Liverpool v West Ham: Salah stays and backing him pays

• Salah signed up until 2027

• Back superstar forward to find the net at evens

• Liverpool can secure narrow victory

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Liverpool v West Ham
Sunday 14 April, 14:00
Live on Sky Sports

The King is staying, long live the King

After months of torturous negotiations, Liverpool and Mo Salah have chosen to continue their phenomenally successful partnership. The "Egyptian King" gets to stay at a club and a city that he has made his home, and the Reds retain one of the world's best players. It's a deal that ultimately works for all parties, and Liverpool were prepared to take misplaced criticism about inaction, so that the negotiations could stay out of the public eye.

The machinations in the background make Salah's form this term all the more impressive. He has delivered 27 goals and 17 assists in the Premier League alone, and he has been the top flight's best performer by a startling distance. There's a credible argument to suggest that Liverpool's attack is purely geared to get him into dangerous positions, but if you have a player of that quality, why wouldn't you maximise his potential?

Although Liverpool fell short in the cup competitions, make no mistake, a league title will be incredibly meaningful and impressive. Even the most ardent Liverpool fan wouldn't have expected Arne Slot's men to be 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League in April, and only a total and unprecedented collapse will stop that humungous trophy from being lifted at Anfield.

Slot's calm demeanour and charm belie a fierce will to win, and he is set to add the Premier League to the league and cup trophies he won in the Netherlands with Feyenoord. As he has been at pains to point out, he inherited a fine squad from outgoing legend Jürgen Klopp, but his work with Dutch compatriots Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch has been impressive, and his tactical tweaks have borne fruit.

For all the talk of Liverpool tailing off, they have still won their last five home games in the top flight, and racked up 12 Premier League home victories across the season. Their only defeat on home soil in the league was against Nottingham Forest back in September.

Liverpool welcome back first-choice keeper Alisson after concussion, and right-back Conor Bradley should start after two months on the sidelines.

Potter trying to magic away the doom and gloom

As Ruben Amorim has found out at Manchester United, it's a tough old gig trying to build for next season in the middle of the current one. Supporters' patience only stretches so far, and until the transfer window opens there's only so much you can achieve. At least Amorim has a trophy to aim for - all that awaits West Ham and Graham Potter between now and the end of the season is stultifying inertia.

That said, Potter gets some credit purely for not being his predecessor Julen Lopetegui, who completely lost the thread in his final weeks in charge. Muddled team selection, constantly changing tactics and a failure to connect with fans brought the Basque down, and Potter does seem to have more of a consistent plan.

There have only been three wins in the last 13 Premier League matchdays for the Hammers, but the 1-0 victory at Arsenal in February was a glimpse of what can be achieved under the former Chelsea and Brighton boss. There has certainly been a defensive improvement - West Ham have leaked 11 goals in their last 10 games, having conceded 41 in the previous 21 at an average of two per match.

It's the goalscoring part of the game that Potter often struggles with, and that is the case so far at the London Stadium. West Ham have only scored eight goals in their last ten league outings, and they are firmly in the bottom half of the league when it comes to shots, goals and Expected Goals generated.

Aaron Cresswell, Michail Antonio and Crysencio Summerville are all still sidelined. German goal-getter Niclas Füllkrug is being carefully managed after his injury problems, but could play a part at Anfield.

Back Salah to celebrate at evens

Such have been the dizzying heights that Mo Salah has reached this term, a run of six scoreless games in seven seems to have gotten a lot of people excited about a potential decline, but I don't see it that way. Liverpool's performance level in general has dipped, the service to Salah has been more sporadic, and there was always likely to be some kind of dip at some stage.

However, Betfair's decision to boost Salah's odds of scoring to evens on the Sportsbook are timely, because I think he'll score here. The atmosphere at Anfield will be celebratory, and Salah will be desperate to mark his new deal with a goal. He was excellent in the reverse fixture, scoring in a 5-0 win in East London.

Hammers can keep it close

While I do think Liverpool will win this one, West Ham are pretty well organised and dogged under Potter, so I'm attracted to the idea of backing Liverpool to win and Under 3.5 Goals at 6/52.20 on the Sportsbook.

All of West Ham's defeats in the last ten games have featured fewer than four goals, and 16 of Liverpool's 22 league victories have stayed under the 3.5 goals line.

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