As many of you, my wonderful followers here on Scorum, know, I've adopted the West Ham Hammers as my EPL team. I promise to support them with everything I have as a fan for the full season. From writing about their season to making friendly bets to watching games, I won't abandon them regardless of how ugly it gets.
The season begins tomorrow with a tough matchup against the favorites to win the EPL -- Liverpool. Here's a quick preview of the match, what I'll be watching for, and my final prediction.
Quick Preview
After a disappointing performance in the World Cup, all eyes will be on Mohamed Salah to see if he can break out of his recent slump early in the EPL season. Salah is supported by Roberto Firmino, and Sadio Mané -- three of the top 20 players in the league. The Reds' potent lineup will face off against my Hammers, who tied for dead last in most goals allowed in 2017-2018, allowing 68, 30 more than Liverpool allowed (38). Their defense will need to show improvement to stop Salah and company.
West Ham United fields a brand new team with a lot of new toys to play around with. Led by new acquisition Felipe Anderson, a midfielder who loves to attack, West Ham had an impressive preseason, going 5-1-1 and winning the Betway Cup. But can they perform when it matters the most against potentially the best team in the league?
In addition to Anderson, West Ham also features new addition Jack Wilshere, and stars Marko Arnautovic, Andy Carrol, and an aging Javier Hernandez. Unfortunately for the Hammers, Manuel Lanzini will miss the entire season with a knee injury. However, the new additions have given West Ham fans hopes of finishing better than 13th in the league, and they are praying for a miracle victory against Liverpool in the season opener.
What I'll Be Watching For
We are entering the first of 38 games, and nothing will be won or lost, as far as the season is concerned, during the first match. As a new fan watching a retooled team, I'll be watching to see how West Ham adjusts and plays together as a team. The Hammers are likely to face an early deficit. How they respond is key to determine if this team can overcome early challenges in games.
I'm also very interested in Felipe Anderson and Jack Wilshere's impact on this team, along with the leadership and play style adapted by new manager Manuel Pellegrini. Pellegrini is a former EPL title-winning manager who brings experience and a successful track record of results with him to a team in need of change. I'm looking to see this team play competitively, even if they fall short to Liverpool.
Prediction
West Ham comes into the match as an 11-1 underdog to beat The Reds. While I believe that West Ham is underrated due to their tremendous off-season moves, this betting line is justified. Liverpool will come out firing and should take an early lead. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that Salah scores within the first 10 minutes of the match. I also think Mané will score fairly early.
The Hammers will make the match competitive, but come up short against a more talented Liverpool team.
Final Score: Liverpool 4, West Ham 2
What's your prediction for the Liverpool vs. West Ham matchup? Does West Ham have any chance at all to win or draw?
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