I've been Maxwell Hogg and thank you for joining me today for this Fourth Round FA Cup tie. Keep a look out for the match report and other post match content on VAVEL! Enjoy your evening!
FT: The youngsters did well today in the red shirt but were unable to find a breakthrough. Plenty to proud of though as they completely controlled the second half and were certainly the better side.
FT: Neither side is able to mount an attack in the final minutes as the match ends 0-0. Klopp will languish yet another fixture added to his already busy schedule as there will be a replay between the two in a week from Tuesday or Wednesday depending on TV picks.
90+1' Antonio hits the woodwork off of a deep cross to the far post, but play is wistled dead as Atkinson decides Antonio's pushing was too much. There will be three total minutes of stoppage time.
89' SUB It'll be Jose Enrique that enters the match for Teixeira as Liverpool use their final substitution. Enrique takes the free kick, and it is a poor one that leads to a West Ham corner attack. Not exactly what you want to see from your substitute.
88' West Ham earn a corner as Antonio's shot deflects behind the goal. Liverpool clear the corner with ease and Jerome Sinclair earns a free kick on the break, his first involvement in the game.
86' SUB Jerome Sinclair enters the match for Cameron Brannagan, the second Liverpool substitution. Prior to the sub, Stewart fired yet another shot sky high. Neither side look like they could score.
84' Mignolet comes out to collect a long free kick and misses. In the ensuing chaos in the box, Enner Valencia falls seeking a penalty, but Martin Atkinson doesn't buy it for one second.
82' Play stops as Teixeira is on the ground after a clash of knees with Alex Song. The player gets up after a visit from the physio.
80' SUB Jordon Ibe makes way for Sheyi Ojo as the 18-year old looks to make an impact in this match. Interesting decision to pull Ibe as he has been one of the better players on the pitch.
78' Sheyi Ojo receives his instructions on the bench as he prepares to enter the match. Liverpool continuing their suffocating possesion as West Ham look like they would be happy for a replay.
75' SAVE Randolph is a man possessed right now as he makes a triple save on two Benteke shots and a Allen follow up. Incredible by the West Ham keeper!
73' SAVE West Ham begin to hold possession as they try to get back into this game offensively, but turn the ball over. The eventual cross into the box was missed by a bicycle kicking Joe Allen. Teixeira gound the end of the cross, but his attempt was blocked well by Randolph. What game he's been having!
70' SUB West Ham use their final substitution to replace Victor Moses with Michail Antonio. Liverpool still have all three of their substitutions. Surely Klopp will bring someone on soon, right?
68' Kevin Stewart bursts forward and is fouled to earn a free kick. The initial kick was half cleared and was hit on a half volley by Kevin Stewart. The shot hits off of an onside Benteke, but fails to find the net.
66' Promising build up continues from Liverpool, but they still can't find the killing blow. Clyne sent in a dangerous cross that Reid does well to clear.
63' SAVE! Darren Randolph does well to save Teixeira's shot from inside the box after Brad Smith set the Brazilian up.
62' The Reds have been very poor from corners today and that one was no different. The West Ham defense clears the ball with ease.
61' West Ham turn the ball over in their own defensive third that leads to a one-two between Benteke and Allen, but Allen's cross is snuffed out, earning a corner.
59' Liverpool with a great spell of possesion the last few minutes. Great build up play led to a chance by Joe Allen, who in no way takes it as it fires his shot sky high.
57' Brannagan's free kick is a good one, but the West Ham defense does well as Darren Randolph collects.
54' YELLOW CARD Lovren clatters into Victor Moses, earning him a booking. The following free kick is easily dealt with by Mignolet, who came out to gather.
54' Replays of Dimitri Payet's free kick earlier show Steven Caulker clearly handle the ball twice when attempting to clear the ball. Liverpool lucky to get away with that.
52' Liverpool look bright on the break after stealing the ball at midfield. The Reds once again lack the finishing touch as they fail pose any real threat in the box.
51' Nathaniel Clyne has a go from range, but the shot was always winding away from the net. No real threat.
49' A lot of pressure by West Ham sees them control a lot of possesion and earn a free kick. Payet's cross nearly sees Jelavic put it in the net. Very dangerous play by West Ham to start the half!
46' West Ham kicks off the second half and sends us on our way. An early cross is dealt with comfortably by Mignolet. Looks like the Hammers are going to attack as they did in the first.
HT: A touching banner was flown before kickoff today as a tribute to young Liverpool fan Owen McVeigh who passed away after being diagnosed with leukemia. He was only 11-years-old.
HT: Liverpool had more shots in the first half. However, only one of the six shots were on target. Liverpool once again lack in the finishing department.
HT: Clyne's cross is dealt with as Martin Atkinson calls for the end of the half. Bright attacking play nearly see a goal by both sides. West Ham look the more dangerous team with their crossing from open play, but Liverpool have handled most of their set pieces with ease. It's hard to see who could score the opener for Liverpool however. Smart passing play as a team, but no individual has been a real goal scoring threat from this side so far. Grab some refreshments and make sure to stay tuned for what could be a compelling second half!
45+2' O'Brien's free kick is cleared poorly and Obiang has a go from range and narrowly misses the post. Close for West Ham!
45' Shouts for an intentional back pass from Brad Smith to Mignolet are shrugged off by Martin Atkinson as Joey O'Brien earns a free kick.
43' Brannagan fires the free kick directly into the West Ham wall. The block is sent back into the box by Brannagan but resulted in a foul on Daren Randolph as he came out to colelct.
42' The Liverpool midfield is just demanding the ball as they continue to control possession. Good hold up play by Benteke leads to a throw. The throw in subsequently leads to a foul on Teixeira on the edge of the box.
39' Liverpool deals with another Dimitri Payet free kick. Set pieces don't seem so nervy today for the Reds.
37' SUB Nikica Jelavic enters the match for Kouyate who immediately goes down the tunnel. Some early injury trouble here for West Ham. They only have one substitute left!
35' SUB Joey O'Brien enters the game for Tomkins as his head injury prevents him from continuing.
35' SAVE! Darren Randolph makes a wonderful save as Brannagan has a go from outside the box. The long range strike was on its way to the corner, but Randolph got his fingers on it to turn it wide.
33' West Ham currently down to 10 as James Tomkins makes his way down the tunnel. His day could be over as Joey O'Brien stands up from the bench.
31' West Ham defender is down on the pitch after a head to head collision with Joe Allen. His eye is swollen up as the back of Allen's head slammed into his face.
29' Great build up play by Liverpool as they possess around the box before picking out Joe Allen. Captain Joe tried to feed Benteke, but the chance is dealt with by Winston Reid.
27' West Ham are turning the ball over left and right as Liverpool's pressing is causing some problems. Liverpool certainly looking their most dangerous so far.
25' Chance for Liverpool as Teixeira sent Benteke on his way down the middle of the pitch. Darren Randolph was quick off his line and did well to gather the ball.
24' A wicked free kick from Cameron Brannagan nearly finds Benteke inside the six yard box. Big Ben fails to conenct however and the chance is scooped up by Darren Randolph.
22' A smart one-two from Jordon Ibe and Teixeira earns a corner as Ibe tried to pick out Benteke in the box. The resulting corner is cleared off the line, but there was never any real threat.
20' Speaking of poor passing, Mignolet passes the ball out of bounds trying to pass to Clyne who was within 10 yards of the Belgian.
19' A dangerous cross by Teixeira to Benteke is dealt with by the West Ham defense. Reds starting to build possession up again, but they're passing is really poor right now.
16' A dangerous cross by Cresswell is dealt with by Dejan Lovren as West Ham's crossing attack looks to be in full effect. Liverpool struggling to see much of the ball right now.
13' West Ham asking plenty of question of the Liverpool defense as another pass by Dimitri Payet almost finds its way through into the box.
11' Good movement by West Ham as Kouyate cuts in to the center of the pitch, finding Payet. Payet then passed the ball to Cresswell in space, but can't find his feet as the Liverpool defense clears.
10' West Ham looking more dangerous with possession as Obiang earns a free kick off of poor defending by Stewart. The resulting free kick ended in a long shot far off target.
7' Jordon Ibe tries to cut into the box, but his run is dealt with by Tomkins. His clearance ends in a wasted chance by Liverpool, a poor shot way over the bar by Brannagan
5' Liverpool possessing nicely right now and doing well to win the ball back as quick as possible. Very little threat towards goal at the moment however.
3' A long pass by Brad Smith is sent out for a corner by James Tomkins. A dangerous pass there by Smith!
1' We are under way here at Anfield, and the Kop is loud as Liverpool kicks off.
Five minutes to KO: The players are in the tunnel as this match is close to being underway! We'll still have all the updates so make sure you stay with us at VAVEL UK.
So whether Adrián's wife were to give birth another day, he still wouldn't be in the goal tonight for West Ham. Bilic had already made the decision to play fringe goalkeeper Darren Randolph.
Slaven Bilic: “We deserved to win both of our league games, but the matches were very difficult and we had to be at our best. Based on that we are confident and optimistic, but we also know that only one team can be a favourite at Anfield, and that is Liverpool. Adrian’s wife is giving birth in Spain, but Randolph would have been in goal for the cup anyway. Mark Noble has the flu. We had bad injuries in November and December, which obviously we did not want, but the good thing about that is we played more players, and now we have 15 or 16 regulars.”
15 minutes until KO: Very fews red seats are visable here at Anfield as the fans await a big FA Cup tie. It would surely be a great result for the Reds if they came out of this difficult fixture with a win.
Jürgen Klopp: “The selection is risky, yes, but we are without an alternative as we have played the highest number of games in the last few weeks, nine in 20-odd days. And the last one was very intense! We cannot ignore this. But we cannot ignore the quality of our opponents too. We are for sure not the favourites because West Ham are in a really good moment, but we will try to challenge. If you think I am being disrespectful against the FA Cup I cannot change that, but we are full of respect for the FA Cup and have a responsibility to our fans too. At the end there are some people who will say well done and some will criticise it. But we have a few good players and some young talent. I like this!”
30 minutes until KO: Players are warming up as snow comes down on Anfield. Liverpool has played in all kinds of weather this month now thanks to the lovely Merseyside weather. Fans still filling in the seats, however. Not even weather can hold back an Anfield crowd!
With team news out for some time now, what are you impressions on the sides? West Ham has fielded a strong team today while Klopp has youngsters in the starting XI. Is Klopp undervaluing the FA Cup? Or is it a statement of intent to finish top four with the Reds travelling to league leaders Leicester City on Tuesday? Tweet your responses to @max_hogg
Darren Randolph starts in goal tonight for the Hammers as first choice keeper Adrián returned to his home in Seville for the birth of his first child. Congratulations Adrián!
Klopp said he would rotate the squad, and the boss wasn't lying. 10 changes from the side that faced Stoke midweek. The only one that remains is penalty hero Simon Mignolet.
To my knowledge, this is the first time that Joe Allen wears the captain's armband for Liverpool. A fitting reward after three wonderful appearances. Also Steven Caulker's first start for the Reds. A night of firsts at Anfield.
West Ham Bench: Howes, O'Brien, Collins, Oxford, Cullen, Antonio, Jelavic
West Ham Starting XI: Randolph, Tomkins, Reid (c), Ogbonna, Cresswell, Obiang, Song, Kouyate, Moses, Payet, Valencia
Liverpool Bench: Ward, Enrique, Ilori, Chirivella, Sinclair, Ojo, Randall
Liverpool Starting XI: Mignolet, Clyne, Caulker, Lovren, Smith, Stewart, Allen (c), Brannagan, Ibe, Teixeira, Benteke.
With kick off in little over an hour, the team news is sure to be flowing in. Luckily for you, I'll be compiling it all here so stay connected with us. In the meantime, why don't you check out our in-depth preview of the match this afternoon written by our own Charlie Malam?
James Tomkins returns from injury for West Ham, and is set to fill Carl Jenminson's role on the right side of the defense as new signing Sam Byram is cup-tied.
Jurgen Klopp has told the media that he plans to rotate the squad for the match against West Ham United, leaving plenty of room for speculation. Steven Caulker could potentially pair alongside Dejan Lovren as the Croatian returns from injury. Perhaps Joe Allen will be handed a start after impressing in his last three appearances?
Liverpool are without Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge, Martin Skrtel, and Jordan Henderson while their counterparts will be without Andry Carroll, Diafra Sakho, Manuel Lanzini, and Carl Jenkinson. Mark Noble is a doubt for the match after missing training Thursday with the flu.
Dimitri Payet had a small cameo as he returned from injury last time these two teams. Since then, he has returned to full fitness and will look to reclaim the form he had during the first half of the season. With speed, skill, and scoring, Payet is certainly a threat that Liverpool have singled out and could be the key to stopping West Ham's physical midfield.
With a four goals and an assist in his last four appearances, Liverpool will be looking towards Roberto Firmino if he starts this evening. Being deployed as a false-nine, Firmino has been able to use the extra space to spark the Liverpool offense.
Liverpool come into the affair after winning two, drawing two, and losing two of their past six fixtures. Establishing form has been the problem all season for the Reds. Hopefully a victory over a team with their number can spark a bit of form for the hosts.
West Ham United come into this clash in fine form, with four wins in six matches. However, they have failed to win their last two matches in a draw against Manchester City and loss to Newcastle United.
Last time out, West Ham made the best of Liverpool's poor aerial defense with headed goals from both Michail Antonio and ex-Red Andy Carroll, completing their first season sweep of Liverpool since the 1963-64 season. This was with Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren in the center of the defense. Both are in question start this afternoon, but whoever starts in the defense, hopefully they can deal with West Ham's dangerous crossing.
Liverpool have struggled against West Ham lately, with the Hammers winning three out of the four last meetings. However, the Reds have never lost to West Ham in the FA Cup, winning four times in their six meetings. The most recent FA Cup meeting between the two is remembered fondly by Liverpool fans who saw Steven Gerrard strike a late equalizer from distance in the 2006 FA Cup Final and win on penalties.
The hosts were busy during the week, taking on Stoke City at Anfield in a Capital One Cup Second Leg. Stoke won the leg, but fell to Liverpool as narowly possible in a penalty kick shootout after there was no winner decided in extra time. You can relive the action here with our full match commentary on the affair.
Hello and welcome to VAVEL UK's live minute-by-minute match coverage and commentary. I'm your host Maxwell Hogg, and today Liverpool host West Ham United in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup. The game kicks off at 17:30 GMT, but we will be providing with plenty of pre-match build up and analysis until then so make sure you are following along with VAVEL.