Liverpool are last visitors to London Stadium this season

Slaven Bilic has stressed his West Ham side are treating Sunday’s home clash with Liverpool as a big game, despite ensuring Premier League safety in last week’s win against Tottenham.

The Hammers boss revealed he was expecting another cracking atmosphere at the London Stadium as West Ham try their best to throw a spanner into Liverpool’s top-four hopes, just like they did to Spurs’ title hopes.

He said: “It’s a big game, a big game for us. We want to continue this positive stretch and results-wise it is even more important to them, they have to win to keep top four in their own hands.

“Of course we don’t care about their wishes. I’m really expecting a big game for us, the same kind of adrenalin and motivation that it was against Spurs.

“It’s the best situation to be in, we are playing Liverpool in front of 60,000 people.

“Yes we need points but I can switch off the radio – I can watch the games without praying or hoping or holding a rosary in my hand.”

But Bilic was quick to make his personal feelings clear when the idea was put to him that Premier League safety meant the Hammers had nothing to lose.

He said: “Nothing to lose? We have three points to lose or a good performance to lose! I don’t like those kind of statements.

“As soon as I say ‘you’ve got nothing to lose’ then straight away the effort drops 50 per cent. We have everything to lose.

“This is the Premier League, in front of so many fans. This game couldn’t be bigger.”

And when asked if Sunday’s game was perhaps even more important to cement the feeling of the London Stadium as the Irons’ new home, Bilic was similarly passionate.

He said: “Of course we also want to back up the Spurs win, but now we are trying to find a motivation for the players to play. Are we crazy?

“First, it’s the Premier League, second, it’s Liverpool, a massive club, and then it’s our last home game of the season.

“It’s also on television, not only here but in the whole world, so I don’t understand why anyone would need the motivation.

“I don’t. I can’t wait for it and that’s how the players should be and I’m sure they are.”