In the middle of a dense stage in the Premier League schedule, West Ham hosted Liverpool in a midweek match. The East London side recently re-hired David Moyes as manager, and pre-match had only tallied four points from their four league matches under the Scotsman. Liverpool, on the other hand, are on an unprecedented run and are looking to extend that at London Stadium. This tactical analysis will discuss the strategies of both teams and dissect how Liverpool’s heavy possession eventually overcame West Ham’s defensive setup.
Lineups
As stated, Moyes fielded his team in a defensive setup, opting for a general 5-4-1 formation. Keeper Łukasz Fabiański has quietly been one of the best at his position this season despite not playing every match, averaging a league second-best 0.42 clean sheets per 90 along with an impressive 1.99 from shots inside the box per 0. 19-year-old Jeremy Ngakia started his first-ever Premier League match at right wing-back, with Arthur Masuaku wide left. Issa Diop, Angelo Ogbonna, and Aaron Cresswell completed the back line as the three centre-backs. Robert Snodgrass, Declan Rice, Mark Noble, and Manuel Lanzini formed the second level of West Hams defensive block. Sébastien Haller, who has struggled this season with a mere six goals in 21 starts, started as the lone striker.
Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp sent out his usual lineup with one exception, as Divock Origi started in place of the injured Sadio Mané. The back four consisted of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, and Andy Robertson. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain started his fourth consecutive league match, alongside Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum in the three-man midfield. Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino rounded out the starting eleven.
![Lazio Vs Napoli [0–2] – Serie A 2025/2026: Maurizio Sarri Zonal Marking Weaknesses And Unsuccessful Attacking Choices – Tactical Analysis](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Lazio-Vs-Napoli-tactical-analysis--350x250.png "Lazio Vs Napoli [0–2] – Serie A 2025/2026: How Antonio Conte Tactics Exploited Structural Flaws – Tactical Analysis 6")
