Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup test against Liverpool looks daunting, and manager Julen Lopetegui is excited to take his team to new heights as they aim to exact revenge on the reigning champions after their quarterfinal matchup from the previous season.
The record ten-time champions ended the Hammers’ thrilling 2023–24 campaign at the final eight stage, with Jarrod Bowen’s goal in the second half on Merseyside ultimately serving as a consolation in a 5-1 loss.
Nine months later, the Hammers are set to visit Anfield once more. Both teams are now managed by different people, and they are hoping to improve their play in the league and advance closer to winning more silverware.
The Hammers defeated AFC Bournemouth, a Premier League team, in the second round to set up this intriguing third-round matchup. However, they have only won one other game this season, that coming in late August on the road against Crystal Palace.
On the other side, Liverpool is flying high in second place in the league rankings. They have only lost once this season in all competitions, and that was at home against Nottingham Forest. Since then, they have defeated AC Milan and Bournemouth in the UEFA Champions League and Premier League, respectively.
Arne Slot, a Dutchman, took on the challenging responsibility of replacing Jürgen Klopp in the Anfield dugout during the summer. However, following a fantastic start, he will now be keen to sustain such momentum and accomplish success in all areas.
In contrast, Lopetegui is equally eager for a win in what he has called a challenging environment and is certain that his partly reorganized team is making good progress in the background, even in spite of Saturday’s disappointing loss to Chelsea at home.
In an interview with the media little over a day before kickoff, the Spaniard discussed the Carabao Cup competition, the Reds, and what he and his players have learned thus far in the current campaign.
Although we shouldn’t expect it to be simple, we must believe that it is achievable. Without a doubt, we shall travel there with great enthusiasm and ambition.
Lopetegui, Julen
Constantly learning
On Saturday, after the game, I took responsibility for the outcome. In sports, errors are inevitable—you can make mistakes even in victories, and you can still perform admirably in defeat.
We made a change at halftime, taking off Guido Rodríguez, but when you do that, it has more to do with my initial choice than it does with a player’s form. Although I dislike doing it, we must be honest and acknowledge when there is room for improvement. Because of his experience, Guido recognized the circumstances.
We are constantly learning from our mistakes. However, what matters more is that we are making an effort to perform better. The players have shown a great deal of devotion, and we are all working hard to improve the results, starting tomorrow against Liverpool.
All set for the Reds
We have an extremely crucial game tomorrow, and we will need to play to the best of our abilities in order to win at Anfield. Although we shouldn’t expect it to be simple, we must believe that it is achievable. Without a doubt, we shall travel there with great enthusiasm and ambition.
Liverpool is one of the biggest clubs in the world. They have a capable new coach who, in keeping with the tradition of excellence established by his predecessors, is making an effort to add his own unique touch to the program.
Carabao Cup hopes
Every player has the possibility to stand out and help us go as far as possible in this competition. We know we have a tough task at Liverpool, but we are focused on progressing as far as we possibly can.
All of the players are fighting for minutes, and the possibility to play, but we will put out a balanced team ready for the challenge. We will eventually look towards Brentford in the Premier League, but for now Anfield is our main focus, and we are looking for that night.
