John Hunt
Commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live

This is a really big one. The rainfall of early evening has subsided and both teams are warming up in front of us.

There's already a little air of anxiety around the stadium as the fans start to come through because West Ham need a win - and how. You've got to go back to the springtime of 2017 for the last time West Ham lost five Premier Games in a row.

Brentford - buoyed by good form before the World Cup - have the knowledge that they came here and won last time. With Ivan Toney in such good form, they're going to be potent threats tonight.

David Moyes says it is not for him to decide whether his achievements at West Ham mean he deserves more time in the hotseat.

Pressure is building after the Hammers lost their 10th game of the season at Arsenal on Boxing Day, the joint-most in the Premier League. The result left them just two places and one point above the drop-zone.

"We've recently been much more used to being in the top half, so we don't enjoy the position we're in," said Moyes. "We have to win a few games and get out of it.

"My job was to come in and try to raise expectations. It's been a good two to three seasons and we have done a lot better. I've got great support from David Sullivan but I'm not daft - you're always under pressure as a football manager."

Moyes will hope to kick-start their season against Brentford at London Stadium on Friday and knows how crucial the West Ham supporters could prove.

"We're disappointed we have not done better this season but we plan to do so and are working hard to do that," he said.

"The home crowd is vital. We've got a stadium that can hold big numbers, more than 60,000, and we've come closer than ever before to filling it.

"We've had some great nights, some big wins. We want to bring in more young West Ham supporters and the club have also made tickets affordable as well."

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West Ham manager David Moyes has some credit in the bank, but must start picking up wins sooner rather than later, says former Premier League goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

Schwarzer told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast: "It’s really danger zone for West Ham. Earlier in the season, a lot of us thought it was just a bad start, but the longer it goes on, the more the panic buttons will start to be pushed.

"People will be concerned about this slump West Ham are in. David Moyes will know the pressure is on and this West Ham side are going to have to find the results, find a way of turning their results around quickly - otherwise they will find themselves in really big trouble.

"I think if you look at his record, the know-how he has in the Premier League and what it takes to be successful, he is going to have that in his favour in the next couple of weeks.

"But there always is a point for any owner of a club when they think there is no return and he has to be careful. There are still another four or five games in the bank, but if he doesn’t get wins under his belt soon, he could be in trouble."

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West Ham were eyeing up a huge shock win on Boxing Day after Said Benrahma's penalty gave them the lead at Arsenal.

They held that until the 53rd minute, at which point everything began to fall apart. Bukayo Saka's equaliser was followed by goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah and that was that.

The loss left West Ham 16th and just a point above the relegation zone after their fourth league defeat in a row.

Much like Liverpool, Brendan Rodgers is hopeful Leicester can get their transfer business done early in the January window.

The Foxes had a quiet summer window, signing only goalkeeper Alex Smithies and centre-back Wout Faes.

Rodgers said: "We’ve had a period of time now to know what it is we need. Hopefully we can get that done sooner rather than later. That’s the plan. Hopefully that can take place early in the window."

On what type of players he is hoping to sign, Rodgers added: "Most of my teams have always had two wingers who are fast and can threaten the back-line.

"Left-back, we need somebody to come in, because we’ve only got Luke [Thomas]. We need more stature in the team. Clearly you need that at centre-half. The stature of the team we can increase. The power and speed in the front-line is clearly needed."

As well as bringing in new players, Rodgers said talks have been ongoing with current players who are soon to be out of contract.

"There’s been ongoing conversations with Soyuncu, Amartey and Evans as well. We’ve been speaking to the representatives for a while," he said.

Owynn Palmer-Atkin
BBC Radio Leicester Sport

Brendan Rodgers never gets too up when they win or too down when they lose. In his news conference though, you could still sense his disappointment from the game against Newcastle- not just in the way they lost, but in the way they started, the way they performed and the aggression they showed.

He brought his players in on their day off to dissect exactly what happened, why it happened and how to stop it from happening again. It had echoes of the performances at the start of the season, of Brighton, of Spurs, but it struck a little bit harder because it was at home, on Boxing Day and the first game back after a huge break.

It needed more of a post-mortem and everyone expected more.

At the same time, there was definitely a change of focus towards the Liverpool game. He had loads to say on a whole host of different things.

Listen to more analysis on the Foxes - with discussion about James Maddison's latest injury setback - on BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast

Leicester City lacked direction and aggression and "clearly missed" James Maddison in Monday's 3-0 home defeat by Newcastle United, according to former Foxes midfielder Matt Piper.

City were 2-0 down to the Magpies after seven minutes and trailed 3-0 at the break.

Piper told the When You're Smiling podcast the Foxes were "off it".

"This team are at their best when they are front-footed and aggressive and, in possession, are working cohesively. They lacked that," he said.

"Normally you can see what the directive is from the manager - how is this team going to hurt the opposition? Normally you see that - and especially of late in the six or seven games before the World Cup when the identity really came back into the side.

"But there wasn't any joined-up thinking with the play. Out of possession, there wasn't that snap and aggressive nature that you normally get with this team. It lacked all over the pitch. They got caught in the headlights by Newcastle. They lost two goals quickly and the confidence drained out of the side.

"They clearly missed James Maddison and his creativity. In games like that - when it is difficult - he finds those pockets and asks for the ball and generally makes things happen with a bit of magic. But we didn't have any of that."

Listen to all the post-match reaction and analysis on BBC Sounds

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The latest we have on Maddison is that he is waiting to hear from a specialist on his latest knee issue and remains unavailable for Friday's trip to Liverpool.

He watched Monday's home defeat by Newcastle United from the stands.

"He won’t be available for the game," said Rodgers. "He was with Mark, our doctor, getting some specialist advice in London. I’ll wait to hear from them later on.

"England deemed him OK to train. He’s looked to do some work here and then felt a pain in a different part of the knee.

"He’s tried to do some work and he’s getting a pain. So the medical team have gone down to London to get another opinion on it from a specialist."

After the game on Boxing Day, Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers was unsure how long England midfielder James Maddison would be absent with a knee issue that has come "indirectly" from his time at the World Cup.

Maddison was selected as part of England's 26-man squad for Qatar despite having a knee issue.

"It's a different part of his knee," Rodgers said after the defeat.

"He obviously had a problem with the back of his knee; now he has something at the front.

"This is something that has come from indirectly having an issue while he was away. He is just feeling something on the front of his knee that the medical team are trying to get to the bottom of.

"He was out this morning on the grass but he is still feeling his knee. He is not ready to play."

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Leicester were hit and hit hard on their return to action on Boxing Day as a rampant Newcastle burst out of the blocks at the King Power before easing to a comfortable victory.

Lacking James Maddison, along with pretty much any ways to hurt their opponent, the Foxes simply could not cope.

Chris Wood kickstarted a dominant Toon performance by smashing the opener from the penalty spot before Miguel Almiron glided past the Leicester defence to tuck away the second.

Joelinton headed the third from a Kieran Trippier corner for his second goal of the season as the Magpies demonstrated the clinical edge that the hosts were missing.

For the latest round of Premier League predictions, Chris Sutton is up against Afrobeats star and Manchester United supporter Maulo.

Image source, BBC Sport

Sutton's prediction: 3-1

Cody Gakpo is an excellent signing for Liverpool and I'm looking forward to seeing how he fits into their attack when his deal goes through in January.

I wrongly thought Liverpool would slip up against Aston Villa in their last game - Villa did have some chances but the Reds ended up winning comfortably.

Jurgen Klopp's side are going to be pushing hard for the top four in the new year and I think they will end 2022 with a win too.

James Maddison's knee injury is a concern for Leicester but I still think they will get a goal at Anfield - I just think Liverpool will score more than them.

Maulo's prediction: My dad is a Liverpool fan so I've watched them quite a bit. Darwin Nunez always looks like he is going to score goals. 2-0

Find out how Sutton and Maulo think the rest of the games will go and cast your vote here

Anyway, back to tonight's game...

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• Liverpool have lost two of their past three Premier League games against Leicester, as many as they had in their previous 17.
• Leicester have lost nine of their previous 11 Premier League away games against Liverpool.
• Liverpool's last league game of 2021 was a 1-0 defeat at Leicester – they've not lost their final league game in consecutive calendar years since 1960-61.
• Leicester City are looking to win their final league game in consecutive calendar years for the first time since a run of three between 2012 and 2014.

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says he is not concerned about chances missed by Darwin Nunez in recent games, drawing comparisons with Robert Lewandowski's early career at Borussia Dortmund.

Summer signing Nunez, 23, has scored nine goals this season but has also squandered several big opportunities.

Klopp says Lewandowski had similar mixed form when he signed him for Dortmund from Lech Poznan in 2010.

"There are a lot of similarities to be honest," he said.

"I think Lewy would tell the same story. We had shooting sessions where he didn't finish off one. We had bets all the time for 10 euros - 'if you score more than 10 times, I will pay you 10; if you don't, you have to pay me'. My pocket was full of money!

"It's all about staying calm. When you see the potential, stay calm."

Read more here.

Jurgen Klopp says the signing of Cody Gakpo is "massively interesting" for Liverpool as he prepares to blood the 23-year-old Dutch forward in the Premier League.

Gakpo will officially become a Red on Sunday when the January transfer window opens after Liverpool gazumped their European rivals to snap up one of the hottest prospects in world football.

And Klopp revealed he will be happy to play Gakpo anywhere across the frontline to add versatility and unpredictability to Liverpool's attack.

"He can play in any of the front four positions," Klopp said. "He's a young player with a lot of potential and we were very interested to get him in.

"It's big for us and it's big for him as well because he's a really interesting package.

"He's in a really good run of form in the league and obviously at the World Cup. We believe in our process when players come here, in how we can help players make a step forward. This one is massively interesting."

Contrary to reports, Klopp suggested Virgil van Dijk did not play a key role in convincing his Netherlands team-mate to make the switch, because Gakpo had already made his mind up.

"We didn't need Virgil to do that," he said. "It's a nice moment when you are Liverpool manager and get to speak to someone and think you have to convince them to sign, but you realise it's a home run when you talk to them.

"We've been working on the deal from two to three months ago. It is special to have done it so early and with nothing coming out, which is very, very helpful."

Signing Cody Gakpo is "a statement of intent" about what Liverpool want to achieve this season, according to the Daily Mail's northern football correspondent Dominic King.

The Netherlands forward will complete his move from PSV at the start of January and King believes the in-demand 23-year-old will be a real boost to Liverpool's depleted frontline.

"It's a signing that has come out of nowhere," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "But Luis Diaz is going to be another three months and Diogo Jota at least another month.

"They cannot afford to lose any more ground in the race for the top four.

"They will not win the league - they are too far behind - but it was interesting to hear Jurgen Klopp talking about two chances to qualify for next season's Champions League.

"I expect them to go all guns blazing to try and win the trophy in Istanbul and Gakpo is a statement of intent for that."

The Reds marked their return to Premier League action with a dominant win over Aston Villa on 26 December, a result and performance that King described as "very significant".

Listen to more on Gakpo from 22'37 on BBC Sounds

After agreeing the move to Liverpool, Gakpo says he intends to create "more beautiful moments" for the Reds.

"I try to be a player who goes forward and make dangerous situations for the opponent," he told the Reds' official website, external.

"I look to create chances, make dribbles and give assists and goals. I hope I can bring that to this team and hopefully we can get a lot of beautiful moments."

Gakpo is excited about joining an elite group at Liverpool and believes he can continue to improve under the guidance of Jurgen Klopp.

"I can really learn from a lot of players and I'm really looking forward to [Klopp's] style of playing," he said.

"Virgil van Dijk told me that this is a massive club but it is also like a real family. That's very important for me because I'm a family guy.

"I'm really grateful to be here."

Mike Hughes
Reporter, BBC Radio Merseyside Sport

The departure of Michael Edwards as Liverpool’s sporting director at the end of last season, after six very successful years, led to concern among some Liverpool supporters.

When his successor, Julian Ward, announced he was also leaving the club at the end of this season, for some the concern led to genuine worry.

Would the Reds still be able to work the same magic in the transfer market and attract the sort of talent to reinforce their squad and continue to compete for the top prizes?

Jurgen Klopp says he was genuinely surprised when Ward told him of his decision to leave. But the Liverpool manager made it clear that his impending departure wouldn’t have any effect on the club’s ability to do business in the January transfer window. The events of the past 48 hours indicate there is good reason for that confidence.

Last January, Luis Diaz looked poised for a move to Tottenham, but Liverpool moved rapidly to get their man. Despite his current absence through injury, the Colombia forward is already a big Anfield favourite.

History has a habit of repeating itself. This time it’s Cody Gakpo, a star performer for the Netherlands at the World Cup who was seemingly set for a move to Manchester United, but who now looks destined to join the Reds.

PSV Eindhoven’s 26 December statement that they had reached an agreement with Liverpool for the sale of Gakpo points to another staggering piece of transfer business.

His three goals at the World Cup - one with his left foot, one with his right and the other with his head - underlined the talent he has, and his potential for future improvement.

He is quick, direct and an excellent finisher. He has an appetite for hard work and can play in a variety of attacking roles.

At 23, there is certainly a maturity to his play, but given his capacity for hard work, you get the feeling that the best is yet to come.

One of his many strengths is his ability to cut in from the left side, on his right foot, and find the net with power and accuracy, in similar style to Diaz. But the two have the talents to be able to work in tandem.

A guaranteed fee of £37m has been agreed, possibly rising to £45m if various add-on clauses are met. At that price Gapko isn’t a giveaway, but still looks like a real bargain, especially as he appears poised to sign a six-year deal.

If everything goes to plan, Gakpo could make his Liverpool debut at Brentford on 2 January.

Cody Gakpo's decision to join Liverpool rather than Manchester United came as a surprise to people in the Netherlands, says Dutch journalist Elko Born.

"Obviously there is the Dutch connection with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"We know Ten Hag likes going for players he has worked with in the past or players from the Netherlands, so that was an obvious move for Gakpo. But apparently Liverpool came in for him and got the better of him.

"I think one of the reasons Liverpool like Gakpo is he is so versatile. He can play in a number of positions up front. Obviously there is a lot of competition at Liverpool and lots of good attackers there, but all of them aren’t always going to be fit.

"So either as a striker, as a number 10 or on the left, he can play in all of those positions so that gives him a chance to get some playing time and to compete with the superstars at Liverpool."

Hear more from 38'28 on BBC Sounds

Liverpool certainly aren't hanging around when it comes to the January transfer window.

Not long after that win at Villa they announced they had agreed a deal to sign Dutch international forward Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven.

The fee for the winger is expected to be between 40m-50m euros (£35.4m-£44.3m).

PSV say Gakpo will travel to England to complete the deal, adding that it would be a record transfer for them.

Injured Reds forwards Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota are both facing lengthy spells on the sidelines, which must have played a part in this move, or at least the timing of it.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has just said in a pre-game interview that Fabinho misses out tonight "for the best possible reason" - his wife has gone into labour.

Klopp added: "We hope to have some good news from him in a couple of hours".