Good afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's crucial Premier League clash between West Ham United and Liverpool! The title has already been decided and the relegation spots look like being wrapped up today too, with Crystal Palace leading Hull 2-0 as things stand, which means that the top-four race will take centre stage from this point on. Today's game will have a major impact on it as Liverpool look to respond to wins for Man City and Arsenal yesterday, knowing that only victory will do today. Before we get into the nitty gritty of the situation, though, let's take a look at the team news...

WEST HAM STARTING XI: Adrian; Fonte, Reid, Collins; Byram, Fernandes, Nordtveit, Cresswell; Lanzini, Ayew, Calleri

WEST HAM SUBS: Randolph, Feghouli, Snodgrass, Ogbonna, Fletcher, Quina, Rice

LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Matip, Milner; Can, Wijnaldum, Lallana; Coutinho, Origi, Sturridge

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Karius, Moreno, Grujic, Alexander-Arnold, Lucas, Klavan, Woodburn

What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, the biggest team news as far as West Ham are concerned is that Andy Carroll once again misses out against his former club today having failed to recover from a groin injury in time for today's game. That means that Slaven Bilic is left with little option but to start with Jonathan Calleri leading the line once again - just his fourth Premier League start. Michail Antonio, who has scored in the last three meetings between these two sides, and Sakho are alongside Carroll in the treatment room as Bilic struggles with a mini-injury crisis up front.

The hosts are also without captain Mark Noble today as he misses out with an abdominal injury, while his central midfield partner Cheikhou Kouyate has undergone surgery on a wrist injury which has been troubling him since the Africa Cup of Nations. That allows Fernandes to come in for just his seventh Premier League start of the season, while there is also a place for Nordtveit as he makes his 11th league start for the club.

In support of Calleri will be Andre Ayew and Manuel Lanzini, the latter of whom got the goal which ultimately ended Tottenham's title hopes last Friday. Lanzini has been in good form recently and will arguably be West Ham's main goal threat this afternoon having found the back of the net in five of his last eight Premier League home games for the Hammers. He is probably the one real match-winner in that West Ham side, and Liverpool will need to keep a close eye on him today.

Bilic is sticking with the 3-4-3 formation as expected, which will once again see Byram and Cresswell operate as wing-backs. The defensive trio remains unchanged, meanwhile, with Fonte, Reid and Collins forming the unit in front of Adrian. It is a formation which has worked well for West Ham recently - as it has for a whole host of teams this season - although Liverpool's experiments with it have been a little less successful.

As such, Jurgen Klopp sticks with his preferred 4-3-3 formation today, and the headline news as far as they are concerned is that Daniel Sturridge is handed a rare start up front for the Reds. The England international has been heavily linked with a move to West Ham this summer and will have a chance to impress them here having been named in the starting lineup for just the sixth time in the Premier League all season. He replaces Roberto Firmino in the side, with the Brazilian having failed to recover from a muscular problem.

It is Sturridge's first league start since January, and there is also a return to the side for Adam Lallana, who starts for the first time since March following a recent thigh problem. Lallana replaces Lucas Leiva in the starting XI this afternoon as the Brazilian, like his compatriot Firmino, has struggled with a muscular problem of late. That will likely see Can revert to a more defensive midfield role, with Lallana and Wijnaldum roaming either side.

Those are the only two changes made by Jurgen Klopp to the side that drew 0-0 with Southampton last time out, which means that Divock Origi keeps his place in the starting lineup, although the Belgian is expected to play in a wider role in order to accommodate Sturridge. Origi scored in the reverse fixture between these two sides, but he has been quiet recently and today is a big game for both him and Sturridge to perhaps convince Klopp that they are capable of being regular starters next season if they stay at the club.

Simon Mignolet in goal has been one of Liverpool's better performers since returning to the side in December, keeping hold of the gloves since Karius lost his place. In front of him there have been plenty of questions asked about the Liverpool defence this season, but they have improved recently and Klopp sticks with an unchanged quartet of Clyne, Matip, Lovren and Milner today. Milner in particular will be looking to bounce back from his missed penalty against Southampton last weekend.

There is plenty of quality in that Liverpool side, then, but West Ham will come into this match in confident mood following their victory over Tottenham Hotspur last time out. The Hammers would have taken great delight in ruining Tottenham's title dream in that London derby and, while they do not share the same rivalry with Liverpool, they could put another major dent in a top team's target with victory tonight. It could well be that the Hammers have as big a say as anyone on the placings in the upper reaches of the table.

West Ham still have plenty to fight for aside from spoiling parties, though, with a top-half finish still within reach for Slaven Bilic's side. It has been a largely underwhelming campaign for them, particularly after the dizzying heights of last year, but that win over Spurs ensured that they are safe with two games to spare and they will now be looking up the table rather than over their shoulders. Victory today would take them level on points with the top half, and should they somehow beat Liverpool by three goals then they would move into 10th on goal difference.

Of course, the final position around mid-table is a lot less nerve-racking than fighting for the top four or against relegation, but it could still be vital for Slaven Bilic. Questions have been asked over his future in recent weeks and the club will reportedly review his position at the end of the campaign, so the difference between an eighth-place finish and a 16th-place finish - which is the span of their possibilities as things stand - could also be the difference between him staying in his job or getting the sack.

It is perhaps no surprise that the Hammers have upped their game when a few teams around them have begun to take their foot off the pedal, then. West Ham come into this match on a five-game unbeaten streak - their longest of the season - which includes four clean sheets too. That improvement in form has been timely too, as a five-game losing streak and seven-match winless streak preceded this recent upturn, which had left them in a spot of bother towards the wrong end of the table.

Another victory today would mark back-to-back victories for the first time since January, but West Ham haven't just been getting results in recent weeks, they have also been keeping clean sheets, with three in a row heading into this match. That is already their best run in the Premier League since December 2015 and another shutout today would be four on the bounce for the first time since February 2014. Defence has been an issue for the club this season, with only one team having conceded more outside the bottom five, but they finally look to be addressing that now.

It is a similar story at home, where West Ham have kept three consecutive clean sheets for the first time since their move to the London Stadium. The last time they had four consecutive home clean sheets in the league was in February 2010, and should they achieve that today then they would extend their unbeaten home run to four games - a mark they haven't yet achieved at their new ground. Interestingly, only relegated Sunderland have scored at this ground from West Ham's last five visitors, dating back to early April.

It is still far from a fortress, though, and six of West Ham's seven home league wins this season have been by a solitary goal to nil, with a 3-0 triumph over Crystal Palace in January the only exception. That has contributed to them scoring just 19 goals in front of their own fans this season, and if they draw a blank today then it would be the joint lowest-scoring home top-flight season in the club's history, equalling the unwanted tally from 1988-89. West Ham had also not beaten a top-half team here all season before last Friday's victory over Tottenham.

Liverpool fans will be travelling to East London with an uneasy feeling today given the club's recent unconvincing form. The top-four race is really hotting up now and, despite a few slip-ups in recent weeks, it remains in Liverpool's hands. One more slip-up could do irreversible damage, though, and after Manchester City and Arsenal both won yesterday the Reds know that only a win of their own will really do today. Anything else and Arsenal would claim a top-four spot with wins in their last two games.

This really is Liverpool's biggest game of the season so far, with a win leaving them needing only victory over relegated Middlesbrough at Anfield on the final day to qualify for the Champions League for only the second time in the last eight years. Indeed, a win could be enough to wrap things up before the final day should Arsenal slip up on Tuesday, although that is unlikely considering they are playing Sunderland at home.

The gap to the Gunners is now just one point after yesterday's results, and perhaps crucially the goal difference is also dead even courtesy of Arsenal's four goals at Stoke. Should it come down to that, Arsenal would pip Liverpool to fourth spot by virtue of having scored one goal more than the Reds as things stand, although Liverpool still have it in their hands to ensure that they qualify by points. A win today would lift them back up to third and make things look a lot more straightforward, but the stakes a very high here at the London Stadium.

Liverpool have only lost one of their last 10 games, with six wins and three draws in that time, which is a significant improvement on the period before that when they won just two of their opening 12 games in 2017 across all competitions. However, it is their form over the last three games which has made things so tight heading into these final two games. Liverpool have only won one of those three games and have scored just three times in their last four outings, with their performances during that spell being more akin to a typical end of season with nothing to play for rather than a crucial battle for the Champions League places.

Strangely, it has been Liverpool's home form which has let them down during the home straight, with points dropped in three consecutive matches against lower-ranked opposition. In contrast, the Reds have won their last three Premier League away games and are bidding for a fourth straight win on the road for the first time since April 2014. They have kept clean sheets in their last two away wins as well, and another shutout here would mark three in a row for the first time since March 2015.

Another clean sheet would be little use without a goal at the other end, though, and fortunately only three teams have scored more than Liverpool on the road this season. Only three teams - Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United - have amassed more points away from home too, with Liverpool having picked up just six fewer on their travels than they have at Anfield. Another victory today would see them win at a 52nd different ground in the Premier League era, extending the record they already own (Manchester United and Arsenal both on 50).

Liverpool have won three and drawn one of their four trips to London this season, and should they avoid defeat today then they would go unbeaten in the capital for an entire league season for the first time since 1988-89. Indeed, the Reds have lost just once in their last 10 league trips to the capital, although that did come away to West Ham in 2016. A win today would leave Liverpool on 73 points for the season, and the most a team has won without making it into the top four before is 72, so it is all about getting that victory here.

PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at the London Stadium, which means that it is time for a prediction! West Ham will not make things easy for Liverpool today, but at the same time they have finally now secured their Premier League status and so their foot may naturally come off the pedal a little. Liverpool, on the other hand, need to be a lot more up for this one than they were against Southampton last time out and, if that is the case, I can see them coming away with the all-important victory. I will go for a 2-1 away win!

Liverpool do not have a particularly good record against West Ham in recent seasons, failing to win any of their last five meetings across all competitions. That is the first time that has happened since February 1965, while they have never before failed to win in six consecutive meetings with the Hammers. Now is really not the time to set that unwanted record.

West Ham have won their last two Premier League home games against Liverpool, which is their best run since a three-game run between 1997 and 1999. They have already achieved that three-game winning run in all competitions, though, while Liverpool have kept only one clean sheet in their last 10 Premier League visits to West Ham - a 3-0 triumph in May 2009. This is the Reds' first visit to the London Stadium, incidentally.

The reverse fixture between these two sides finished in a 2-2 draw at Anfield back in December, with Lallana giving Liverpool an early lead before Payet and Antonio turned things around before half time. Origi's strike early in the second half earned the hosts a draw, but it is 16 years since there was last a Premier League draw between these two on West Ham turf. Liverpool have won seven and lost four since the last stalemate, which came in December 2001.

Right, the players are on their way out at the London Stadium for this huge match in the top-four race. Can Liverpool respond to wins from Manchester City and Arsenal or will they slip up at a crucial moment?

KICKOFF: And we're off! West Ham get us underway at the London Stadium!

West Ham have seen a decent amount of the ball in these opening exchanges as they look to make a quick start. Liverpool, meanwhile, have been a bit slow to get going here.

Cresswell manages to get past a rather weak tackle from Clyne down the left and hoists the type of cross into the box which Carroll would relish. Carroll is not on the pitch, though, and Mignolet is able to claim it ahead of Byram.

CHANCE! Big chance for West Ham to get the early lead! The hosts play through the Liverpool press really well and eventually the ball arrives to Byram in space bursting into the box. He has time to collect the ball and pick his spot, but he drills his low strike just wide of the far post. He should have done better there!

SAVE! Liverpool respond with their first effort of the match as Sturridge cuts inside before trying a snapshot, but it is relatively easy for Adrian to collect.

OFF THE BAR! What a chance for Liverpool! How on earth as Matip not scored here?! The defender towers above everyone else in the penalty area to meet a corner and he looks destined to score, but he plants his header into the ground and it bounces up and against the crossbar. Sturridge and Lovren are both around where it drops, but neither can convert the rebound and West Ham smuggle it behind for another corner. Big, big chance!

SAVE! Mignolet is called into his first piece of action with a smart reaction save down low to his left. Fernandes's effort wasn't particularly powerful, but Mignolet seemed to see it late and did well to keep it out in the end.

This has been a good, lively start to this match, which will be a positive as far as Liverpool are concerned. They have conceded a couple of chances themselves, but they are a lot more dangerous in quick-tempo open games than they are in matches such as last week's against Southampton.

SAVE! Lallana twists and turns on the right side of the field before swinging a cross into the middle which is only cleared as far as Coutinho. The Brazilian powers it towards goal with a first-time left-footed effort, but Adrian holds on to it well.

Liverpool think they have another chance as Milner slides a pass through to Sturridge, who squeezes a shot just past the near post. The flag goes up, though, and the replay shows that Sturridge had just about strayed offside.

Both teams will be relatively happy with how they have played in these opening exchanges. The Reds have had the best chance and will that they should be ahead, but West Ham have also squandered a clear opportunity themselves. It has started promisingly here!

Break in the play here as Origi requires treatment following a clash with Fonte. The Belgian should be fine to continue, though.

The chances have just dried up a little over the past five minutes or so, but we can't really complain having seen plenty of shots on goal in the early stages of this one.

SAVE! Liverpool come forward down the left flank and Milner works space for himself to shoot, but his effort takes a deflection on the way through and that makes it easy for Adrian to gather.

Liverpool are controlling possession in this match, as you might expect, with 64% of the ball in this opening 25 minutes. Their one clear chance so far has come from a set piece though - they need more in the final third from opening play.

SHOT! Coutinho tries his luck from range having darted across the field to create space to shoot, but this one ends up a yard or two over the crossbar. Adrian looked to have it covered anyway.

Lanzini feels that he should have a free kick after going down under the challenge of Matip, but instead Neil Swarbrick awards a free kick to Liverpool for offside. The Hammers would have had a good chance to test Mignolet had they been awarded that.

Cue the ironic cheers when West Ham do finally get a free kick. This game has entered a bit of a lull following that bright start.

Fine block from Collins! Liverpool win the ball back inside the West Ham half and Sturridge can drive at the depleted defence, but he cuts back and eventually has to settle for giving the ball to Coutinho. The Brazilian drills a first-time effort from the edge of the box, but Collins throws himself in the way of it.

SHOT! Coutinho picks Sturridge out with a diagonal ball to the right flank, and predictably the strike cuts inside onto his left and goes for goal. Rather than going for the far corner, though, he tries to beat Adrian at the near post and ripples the side-netting with his effort.

SHOT! Clyne pays the ball back into the box and it comes all the way through to Milner racing in on the edge. The makeshift full-back goes for goal but scuffs his effort and it bobbles a few yards wide, while Sturridge is just short of connecting with it.

Liverpool have the breakthrough! It is dreadful defending from West Ham as they are caught cold, with Fonte playing Sturridge onside. Coutinho has the quality to play an incisive ball through to the striker, who suddenly finds himself with only Adrian to beat. He may have been out of the team for much of this season, but his finishing instincts have not dulled and he takes the ball around the keeper before slotting it into the empty net.

That will be a huge relief for Liverpool, who were beginning to look a bit short of ideas against this West Ham defence. It could prove to be huge, huge goal in Liverpool's season.

Liverpool come in search of a quickfire second before half time as Origi gets a cross in from the right flank which Reid has to put behind for a corner.

Coutinho swings the ball into the middle and Matip meets it, but this time his header flies well over the crossbar.

CHANCE! Liverpool win another corner, and again Matip is able to get his head on it. It is a difficult header for the centre-back to control, but it hits the top of the netting on its way over the bar. Those corners are causing problems for the hosts today!

WHAT A MISS! Oh my word! We have our miss of the season, ladies and gentlemen! The Reds fail to deal with a corner themselves this time, with the ball bouncing off Lovren to Ayew around two yards from goal. Somehow, and having seen a couple of replays I'm still quite not sure how, Ayew turns his initial shot against the post before hitting the same upright again on the rebound. Mignolet gratefully falls on the ball after that, and Ayew is left wondering how on earth he didn't score. What a miss.

There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this first half.

SAVE! West Ham cause problems from another set piece as Collins gets his head to a corner, but his looping header is fairly comfortable for Mignolet.

Liverpool go into the break ahead, then, but they can count themselves very lucky after that let-off at the end of the first half. The visitors have been the better team today, but a one-goal lead is always a nervy one and Klopp will want his side to give themselves a two-goal cushion in the coming 45 minutes to relieve some of the pressure.

The only goal of the game so far arrived with 10 minutes remaining until the interval, with Coutinho supplying the killer pass to release Sturridge. The West Ham defending left a lot to be desired, and it was ruthlessly exposed by the visitors. Coutinho's incisive through-ball from deep sent Sturridge through on goal, and the recalled striker never looked like missing as he took the ball around the keeper before slotting it into the empty net.

Quite how West Ham didn't level things up just before half time, I'm still trying to get my head around. The ball dropped to Ayew after Liverpool had failed to deal with a corner, but somehow the striker hit the post twice from point-blank range when he simply had to score. It is a contender for miss of the season, and Arsenal fans will have been cursing Ayew every bit as much as West Ham fans.

KICKOFF: Liverpool get us back underway for the second half at the London Stadium - can they complete the job in the coming 45 minutes?

CHANCES! Liverpool look to make a quick start to this second half, but they miss a string of chances in quick succession! Origi has the first attempt which is very well saved by Adrian having taken a deflection on the way through. The ball is fed back in to Sturridge, but he can't get his shot away and is forced wide as another good opportunity goes begging. Moments later Lallana is also denied by Adrian, and the keeper makes it a hat-trick of good stops inside one minute to deny Wijnaldum.

Can Liverpool keep that momentum up at the start of this second half and get another goal? They have come flying out of the blocks here, but another goal would really settle any nerves.

YELLOW CARD! The first card of the game goes to Fernandes for a trip on Coutinho in the middle of the park.

Sturridge slides a pass through for Origi to get in behind the defence, but the Belgian doesn't really have anyone to aim for in the box and in the end settles for a corner off Fonte's sliced clearance.

Liverpool have quickly resumed control of this match in the second half, and Bilic is eyeing changes as a result. Something needs to change for the home side.

WEST HAM SUBS: There are the changes, with Sofiane Feghouli and Ashley Fletcher replacing Calleri and Fonte. That looks like a change in formation for the home side too.

Liverpool have their two-goal cushion, and they can breathe a lot more easily now! The initial strike from Wijnaldum deserves a mention as he cracks a stunning first-time volley against the crossbar - a goal of the season contender had it gone in. After it rebounds back out, though, Reid can only clear his backward header as far as Coutinho. The Brazilian opts against an early shot and instead dribbles past two players on the edge of the box before picking out the bottom corner. Huge goal!

West Ham look to produce an immediate response and Ayew challenges Mignolet following a deflected cross, but the Belgian gets his fist to the ball first and Can completes the clearance.

Suddenly that second Liverpool goal seems to have sparked West Ham into life. Lovren is only able to clear the ball as far as Feghouli, whose first-time volley deflects behind for a corner.

Liverpool have a third goal, and this one is all over! This is a very controversial one, though, as West Ham are still complaining that they should have had a penalty well Coutinho is blasting the ball into their net at the other end. They have a point too, with the ball hitting Wijnaldum's hand inside his own area when the Dutch midfielder was trying to deal with a corner. The referee says no, though, and Liverpool are quickly on the front foot. Coutinho starts the counter-attack and is then on the end of the final pass from, of all people, Wijnaldum, before keeping his composure to beat Collins in the box and smash his finish into the back of the net.

What a huge moment that is in the top-four race. Within a few seconds Liverpool have gone from perhaps being 2-1 down via a West Ham penalty to being 3-0 up - a massive swing in this Champions League race. Neil Swarbrick was looking right at it, and I can only think that he ruled it was not a foul rather than considering a handball claim.

OFF THE BAR! Liverpool hit the woodwork for the third time today as Origi unleashes a powerful first-time strike from range. It beats Adrian, but clips the top of the crossbar on its way over the top.

SHOT! Can concedes a free kick in a good position as far as West Ham are concerned, but Lanzini fires his effort well off target.

CHANCE! Chance for West Ham to give themselves a lifeline as Fletcher is played in down the left channel. The angle is always against him, though, and in the end Mignolet turns his shot behind for a corner.

Could this be hat-trick territory for Coutinho? Liverpool have a free kick in a very dangerous position...

SHOT! It is Coutinho, but it is disappointing from the Brazilian. He puts a poor free kick well over the crossbar.

West Ham are ending their season with a whimper here in their final home match of their first campaign at the London Stadium. They can point to that controversial Coutinho goal, but in truth they have been comfortably second best throughout this contest.

Liverpool have the fourth goal, and they have fourth place (at least) very much in their own hands. Sturridge beats Cresswell down the right channel before pulling the ball back into the middle. Adrian comes hurtling out to deny Lallana initially, but the ball drops to Wijnaldum whose mis-hit shot finds Origi to plant his finish home. Scrappy, but Liverpool will not care one bit.

WEST HAM SUB: The hosts make their third and final change of the match as Robert Snodgrass replaces Ayew, whose miss before half time looks extra costly now.

CHANCE! There are more goals in this one for Liverpool. Origi flicks a header wide, but it was far too easy for Liverpool in the build-up. The Hammers have almost given up here and this could be five or six if it carries on like this.

CHANCE! Yet another chance for Liverpool as they win the ball high up the field, with Origi and Sturridge up against one defender. Origi chooses to go alone, but his shot is a tame one which Adrian easily gathers. Sturridge is not happy.

This has been Liverpool's most convincing performance for a long time, and it comes in the match when they really needed it. They have handled the pressure very well today.

That said, West Ham have not exactly made things too difficult for Liverpool. Their defending has left a lot to be desired and after Liverpool's second goal went in it was pretty much game over.

SHOT! Snodgrass almost comes up with a stunning consolation as he goes for a first-time volley from the edge of the box which flies narrowly over the far top corner. That would have been some strike!

LIVERPOOL SUB: Sturridge gets a big ovation from the away fans as he makes way to be replaced by Lucas Leiva.

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Two more changes from the visitors as Lallana and Coutinho make way for Ben Woodburn and Marko Grujic.

There will be two minutes of added time at the end of this match.

It was a big game for Liverpool today, and they respond with a big performance. The Reds run out convincing 4-0 winners to move within one victory of a Champions League place, with a brace from Coutinho sandwiched between goals from Sturridge and Origi firing them to a crucial three points here. It could have all been different has Ayew scored scored before half time, but Liverpool were by far the better side today and fully deserve their win - it could have been more, too.

Right, that is all we have time for this afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's crucial match as Liverpool put themselves on the brink of Champions League qualification with a 4-0 win over West Ham. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction from both camps too. Manchester United are still not entirely out of the race either, and you can follow coverage of their match against Tottenham Hotspur by clicking here. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!