Pablo Zabaleta targets Liverpool scalp to boost Europa League hopes
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Sunday 3 February 2019 00:07, UK
Pablo Zabaleta has urged West Ham to put their season back on track against Liverpool on Monday, live on Sky Sports, and enhance their challenge for Europa League qualification.
West Ham head into the meeting against Jurgen Klopp's side after a humiliating FA Cup exit against AFC Wimbledon last weekend, sandwiched in between league defeats against Bournemouth and Wolves.
Despite their stuttering run, the Hammers are seven points off seventh spot in the league, and a potential European spot, ahead of Monday's meeting with the Premier League leaders, having already won seven points against Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal so far this term.
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"It is going to be difficult because it's a team that is top of the league," said Zabaleta, who concedes the club have been unable to sustain a sequence of results.
"Against the top teams, we've been playing really well. But we've failed three or four times to get that seventh position.
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"That's something we've been talking about, how good it would be to finish seventh and to try and play in the Europa League next season.
"Against Watford at home it was a big chance (to go seventh), and we lost. Against Bournemouth, we stood a good chance but we lost. At Wolves, it was another chance and we lost.
"If you want to have a good season, you just need that consistency and be able to play well enough week in week out.
"I can't say we'll win every single game, you can't. This is the strongest league and you have to respect the other teams.
"It's very difficult to win games in this league, but sometimes we play really well and win games, but five days later we can put in a really poor performance.
"We just need to find that consistency if you want to be a better team. Every player needs to be on it, they have to feel proud to play for West Ham and to make this club better."
Zabaleta was a two-time Premier League champion during his nine-year association with Manchester City and a positive result against Liverpool could do his old side a major favour in this season's title race.
But he insisted: "I am not a Manchester City player now. I am a West Ham player and I just want to win for West Ham."
