Talking points | Lopetegui on learning from mistakes, focusing on Liverpool and chasing trophies

Julen Lopetegui is looking forward to a difficult Carabao Cup test at Liverpool on Wednesday evening as his team look to take revenge on the defending champions for last season’s quarter-final clash.

The Hammers’ impressive run in the 2023/24 competition was halted in the quarter-finals by the record ten-time winners, with Jarrod Bowen’s second-half strike against Merseyside ultimately serving as consolation for the 5-1 defeat.

Nine months later, the Hammers face another trip to Anfield, with both teams now under new management and hoping to take another step towards the title while improving their form in the league.

The Hammers beat Premier League rivals AFC Bournemouth in the second round to secure this exciting third-round tie. So far, however, they have only won one other league game in the 2024/25 season, away to Crystal Palace at the end of August.

Liverpool, on the other hand, sit comfortably second in the league table and have suffered just one defeat in all competitions this season, at home to Nottingham Forest. They have also impressively beaten AC Milan and Bournemouth in the UEFA Champions League and Premier League since then.

Dutchman Arne Slot took on the difficult task of following in Jürgen Klopp’s footsteps on the Anfield bench in the summer and, after a strong start, he is now keen to maintain that momentum and succeed on all fronts.

Lopetegui, meanwhile, is equally keen for a positive result in what he describes as a difficult environment and is confident that his somewhat reshuffled squad is making good progress behind the scenes despite Saturday’s disappointment at home to Chelsea.

Speaking to the media just over 24 hours before kick-off, the Spaniard spoke about what he and his team have learned during the current season, as well as giving his thoughts on the Reds and the Carabao Cup competition.