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In case you haven’t realised, it’s the small matter of Liverpool against West Ham this weekend. The Reds play hosts to the under-fire Hammers hoping to close the four-point gap that has developed between themselves and Premier League leaders Chelsea at the summit of the table.

Ahead of the visit of West Ham, Football FanCast have decided to open the historical files and reacquaint ourselves with some of the best Reds strikes scored against the Irons in recent years.

There’s no denying Slaven Bilic will be hopeful yet another wonder goal doesn’t occur this weekend as he is desperate for three points – or even just not to be humiliated once again this season.

Everyone is all too aware of the Reds attacking prowess and their ability to accumulate huge winning margins, but can they add another stunning strike to this collection on Sunday?

Here are five of the best goals Liverpool have scored against the Hammers in recent years.

Robbie Fowler – 1997

What a goal by ‘God’. Robbie Fowler scored his 86th Liverpool goal during the club’s victory over West Ham in September 1997.

Seven minutes after half-time, the Reds were struggling to impose themselves on Harry Redknapp’s Hammers side. Fowler took matters into his hands and scored a beautiful volley that’s still fondly remembered on Merseyside.

Goals like this highlight exactly why Fowler remains a legend amongst Liverpool fans.

Steven Gerrard – 2006

With F.A. Cup glory seemingly slipping away from Liverpool in 2006, Steven Gerrard still had more to say regarding the outcome of the final against West Ham.

At this stage of the match, seconds were remaining on the clock as the Reds bombarded the Hammers backline. A headed clearance fell straight into the path of Gerrard, who hammered a half-volley in from thirty yards.

Liverpool won the contest on penalties and Gerrard’s goal has gone down in FA Cup folklore.

Dirk Kuyt – 2007

Dutch forward Kuyt emerged as somewhat of a cult hero during his time at Anfield as his devotion to the cause became a fundamental factor of the Reds’ success during the late 2000s.

Goals like this one scored at Upton Park in January 2007 further highlighted the Dutchman’s ability, with solid technique and a low driving shot.

Daniel Sturridge – 2015

If ever there was a goal to sum up the ability of Daniel Sturridge perfectly then it’s this one. During Liverpool’s home clash with West Ham in January 2015, Sturridge returned from injury in devastating fashion.

The touch to take the ball away from the Hammers backline was exquisite, but the finish to fire past Adrian was even more impressive. A typical Sturridge goal.

Philippe Coutinho – 2016

Coutinho’s Brazilian flair was expertly witnessed during their F.A. Cup fourth round clash at Upton Park in February. After going a goal behind thanks to Michail Antonio, Coutinho took proceedings into his own hands and fired the Reds back into the contest.

A twenty-yard free-kick saw Coutinho cleverly shoot underneath the jumping West Ham wall to provide Liverpool with an equaliser. The Reds lost the match, but the goal was truly superb.

Despite Jose Mourinho having found what looks to be an ideal midfield triumvirate in Ander Herrera, Michael Carrick and Paul Pogba, Foot Mercato have waded into the debate by claiming that Marseille’s Lassana Diarra is a target for Manchester United.

What’s the story?

Well, as per the Foot Mercato article and tweet (above) from the writer of the piece, Khaled Karouri, Man United are keen on veteran ex-Arsenal, Chelsea, Portsmouth and Real Madrid midfielder Diarra. The Frenchman, who has had a journeyman career that’s seen him play his football in England, Spain, Russia and his homeland, enjoyed a renaissance last season after controversially leaving Lokomotiv Moscow and even forced his way back into the Les Bleus set-up before a knee injury ended his hopes of featuring at EURO 2016.

Despite his impressive 2015/16, Diarra has been a bit-part player of late at Marseille – he’s not played a full 90 minutes since early November and has been stripped of the L’OM captaincy in favour of loanee Bafetimbi Gomis – somewhat plunging his future into doubt and alerting Man United. Foot Mercato claim that, along with teams in China, the Red Devils want the 31-year-old midfielder, whom Mourinho coached during their time together at Real Madrid.

The article, and Karouri’s tweet, suggest that Morgan Schneiderlin could head the other way, which would make sense given that the former Southampton star has not started a Premier League match under his Portuguese boss. However, any deal may hinge on the French side paying a significant fee and involving Diarra in a swap transfer, with the Manchester giants having already rejected a bid of £19m from Everton for him. Also, the one-time Pompey FA Cup winner is battling with a fine in excess of £8m for his breach of contract with Lokomotiv, so money may talk in terms of his next transfer.

Experience over youth

Mourinho is often panned for looking to proven stars rather than youth, and a move for Diarra would be another example of this. Giving up on Schneiderlin, 27, and replacing him with a player who is now the wrong side of 30 makes little sense in the medium to long-term, but it’s hard to argue against the Special One’s record at some of the biggest clubs on the planet – Real, Inter Milan, Chelsea and Porto.

Looking back at his return-per-game (via Squawka) from last season, Diarra ranks well among Man United’s current defensively-minded midfield options. There are the obvious caveats of this being last term’s numbers and Ligue 1 being of a lower standard than the Premier League, but 2.6 tackles-a-match is impressive, as was his interceptions score and passing accuracy. Diarra even created more chances than Schneiderlin, Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

In theory, he could be a good option to rotate in and out of the midfield with Carrick, who, at 35, will be unable to play week in, week out over the remainder of the campaign as the Red Devils battle for the EFL Cup, the Europa League, the FA Cup and a top-four finish, while his experience may be useful in crunch matches.

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Fantasy Premier League have announced the winners of the FPL half-time awards (up to GW19) and to be honest, there aren’t many surprises.

In five awards categories, players were handed trophies to reward their contributions for their respective Premier League clubs, and of course the FPL teams across the globe that have counted on them to consistently return high points with every passing game week.

The categories were: Highest FPL points scorer, Fan’s Favourite, Best U21 player, Most saves by a goalkeeper and Biggest price increase.

The highest FPL points scorer so far is obviously Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, who has been superb for the Gunners this season. The Chile totalled an impressive 136 FPL points between the opening day of the season and GW19.

The Fans’ Favourite is, of course, Manchester United showman Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has settled nicely in the Premier League since his free transfer from PSG in the summer. His early season form led to 41.2% of FPL players selecting him for their teams, regardless of his high price tag.

Dele Alli’s incredible performances for Spurs earned him the Best U21 Player award after racking up 100 points, while Diego Costa’s goal scoring from for Chelsea nabbed him Biggest Price Increase award, as his price rose a staggering £1.2m up to GW19.

All of the award winners are below…

Highest FPL points scorer – Alexis Sanchez (ARS) – 136

Fan’s Favourite – Zlatan Ibrahimovic (MUFC) – 41.2%

Best U21 player – Dele Alli (TOT) – 100

Most saves by a goalkeeper – Tom Heaton (BUR) – 82

Biggest price increase – Diego Costa (CHE) – £1.2m

We’re now well in to the second half of the season, so who’s going to clean up at the end of the season?

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Manchester United do not want Ashley Young to leave the club before the end of the transfer window next week, according to the Manchester Evening.

What’s the story?

Earlier this week the Daily Mail reported that the former England international had asked manager Jose Mourinho if he could leave the club on loan.

The winger has struggled for game time at Old Trafford this season, making just nine appearances in all competitions.

Only two of his outings have been Premier League starts, which reportedly prompted him to consider moving elsewhere for more first-team minutes.

However, the Manchester Evening News states that Mourinho wants Young in his squad following the departure of Memphis Depay, who recently joined Lyon for £16m.

Young is the only specialist left winger in Mourinho’s squad and he is not prepared to lose him midway through the season.

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Will staying now boost his long-term chances?

In all honesty it is difficult to see the 31-year-old become a regular starter while Mourinho is at the helm.

Having said that, Antonio Valencia has been able to revive his career under the Portuguese coach.

In Young’s case, he may feel that he has been denied an opportunity for first-team football, with Everton, Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion and Watford all thought to be interested in signing him.

A lucrative switch to the Chinese Super League was also touted as an option, but it looks as though Young will remain at Old Trafford for the rest of the season.

The winger is likely to revisit the idea of leaving in the summer if he fails to get more minutes under his belt in the next few months.

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Imagine Frankenstein verbally ripping into his own monster. Not in a ‘dear god, what have I created?’ completely understandable kind of way, but in a ‘look at you, made of rotten flesh, rusty screws and dead limbs – how disgusting’ kind of way. You’d accuse Doctor Frankenstein of hypocrisy, arrogant detachment from his own sins and, in some senses, betrayal. Yet, after his comments on Saturday evening, I put those same accusations to Jose Mourinho.

The Manchester United manager once again found the perfect equilibrium between directly insulting a counterpart and giving just enough away for the media to accurately interpret – a thinly veiled swipe in typical Mourinho style. After a 2-0 win over Watford and ahead of Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Burnley, the Portuguese simply couldn’t help himself, drawing on the differences in style of play between his side and his former employers. That’s right, the only manager to lift the title to the soundtrack of ‘boring, boring Chelsea’, accusing Chelsea of being… well, boring.

“Chelsea are a very good defensive team. They defend very well and with lots of players and I think in this situation a very defensive team wins the title with counter-attack goals and set pieces goals so I don’t think they will let it slip but football is football.”

Admittedly, the statistics do back up the notion that Manchester United are a more open team this season. Whilst they’ve struggled for consistency in front of goal – managing just four more strikes than West Brom, the eternal beacon of unentertaining football – they average more possession, more efforts at goal and more created chances per match than the pace-setting Blues. Likewise, they’ve scored a higher percentage of goals from open play and perhaps therefore inevitably, a lesser percentage from set pieces.

Yet, statistics do not tell the whole story and Chelsea’s fine football came earlier in the campaign, not least including a 4-0 romping of Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. That came amid a spell that saw the Blues score 16 goals in the space of four games. The Red Devils, on the other hand, have scored four goals in a single game on just one occasion this season – against lowly Leicester City all the way back in September.

Chelsea have now reached a point in the season where results are far more important than performances. When you’re ten points clear with 13 games remaining, no more statements are needed – just enough draws and wins to get over the finish line. Perhaps that can be achieved in a relatively entertaining style, but Stamford Bridge season ticket holders certainly won’t have been bored over the last few weeks; let’s not forget, just nine days ago, Eden Hazard scored arguably the goal of the season against Arsenal.

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And those with longer memories than Mourinho will remember how Chelsea saw out their last title under ‘The Special One’ in 2014/15. Whilst the first half of the campaign saw the Blues rip the Premier League apart, the second witnessed eleven games in which they failed to score more than one goal, including five draws and one 3-0 defeat – ironically, at the hands of West Brom.

Alas, we come back to the subject of criticising the monster one has created. Whilst 3-4-3 has rarely been a formation of the Mourinho playbook, there’s no question Antonio Conte’s side still contains traces of the one the Portuguese left behind. In fact, David Luiz, Marcos Alonso and N’Golo Kante are the most noticeable changes in personnel and although there are some notable differences in style, Conte’s maintained Chelsea’s historical defence-comes-first approach.

That not only harks back to the west London outfit’s last title under Mourinho, but also his first spell in charge. Whilst managers have brought attacking variation to Stamford Bridge during the intermittent period, some (Carlo Ancelotti) far more successfully than others (Luiz Felipe Scolari), Chelsea’s philosophy throughout the Roman Abramovich era has mostly been one of physicality, organisation, direct football and opportunism: Chelsea keep their powder dry until a telling moment gives them the lead.

Mourinho is correct in admitting the same tricks won’t work at Old Trafford, a club that has a long history of attacking football and became rudderless without it during David Moyes and Louis van Gaal’s unpopular spells in charge. But blasting the Blues for not having to meet the same criteria is beyond comical in its hypocrisy – in fact, it might be Mourinho’s greatest wind-up yet.

Of course, there’s plenty of competition on that front, ranging from ‘voyeur’ to mocking Liverpool fans with overzealous celebrations at Anfield. But what’s most important is that Conte doesn’t get drawn in.

Mourinho is hoping his comments will create a hysteria around Chelsea’s style of play that can slow them down in pursuit of the title, the kind of unnecessary negative pressure that swelled around Stamford Bridge during his two spells in charge. The sweet irony, however, is that Mourinho would be doing the exact same thing if he was in Conte’s position right now. In this Brexit-Trump-reactionary world we now live in, Mourinho’s latest condemnation reeks of post-truth.

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Swansea picked up a massive three points at home to Leicester City on Sunday, ensuring they moved themselves clear of the relegation zone.ÂIt was a victory that sunk Claudio Ranieri’s side into deeper trouble but Swans fans will care little about that.Winning 2-0 thanks to goals from Alfie Mawson and Martin Olsson, it was a performance that delighted the home supporters who are enjoying life under new boss Paul Clement.Playing his usual starring role across the ninety minutes was Gylfi Sigurdsson who was a key influence throughout. He provided the assist for Martin Olsson to score the Swans’ second goal.As this stat from SquawkaÂshows, if not for Sigurdsson then Swansea would be in a much worse position in the table.

Not only is he leading the way at Swansea but also the entire Premier League, which is remarkable when you consider how poor some of their results and performances have been this season.

He truly has been the Swans’ saviour this term and as he continues to rack up the goals and assists, Swansea’s status in the Premier League continues to look more and more secure.

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Chelsea were amongst a number of clubs who were ready to battle it out for Sevilla midfielder Steven N’Zonzi during the January Transfer window, according to reports from Calcio Mercato

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City were also said to be prepared to make a bid for the Frenchman.

Formerly of Blackburn Rovers and subsequently Stoke City, N’Zonzi has excelled at Sevilla since his move in the summer of 2015, winning the Europa League in his first season with the La Liga side.

His good form has continued to soar as the midfielder has become a key member in a Sevilla squad that are not only progressing well in the Champion’s League, but also looking like potential challengers to the Spanish crown, sitting only two and three points Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively.

The big clubs will almost certainly come calling again for N’Zonzi’s impressive performances continue, and especially if Sevilla are able to grab themselves a trophy, or even two, come the end of the season.

Here are five reasons Chelsea should revive their interest in the French midfielder this summer …

Bargain Price

£25.5 million might seem like a hefty price for the former Blackburn man, but in reality that is a bargain for a player of N’Zonzi’s calibre. Considering Everton just paid £24 million for Frenchman Morgan Schneiderlin and United near enough £90 million for France international Paul Pogba, that is about as cheap as a high-quality French midfielder will come these days.

Should N’Zonzi rejoin the Premier League with the probable Champions in the summer, it is likely the Blues will also have to sell to make room for him in the squad. Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic would likely command higher fees than that of N’Zonzi, and hence it could be a win-win situation for Chelsea.

Premier League Experience

It is always one of the biggest problems when signing a player from a European or International league: having them adapt to the Premier League in due time to become an effective spend of club money. Some do it well, some not so well.

This is a problem that would almost certainly be surpassed with Steven N’Zonzi. The Frenchman has six years of Premier League experience under his belt already with former clubs Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City, making somewhat of a veteran of the league already. The transition should be easy.

Prime Time

There is absolutely no questioning it, Steven N’Zonzi is in the prime of his career, both form wise and age wise. His form over the past season and a half for Sevilla has been nothing short of terrific, as he has put in commanding displays in the centre of the park for his side week-in wee-out since his move last summer. He played a phenomenal 46 times last year and made the Europa League team of the season.

While he has plenty of experience under his belt, the midfielder is still only 28 years-old, meaning he would be providing the Blues with at least another 3/4 years of high-quality service should he join.

N’Golo Kante

N’Golo Kante has been the man cited with Chelsea’s resurgent performances this season, and as well with the demise of his former club Leicester such has been his impact at Stamford Bridge. The little Frenchman is the first name on Chelsea’s team sheet, however, one thing that does seem to rotate more than any other position in the Blues line-up is the man next to him in the middle of the park.

Matic? Fabregas? Lotus-Cheek? Why not N’Zonzi? Kante’s international counterpart would be the perfect compliment the star midfielder. While Kante does his usual trick of covering more ground than humanly possible and doing the ‘dirty work’, N’Zonzi is an adept distributor of the ball, capable of powering forward too.

Formation

A big part of Chelsea’s brilliant form this season has been their formation, that being 3-4-3. Of course there are other reasons, namely the signing of N’Golo Kante, the resurgence of Diego Costa and Eden Hazard and of course the appointment of Antonio Conte, but this is certainly a biggy.

Premier League clubs just do not know how to cope with the system bought in by former Juventus manager Conte, so it is unlikely to change anytime soon. N’Zonzi slots right into the formation perfectly in defensive midfield.

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This stage of the campaign sees the pressure on the bottom three ramp up as the treacherous waters of the Premier League’s relegation battle enter their most raging tides. Considering the financial gain of remaining amongst the English elite, the notion of dropping down into the Championship is a rather scary one indeed.Having seen the likes of Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County struggle to make it out of the second tier over the years, previous powerhouses of English football provide an example of the wilderness relegation can bring.So, it’s fair to say a whole host of clubs battling towards the trap door are pretty nervous right now. Though, in the past, we’ve seen the likes of Sunderland, Leicester City and West Bromwich Albion pull off great escapes, football analyticsÂ@11tegen11Âhave compiled the % chance of who will go down this season.

Following the results of matchday 27, the aforementioned Black Cats (despite their expertise in this regard) have a 91% chance of finally succumbing to relegation. Elsewhere in the North East, Middlesbrough are made 82% to follow them, while Hull City’s revival under Marco Silva could be short-lived, as the Tigers are also said to have an 82% chance.

It’s good news for Swansea City, whose managerial merry-go-round this season, appears to have paid off in the eyes of these experts, with the Swans only said to have an 8% chance, while the Sam Allardyce factor at Crystal Palace has them given just a 23% of going down.

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Everton fans have been left scratching their heads after Ross Barkley was not given a single second of game time by England manager Gareth Southgate.

There was hope that the midfielder would be handed an opportunity to make an impression after receiving his first call-up to the squad since last summer’s European Championships.

However, Southgate opted against playing the Everton man in last Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat to Germany and Sunday’s 2-0 triumph over Lithuania.

Instead, Barkley had to settle for watching the action from the sidelines, and it is something that he is used to given that in his last seven call-ups he has not played.

It is a different story at club level, though, as he has scored four goals and created seven others in 27 Premier League appearances this season.

England lacked power in the middle of the park in both games, so Barkley would have been the obvious choice to throw into the mix, but Southgate decided not to take that option.

It left Everton fans feeling confused and frustrated.

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Leeds United manager Garry Monk has revealed that second-choice goalkeeper Marco Silvestri could miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

The 26-year-old has not played a single minute in the Championship this season due to the ever-present Rob Green, but not having your back-up for the final stretch of the campaign is a concern.

The shot-stopper required an operation, which means that Bailey Peacock-Farrell is likely to be upgraded to second choice after he was named on the bench for last weekend’s 3-0 win over Preston.

Rumours were swirling around on Twitter that Silvestri was bizarrely feigning injury, but now those claims have been put to bed.

This season, the Italian has made just six appearances in total – four in the EFL Cup and two in the FA Cup.

As it stands, the Whites will be fighting for promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs as they are fifth in the table, five points above seventh-placed Fulham.

Monk’s side will face Norwich City, Fulham, Huddersfield Town, Brentford and Sheffield Wednesday before the regular season comes to an end.

After the manager confirmed Silvestri’s absence, some fans gave their reactions on Twitter.