Sam Allardyce is well aware of the threat Luis Suarez
poses for West Ham and counts the Uruguayan as one of the world's best players.
Premier League leaders Liverpool visit Upton Park on
Sunday, with West Ham facing the unenviable task of trying to halt the
Merseyside club's 13-match unbeaten league run, which includes eight straight
victories.
Liverpool's title challenge has been forged around the
strike partnership between Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, with the duo combining
for 49 Premier League goals this season.
West Ham manager Allardyce reserved particular praise for
Suarez, who he places "in the top two or three in the world".
"At the moment I think that the Liverpool team, in
terms of its form and results, is operating at 100 per cent," he said.
"When you have two quality strikers of the ilk of
Sturridge and Suarez then the rest of the team know that somewhere along the
line they're going to put the ball in the back of the net if they provide the
service for them.
"At the moment he (Suarez) now finds himself in the
top two or three in the world. The commitment he showed to Liverpool and they
showed to him, seems to have given him that extra impetus this season to go out
and be even better than he was after the problems he had.
"The combination with Sturridge has flourished where
that looked a little concerning in the early stages as neither wanted to play
in a wide position.
"That seems to have all come together now and the
rest of the team is providing the service behind them and has grown in quality
and confidence."
Liverpool will undoubtedly begin the match as favourites,
but West Ham head into the encounter with back-to-back 2-1 victories over Hull
City and Sunderland.
And Allardyce is hopeful of giving Brendan Rodgers' men a
run for their money.
He added: "We're on a top-six run of form at the
moment and hopefully that will give us the chance to challenge Liverpool on
Sunday."
Culled from Soccerway
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