Julen Lopetegui is looking forward to getting stuck into a tough-looking Carabao Cup test on the road at Liverpool on Wednesday night, with his side looking to exact revenge on the defending champions following last season’s quarter-final clash.
The Hammers’ impressive run in the 2023/24 competition was brought to a halt by the record ten-time winners at the last eight stage, with Jarrod Bowen’s second-half strike on Merseyside ultimately proving a consolation in a 5-1 defeat.
Nine months on, another trip to Anfield beckons for the Hammers, with both sides now under new management and hoping to progress to take a step further towards silverware while potentially boosting their form back in the league.
The Hammers saw off fellow Premier League outfit AFC Bournemouth in the second round to set up this enticing third-round encounter, but have won just one other match so far in 2024/25, away at Crystal Palace in the league in late August.
Liverpool on the other hand are riding high in second in the league standings, with just one defeat to their name in all competitions this term, at home to Nottingham Forest, and having impressively seen off AC Milan and Bournemouth in the UEFA Champions League and Premier League respectively since.
Dutchman Arne Slot took on the tricky task of filling Jürgen Klopp’s boots in the Anfield dugout during the summer, but after a strong start he will now be eager to maintain such momentum and achieve success on all fronts.
Lopetegui meanwhile is similarly keen for a positive result in what he has described as a tough arena, and he is confident his somewhat new-look squad is progressing well behind the scenes despite Saturday’s disappointment at home to Chelsea.
Speaking to the media little over 24 hours ahead of kick-off, the Spaniard reflected on what he and his team have learnt during the ongoing campaign, while also commenting on the Reds and the Carabao Cup competition.
