Adam: Let's repeat Spurs showing
Adam Lallana was sat in the stands when Liverpool demolished Tottenham Hotspur in August – but today he intends to carry out an integral role when the Reds return to the capital to face West Ham United.
The England international is targeting a return to winning ways in the Barclays Premier League, in order to eradicate the frustration he endured on his debut for the club against Aston Villa a week ago.
Lallana's first outing in red ought to have materialised sooner than the 1-0 reversal against Paul Lambert's Villa; however, a knee injury sustained during the club's tour of the United States affected the midfielder's early progress.
It constrained the 26-year-old to a watching berth as his new team played out their first three league games of the 2014-15 campaign, including a spectacular win at White Hart Lane, where Tottenham were thrashed 3-0.
Since that victory, Lallana has experienced Anfield twice - in the matches against Villa and Ludogorets Razgrad - and now he's keen to play a part on the road and inspire a similar showing to the display given against Spurs.
"We had a good away performance at Tottenham - I was fortunate enough to be there and watch that - so more of the same would leave us with a great chance to get a good result [against West Ham]," Lallana told Liverpoolfc.com.
"They won't want to lose three home games on the bounce and I'm sure they'll be up for it. But we will be too. We want to be at the top end of the table competing with the teams in the top four.
"In order to do that, you don't want to be losing back-to-back games. It's a big test for us in terms of that, but we're confident.
"When you do pick up a defeat, it's important you get a result in the next game and as a player you want the games to come thick and fast. We'll have taken a huge bit of belief and confidence out of the way we won the game in mid-week, so that will help us."
Upton Park has proved something of a happy hunting ground throughout Brendan Rodgers' two-year Anfield tenure.
In December 2012, Jonjo Shelvey secured a dramatic 3-2 win for the Reds, while in April this year the stakes were much higher when Steven Gerrard's unfaltering conviction from the penalty spot clinched a 2-1 win to stoke Liverpool's exhilarating title charge.
Lallana's experience at the home of the Hammers has yet to yield similar success results-wise; however, the stadium retains a special significance as the scene of the attacker's first-ever Premier League goal.
"It was a couple of years ago now - time seems to have flown!" said Lallana. "Southampton lost that game 4-1 in the end, so it was a disappointing afternoon - but it once again represents that Upton Park is a tough place to go.
"It's never easy. In my experience in the past, I've always had difficult encounters there – and Liverpool probably have as well.
"It's not an easy place to go to, they've got a good fan-base and they always make it difficult for you with a physical game. It's going to be tough, but we feel if we perform to the level we know we can, we can get three points."