned due to Wilson's fitness, Soucek's introduction announced West Ham's intention to sit deep and defend their two-goal lead.

It immediately handed the initiative to Bournemouth, who would have gone on to win the game if it was not for the brilliance of keeper Alphonse Areola, who made a staggering 10 saves in the game.

Striker Niclas Fullkrug was introduced later in the game, but a like-for-like change when Wilson came off would have been a more positive message for the players on the pitch.

Post-match, Nuno accepted some blame: "The responsibility is mine, but the decision on Callum was based purely on protecting him. We lost control and they punished us."

Pundits Wayne Rooney and Rob Green join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Newcastle 2-1 Manchester City

• Liverpool 0-3 Nottingham Forest

• Fulham 1-0 Sunderland

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

West Ham were left with a feeling of two points dropped after Bournemouth's inspired comeback in the 2-2 draw between the two sides in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Hammers looked to be heading for a third successive win under Nuno Espirito Santo with a 2-0 lead at the half-time, thanks to a double from Callum Wilson.

Another win could have pulled Nuno's side away from the relegation zone but an underwhelming second-half display has them level on points with 18th-placed Leeds United and the prospect of dropping back into the bottom three, with Leeds in action against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Despite only having 26.6% of possession in the first half, the Hammers had looked comfortable against the relentless waves of Bournemouth attacks but it all changed in the second half with Wilson's substitution.

The pressure finally told as Maximilian Kilman conceding the penalty from which Marcus Tavernier reduced the Cherries' deficit before Enes Unal's equaliser.

But the West Ham manager will look at the positives as his side are now unbeaten in three games with their last longer unbeaten streak of four games coming all the way back in December 2024.

And with Wilson scoring for the second successive game, Nuno will breath a sigh of relief, especially with Germany striker Niclas Fullkrug linked with a move away in the January transfer window.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Tough game. Tough game for both teams. In the first half, we punished their mistakes, and in the second half, they punished ours. It was a good fight, but it is tough to come here. Positive, we keep building.

"They started pressing, and we couldn't go out and have some breathing space with the ball. Credit to Bournemouth. I think we should have done better. Tough game, tough game."

On Callum Wilson's goals: "We knew that it is hard to defend these kinds of balls in these circumstances. He did magnificently. Maybe I subbed him too soon, but I felt he was trying. I wanted another presence with Tomas there. We wanted to get the first pass out and put some pressure on them."

On his subs: "The boys that came in gave us fresh legs and got us through the end. Bournemouth had momentum and chances, and the boys who came in got us through the end. I cannot thank the fans enough."

On Areola: "We got a point. He did well and made some good saves."

On their form: "It is not about the table. It is about how we are doing things. Today, we showed resilience. We did it at home, and now we have to do it again. We have to keep moving."

Striker Callum Wilson speaking to BBC Final Score: "Second half, they changed the defenders and gave them a better opportunity to build. They had both sides where they were able to play passes through the lines.

"First half was a good half for us. Substitutes change games, and they made two at halftime to change the momentum. Unfortunately, we didn't get the result we wanted today.

"As a professional, you respect any decision that the manager makes. For myself personally, coming back to a club that gave me a platform to make a name for myself, and I didn't want to celebrate. It was nice to get two goals."

"Before the game we would have took a point. Football is football, and if you take the foot off the gas, you get punished. I have had setbacks over the last few years, and I am finding form again.

"When a new manager comes in, there's that bounce effect when it is a fresh voice and a fresh slate. A lot of players get a chance to impress. That's a fresh change, and then on the field, you have a different philosophy and a different style of play."

On the prospect of getting back in the England set-up: "For me, of course, any player would never say no. I just need to keep my shirt at West Ham and improve, and then six months down the line who knows what may happen."

Did you know?

• West Ham failed to win an away Premier League game after going 2-0 up for the first time since October 2017 (2-2 v Crystal Palace), having won each of their previous 20 away matches after going 2-0 up before today.

• West Ham forward Callum Wilson became the first player on record (since 2003-04) to score 2+ goals in the first half of a Premier League game but fail to complete a single pass.

• Alphonse Areola became the third West Ham goalkeeper to assist a Premier League goal, after Jussi Jaaskelainen (January 2014 v Fulham) and Joe Hart (October 2017 v Burnley).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

• Have your say on Bournemouth's performance

• What did you make of West Ham's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has made four changes to the side that lost 4-0 at Aston Villa, with Antoine Semenyo missing from the matchday squad with a reported ankle issue, along with Justin Kluivert, who picked up an injury during the international break.

Lewis Cook, David Brooks, Bafode Diakite and Eli Junior Kroupi come into the starting line-up as Veljko Milosavljevic and Adam Smith drop to the bench.

Bournemouth XI: Petrovic, Truffert, Cook, Senesi, Brooks, Scott, Adams, Evanilson, Tavernier, Diakite, Kroupi.

Subs: Dennis, Soler, Christie, Smith, Jimenez, Adli, Hill, Unal, Milosavljevic.

Nuno Espirito Santo makes two changes to the West Ham side that posted a 3-2 win against Burnley before the international break.

Lucas Paqueta is suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card, while Crysencio Summerville is absent as Igor Julio and Luis Guilherme get a start.

West Ham XI: Areola, Kilman, Julio, Wilson, Diouf, Guilherme, Fernandes, Bowen, Todibo, Wan-Bissaka, Potts.

Subs: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Fullkrug, Rodriguez, Magassa, Soucek, Irving.

There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Burnley v Chelsea (12:30)

• Bournemouth v West Ham

• Brighton v Brentford

• Fulham v Sunderland - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Liverpool v Nottingham Forest - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Wolves v Crystal Palace

• Newcastle v Manchester City (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v Nottingham Forest" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Newcastle v Man City", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Bournemouth have lost their past two games - albeit both of them were away - but they got absolutely spanked by Aston Villa last time out, which surprised me.

In contrast, West Ham won two in a row before the international break and, although both of those games were at home, they do look competitive again.

The Hammers' only away win this season came at Nottingham Forest in August, when West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo was still Forest manager.

So, what on earth do I go with here - will it be West Ham extending their run under Nuno, or Bournemouth bouncing back?

I am going to go with Bournemouth, because I think what happened against Villa was a blip.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

Bournemouth seek to get back to winning ways against a West Ham side starting to find some momentum. BBC Sport explores some of the key talking points going into this match.

A return to the south coast and Vitality Stadium will be welcomed by all at Bournemouth.

Andoni Iraola's side suffered consecutive away defeats by Manchester City and Aston Villa before the international break and their 4-0 loss at Villa was their heaviest under the Spanish coach since a home reverse to Liverpool by the same scoreline in January 2024.

"I'm a bit worried about the first half," said the 43-year-old in his post-match interview at Villa Park. "Because it is coming after a [Manchester] City game where we were not at our level."

Before those away losses, the Cherries were on an eight-match unbeaten run. They have won four of their five home matches this season, drawing the other, and only Manchester City, with 15, have taken more points on home soil then the 13 they have accrued.

Semenyo's recent woes

Bournemouth's mini-slump could simply be blamed on a tricky run of fixtures but their form also appears to be intrinsically linked to the performances of star winger Antoine Semenyo.

The 25-year-old began the season with six goals and three assists, but since the October international break, he has gone four league games without a goal involvement and failed to convert a penalty in his previous outing. His general attacking output is down across the board.

Iraola has never lost a top-flight match when facing a team managed by Nuno Espirito Santo. The Spaniard has won two and drawn two of his previous meetings with the Portuguese and if he can get Semenyo firing again then the chances of that run continuing will markedly increase.

Hammers turning a corner?

West Ham's disastrous start to the season has been well documented, and four points from their opening nine games represented their worst beginning to a league campaign for 52 years.

But back-to-back Premier League victories for Nuno's side have injected some much-needed confidence and they are now attempting to win three in a row for the first time since December 2023.

"We have proven we want to change things," said Nuno after the 3-2 triumph over Burnley two weeks ago. "We want to be strong characters. The boys on the pitch are showing this slowly."

The Hammers have recently enjoyed the upper hand against Saturday's opponents and they are unbeaten in nine previous meetings with Bournemouth in all competitions, winning four and drawing five.

They have also scored in 15 of their 16 Premier League games against the Cherries - a 2-0 defeat at Vitality Stadium in January 2019 was the only time they failed to find the net.

International hangover

However, West Ham have lost all three of their fixtures directly after an international break this year and they are the only ever-present top-flight side to do so.

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League will from next season move to a new system of Financial Fair Play (FFP) based on squad costs.

The clubs met in London on Friday to vote on three possible methods of replacing Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) got 14 votes in favour and six against, which is the minimum number that is required to exact a rule change.

Overall squad costs from next season will have to be limited to 85% of a club's revenue, although teams competing in Europe will have to adhere to Uefa's maximum of 70%.

Squad costs comprise player and manager wages, transfer fees and agents' fees.

Rules around sustainability, which set out a club's financial spending plans over the medium and long term, were passed unanimously.

Read more about the news and what it means here

Tasnim Chowdhury
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League has announced the start and end dates for the 2026-27 season.

The first round of fixtures will take place across the weekend of 22 August 2026 - a week later than previous seasons.

The later start allows rest time for players - 89 clear days from the end of this season, and 33 days from the 2026 World Cup final.

The Premier League said the delay was a "priority" for player welfare in an "increasingly congested global football calendar".

The final matches of the season will be played on Sunday, 30 May 2027, with all fixtures kicking off simultaneously as usual.

The season will end a week before the 2027 Champions League final, which will be on Saturday, 5 June.

There will be 33 weekend and five midweek fixtures - the same as the current season.

For the festive period, the Premier League have said no two match rounds will take place within 60 hours.

It has not been confirmed if there will be any fixtures on 24 December 2026.

However, as Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, the Premier League has said there will be more matches scheduled than this season, when there is only one.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

One of potentially the biggest moments in English football is coming on Friday, but precious few people understand how important it could be or even know about it.

The Premier League is considering 'anchoring' wages, which would cap the amount any club could spend on their squad at five times the smallest central Premier League broadcasting and prize money payout.

It is a complex argument. The league and some clubs are considering it because they want to ensure wage inflation does not continue to rise endangering their long-term financial security. From the other side - the players and their union, the PFA - this unnaturally limits the amount they can earn in what has until now been a free and open market.

Any changes to that position foisted upon the players without their prior consultation and agreement will not go down well. Remember, the players are the people that the paying public, the TV companies and the advertisers want to see, not a bunch of chairmen, executives and directors arguing over accounts, dividends and profit margins.

The game has increased the number of games played per season without consulting those who are physically doing it. No studies on how that will affect their health in the short and long term were considered, and so the PFA in England looks like it is finally ready to take a strong stand for its members.

Strike ballots are not unknown, I should know, as chairman of the PFA my name was on the bottom of every ballot paper when we last considered strike action over changes in working conditions. The modern owners may have forgotten, but we had 99% backing from our members.

Owners may think of footballers as ultra wealthy, mercenary, thickos who can easily be controlled - well they thought that last time and they lost.

It is time for serious and meaningful negotiation between equals and not a master and serf attitude from one side towards the other.

Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport Journalist

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Nuno said Niclas Fulkrug, Freddie Potts and Konstantinos Mavropanos are recovering "day by day" from their respective thigh injuries. The West Ham manager said he will decide if any of them are ready to play in Friday's session.

• He once again gave no indication on the future of Germany striker Fullkrug amid rumours he will leave the club in January.

• Nuno said the suspended Lucas Paqueta is "impossible to replace" and stressed the importance of trying to find a solution for his absence.

• The manager was hesitant about the upcoming transfer window, suggesting that anything he says would "only create noise and it doesn't help".

• Asked why the coaching staff he had at Nottingham Forest have not joined him in east London: "We are working very hard and the coaching staff are doing well and this is more important. Those that are here are being very helpful and I cannot thank them enough."

• He spoke highly of the club's academy, saying that they are "part of the first team and options for matches", adding: "At West Ham, we need to have these players around. There are so many good prospects."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off earlier than usual this year, with up to 17 Premier League clubs set to be affected by players jetting off to host country Morocco.

The tournament runs from 21 December until 18 January.

There has been no official announcement about which date clubs will have to release their players by - and it could vary depending on agreements.

Players could miss up to six, or in some cases seven, Premier League matches - plus FA Cup and Carabao Cup games - if they reach the final.

The group stages end on 31 December, so quickly eliminated players may only miss half that amount.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds do not have any players due to play in the 2025 Afcon - with Sunderland and Wolves losing the most players.

• Aston Villa - 1

• Bournemouth - 1

• Brentford - 2

• Brighton - 1

• Burnley - 3

• Crystal Palace - 1 to 4

• Everton - 2 to 3

• Fulham - 3

• Liverpool - 1

• Manchester City - 2

• Manchester United - 3

• Newcastle United - 0 to 1

• Nottingham Forest - 1 to 4

• Sunderland - 7

• Tottenham - 1 to 2

• West Ham United - 2

• Wolves - 5

Read the full article here to know which players will feature at Afcon

James Jones
Fan writer

Which player is flying?: There have not been many top performers at West Ham this season but over the past few games, Mateus Fernandes has really stood out and is becoming so important to Nuno's midfield, with his positioning, movement link-up play with Lucas Paqueta.

Which player is floundering?: Several at this stage, despite recent improvements. Mads Hermansen has to be the biggest disappointment though. Signed for £20m in the summer to replace Alphonse Areola in goal, only to be dropped after just four games.

Tactically I think we… are improving. Under Nuno, we're finally beginning to develop a tactical identity again after losing that under Julen Lopetegui and Graham Potter. It is not the identity many fans were calling for towards the end of David Moyes' reign, but it is one that is beginning to get results again.

I want Nuno to give me more… consistency, because the past two starting XIs, which have been unchanged, have given us two hugely important wins and two much-improved performances.

Our fans seem obsessed with… our style of play. We've kind of reverted to the style under Moyes, which had fans calling for change a couple of years ago. Indeed, under Moyes things had gone stale towards the end of his time and it was probably time for a change. However, calls for a complete change in style were largely misguided by the belief that teams can just decide to play better football, employ a manager to do it and it will just immediately click. It doesn't - and it didn't.

But they should be thinking about... stability. I think fans are learning now that results and winning football matches should always trump style of play. That brings stability, which can then pave the way for success.

My expectations for the season were... but are now… steady, mid-table football. Now the expectation is a (successful) relegation battle given the mess Nuno inherited.

Season so far: 2/10

One sentence on how you're feeling: I'm feeling confident that Nuno can steer us clear of trouble, but wary that it's going to be a very long and nervous road between now and May.

Find more from James Jones at We Are West Ham, external

West Ham, Everton and Roma are keen on signing Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee, with the Netherlands international, 24, on the periphery at Old Trafford. (The I - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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