How West Ham must line up when they face Liverpool on Saturday

West Ham United will look to move further away from the Premier League relegation zone when they face Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.

The Irons were beginning to slip back towards the bottom three prior to their 2-0 win against Watford at the London Stadium last time out, which moved them up to 12th position and four points above 18th-placed Southampton.

The return of Marko Arnautovic from injury certainly helped David Moyes’ men when they hosted the Hornets, and goals from him and Javier Hernandez have given the Hammers a little bit of breathing space in their battle to avoid the drop.

However, they come up against a Liverpool side that have hit some form themselves in recent times, and the front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino took their tally of goals to a remarkable 60 in all competitions this season during the 5-0 win against FC Porto in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie last week.

Moyes will know how important it is that his team keep picking up results, and having made the big decision to bring Arnautovic back into the starting XI against Watford, he will perhaps need to make some more on Merseyside to give the Irons the best possible chance of picking up a positive result.

Here is how West Ham must line up when they face Liverpool on Saturday, ahead of Adrian in goal…

Defence

James Collins and Angelo Ogbonna would have been fearing for their spots in the starting XI against Watford following below-par showings in the 3-1 defeat against Brighton and Hove Albion previously, but Moyes decided to stick with the duo against the Hornets with Winston Reid unavailable and Jose Fonte on the bench.

It was a move that paid off as the pair were influential in helping the hosts keep a clean sheet, and with Reid recovering from a throat infection the Scottish boss should choose to play Aaron Cresswell on the left side of a three-man defence once again.

Midfield

David Moyes made a surprise decision to play Michail Antonio as a left wing-back in the victory against Watford, but once again it paid off as the 27-year-old was a constant threat down that flank, also providing an assist for Javier Hernandez’s goal.

Antonio should continue there at Anfield with Pablo Zabaleta on the other flank, but Moyes should choose to go with three in the middle of the park to give his team more control in possession and from a defensive point of view against such a free-scoring attack.

While Cheikhou Kouyate and Mark Noble are certain starters in the middle, Joao Mario should drop back into a central midfield three when the team are defending, but perhaps also be given the freedom to go forward and help the team offensively.

Attack

Manuel Lanzini has been missing for the last couole of weeks because of a hamstring injury, but he has hinted on his Instagram story, via Football.London, that he could be available for selection again this weekend.

Moyes showed against Watford that he isn’t afraid to make big and risky decisions, and he should put Lanzini straight back into the starting XI at Anfield if he is ready to play because of the quality he has.

The Argentina international was proving he had a great relationship with the in-form Marko Arnautovic prior to his absence, and Moyes should look to play the Austrian ahead of the Argentine on Merseyside, with Javier Hernandez dropping to the substitutes’ bench despite scoring three goals in his last four Premier League appearances.

Do you agree, Irons fans? Let us know below.