West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini wants to get his side’s season back on course by beating Liverpool on Monday – and do his old side Manchester City a favour at the same time.
Premier League leaders Liverpool are two points clear in the title race but have a game in hand over rivals City, who beat Arsenal 3-1 on Sunday.
Pellegrini won the league in 2014 during a three-year spell at City.
“If we win I will be very happy for our club first,” he said.
“We need a good performance against the leaders.
“After that, if we can give a hand to Manchester City, it’s not our problem, but of course I am a fan of Manchester City also.”
West Ham are 12th in the league and have lost their last three games in all competitions after a 1-0 win over Arsenal on 12 January.
Pellegrini confirmed that defender Winston Reid, out for almost a year with a knee injury, is not expected back in action this season.