West Ham 0-2 Liverpool: Mohamed Salah dropped and Isak with his first league goal for Reds in win over Hammers
The biggest news at the start was that Liverpool would be lining up without Mohamed Salah. Arne Slot finally decided that the Egyptian was more weight than wonders at the moment and dropped him in a Premier League game for the first time since he joined the club.
Not that it helped too much. Liverpool struggled and for long periods they were hardly better than their lethargic London opponents. Which is saying much given that West Ham are one of the relegation contenders this season.
But Slot will be delighted with Alexander Isak’s first league goal for the club, which put them ahead just after the hour, and then a late thumping finish by Cody Gakpo to wrap things up while West Ham were still hoping to snatch a point.
The opening half was flat from both sides. West Ham threatened little and Liverpool were skittish, struggling to create clear openings. Isak did come close when he controlled a loose ball in the box and shot from close range, only for Alphonse Areola to produce a sharp save.
Florian Wirtz also went close before the break but his effort was too close to the goalkeeper.
The match turned decisively on the hour mark. After patient build-up play down the left, Gakpo cut the ball back into the area and Isak was on hand to dispatch it one time past Areola from 12 yards.
From that point, Liverpool retreated, nervous and eager to defend the lead having lost three games in a row heavily over the past fortnight. They were helped further when West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta lost his head and was dismissed after receiving two yellow cards for dissent in quick succession.
There were a few moments it looked like something could still happen for the home side, none more so than when Jarrod Bowen fired narrowly wide from the edge of the box. Gakpo’s strike settled the matter.
