Liverpool 3-1 West Ham: Reds go second

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Liverpool 3-1 West Ham: Reds go second after Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota help secure comfortable victory over Hammers

  • Salah scored a penalty to open the scoring before Jarrod Bowen later equalised
  • Darwin Nunez missed a good opportunity before putting the Reds back ahead
  • Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp Channel: Get the breaking news and exclusives here 

It was a seven-minute spell to sum up Darwin Nunez’s first year or so on these shores. On 53 minutes, a slick Liverpool passing move ended with the Uruguayan shanking a good chance wide from close range. Seven minutes later, the Kop only had one name on their lips.

‘Nunez, Nunez, Nunez,’ came the visceral, tribal-like roar from all corners of Anfield, after their No 9 had spectacularly fired them ahead in a tight contest against a West Ham side that caused Liverpool plenty of problems.

Rarely has a striker baffled so much. When Nunez is shanking good chances wide and losing possession with a heavy touch, rival fans’ criticism seems justified about the £85million man. At other times, like Sunday and his brace at Newcastle last month, he looks worth every penny.

And so the curious case of Nunez continues, as does the intriguing early-season charge of Liverpool. This win, with goals from Mo Salah, Nunez and Diogo Jota, takes them to 16 points from 18 to start the season. Are they really in the Premier League title race again?

Time will tell if they are ready to go the distance and lay consistent gloves on Manchester City and Arsenal after a much below-par campaign last season where they were 22 points adrift of Pep Guardiola’s champions. But the early-season signs are pleasing.

Mo Salah (left) and Diogo Jota (right) were both on the scoresheet as Liverpool beat West Ham

Darwin Nunez scored for Liverpool too, moments after missing a good chance, summing up his Liverpool career so far

Jurgen Klopp’s side are now second in the Premier League with five wins from their first six matches this season

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What will perhaps please Jurgen Klopp the most is his team’s tendency to get over setbacks. They had to weather a storm of West Ham chances in the first half here, with David Moyes’ side playing some nice football on the counter-attack.

The Hammers levelled through Jarrod Bowen and had other chances to score but Liverpool reasserted their dominance and never looked likely to concede after Nunez’s goal. The Reds have also shown resilience to win twice with 10 men, and come from behind four times.

MATCH FACTS AND PLAYER RATINGS

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson 7; Gomez 7, Matip 6.5, Van Dijk 6, Robertson 6.5; Mac Allister 7 (Endo 88), Jones 7 (Gravenberch 76), Szoboszlai 7; Salah 7, Nunez 7 (Jota 80), Diaz 7.5 (Gakpo 80).

Subs not used: Kelleher, Elliott, Konate, Quansah, Tsimikas.

Booked: None.

Manager: Jurgen Klopp 7.

WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Areola 7; Coufal 7, Zouma 5, Aguerd 5, Emerson 6; Soucek 7 (Fornals 74, 6), Alvarez 6; Bowen 7, Ward-Prowse 6.5, Paqueta 6.5 (Ings 87); Antonio 7 (Kudus 74, 6).

Subs not used: Fabianski, Benrahma, Cornet, Kehrer, Mavropanos, Ogbonna.

Booked: Alvarez, Zouma.

Manager: David Moyes 6.5.

Referee: Chris Kavanagh 7.

Attendance: not given.

Liverpool had won four of the previous five games from 1-0 down and slow starts have become customary so far this season. It felt like that was going to be the case again here, as West Ham came out of the blocks flying and looked to exploit spaces in behind the Reds back line.

Tomas Soucek came close after just six minutes as he was picked out unmarked in the penalty area and used good neck strength to place a header towards the bottom corner, which needed to be fabulously tipped around the post by a scrambling Alisson Becker.

Minutes later, Soucek turned creator after the Hammers played some quick, one-touch passes in tight spaces. The Czech midfielder floated a ball towards the back post, where Michail Antonio really should have done better but his attempted header was mistimed and went wide.

But West Ham’s fine start was undone on 16 minutes by a clumsy defensive act when Nayef Aguerd left a leg out, inviting Mo Salah to run into it and fall over. It came after a fast breakaway from Luis Diaz. Some will say Salah bought the penalty, others will call it clever forward play.

But Aguerd did not even complain or argue with Chris Kavanagh’s decision. Salah stepped up and fired home, straight down the middle. It was the 12th consecutive Premier League match the Egyptian had scored or assisted in – only Jamie Vardy (15 games in 2015) had a longer run.

Liverpool continued to rack up chances after going ahead, with Virgil Van Dijk shooting over from a corner, after which David Moyes fumed at his team’s poor marking. Salah could have netted a second after Dominik Szoboszlai and Diaz combined well.

Although West Ham allowed Liverpool too much space when on the ball, Moyes’ men played some lovely football on the counter-attack and were level on 42 minutes. It came after a delightful, zapping passing move started and finished by Jarrod Bowen.

Bowen cushioned a header to Antonio, who picked out the charging full-back Vladimir Coufal. The Czech fizzed in a low cross and Bowen got across Van Dijk far too easily, diving towards the ball and heading home with his chest hitting the ground as he connected.

But after acrobatically scoring with one header, Bowen was guilty of missing a clear chance early in the second half. The Englishman found space in front of a static Van Dijk from a wide free-kick but headed straight at Alisson with little power.

Jarrod Bowen had headed in from Vladimir Coufal’s cross to bring West Ham level in the game

Darwin Nunez finished off a goal made in South America, however, having been set up by Alexis Mac Allister

Diogo Jota secured the three points for Liverpool late on when he poked in from close range

Minutes after that, Liverpool were back ahead with a goal made in South America. Alexis Mac Allister, operating as the deepest midfielder again, got on the ball deep in West Ham’s half and simply chipped it towards Nunez, who spectacularly volleyed past Areola.

West Ham were caught sleeping as the striker was afforded too much space when running in behind, and Moyes’ men never really threatened to equalise, with the more likely ending being Liverpool scoring more goals.

That was the case on 85 minutes, when substitute Diogo Jota scored a third goal for Liverpool, tapping home at the back post after Van Dijk had headed down an Andy Robertson corner. They could have had more if not for Alphonse Areola.

But there was only one name on the lips of the Kop at the end of another win. As he strolled over there with his arms round South American pals Mac Allister and Diaz, he was saluted like a hero and seemed to lap up the praise. So he should.

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