Arne Slot has lifted the lid on his decision to make four changes to his Liverpool team against West Ham – although the reason behind Darwin Nunez’s absence is as yet unclear.
The Reds will be aiming to go another step closer to the Premier League title as they face the Hammers at Anfield today. They’ve already been helped by Arsenal’s failure to beat Brentford on Saturday, meaning they are now a maximum of nine points away from being crowned champions.
Liverpool will be aiming to end a positive week on another high after Mohamed Salah ended the speculation surrounding his future by signing a new two-year contract. Virgil van Dijk may not be too far behind him either in putting pen to paper on a new deal.
Unsurprisingly, both players start for Liverpool against West Ham, although Slot has made four changes to his side following last week’s defeat to Fulham.
Alisson Becker returns in goal after serving his concussion protocol, with the replacement of Caoimhin Kelleher very much expected ahead of the game. Conor Bradley’s inclusion was also touted, with the Northern Ireland international back in the starting XI after impressing off the bench at Craven Cottage.
He replaces Dominik Szoboszlai, with the midfielder dropping to the bench as Curtis Jones moves into the No.10 role. Andy Robertson is also among the substitutes as Kostas Tsimikas starts, with Luis Diaz replacing Cody Gakpo on the left.
Nunez though is nowhere to be seen in the squad. The Uruguayan has struggled to get into the side recently, with most of his appearances coming from the bench.
His absence comes just a few days after he sent a bizarre message on social media. Nunez posted: “It’s not about how many times I fall. It’s about how many times I rise,” alongside an AI-generated video of himself morphing into Ancient Roman-style statues.
Learn more
Slot didn’t touch upon Nunez’s absence as he explained his selection ahead of the clash with West Ham, although he insisted that the other decisions made with his side did not reflect the previous week’s performance.
“No, it would be a bit weird if you only think about one game,” Slot told Sky Sports.
“I think Curtis has done well, even as a fullback, and I think he’s been in contention for the midfield for the whole season. He played well, and today, from what we expect in this game, I chose Curtis, and Kostas gets a chance at fullback.”
Liverpool.com says: Whatever the reason for Nunez’s absence, it doesn’t really change his situation at the club. A parting of ways is probably the best course of action, and Liverpool needs to be looking at getting an upgrade up front.
