Reds steeled for title assault

WITH Steven Gerrard talking of his “hunger” for the league title and manager Rafael Benitez close to agreeing a new contract, this is probably not the time for West Ham to be trying to end a 45-year wait for a win at Anfield.

West Ham arrive in Liverpool tonight facing a relegation fight and without a win at the venue since Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters scored in 1963, when the Beatles’ ‘She Loves You’ was top of the charts.

They will not find much love from the Merseysiders this time around. With Liverpool already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, Benitez now wants his side to concentrate hard on cementing their position in the race for the title.

“We have qualified for the next stage in Europe, now we have three months to concentrate on the league,” he said. “We have only lost once in the Premier League this season and we must make sure we continue that level of form.”

Benitez, believed to be close to a new deal at the club after further talks in recent days between the manager’s agent and club owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, knows a run of indifferent Liverpool performances must come to an end.

A poor display in their last home league game allowed Fulham claim a 0-0 draw, and the midweek victory over Marseille was hardly convincing.

Liverpool will be without striker Fernando Torres with a hamstring problem and defender Fabio Aurelio, who has a calf injury. Robbie Keane and Andrea Dossena are expected to come into the side.

The match will mark Gerrard’s 10-year anniversary since his first-team debut, when he came on as substitute against Blackburn on November 29, 1998.

“The anniversary means a lot to me,” he said. “It has been a special week and I have been having to pinch myself because I’ve been living this dream since I first pulled on a red shirt.

“The 10 years seem to have gone by in a flash but there’s an old saying that time flies when you are having fun and that is exactly what I’ve had. It has been the best 10 years of my life and hopefully that will continue for many years to come. If anything, I am actually more hungry than ever before.

“I am desperate for the league title and obviously we have managed to get ourselves into a good position this season and now we just need to keep on plugging away.

“It is safe to say there are still many more trophies I want to win before I hang my boots up.”

LIVERPOOL (4-4-1-1, likely): Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Dossena, Kuyt, Alonso, Mascherano, Riera, Gerrard, Keane.

WEST HAM (4-4-2, likely): Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Faubert, Parker, Mullins, Behrami, Bellamy, Cole.