When Liverpool arrived at the London Stadium for their Sunday afternoon fixture against West Ham, they would have done so in the knowledge that their opponents were in just as desperate a need for points as they were.
The way in which the Reds have tailed off this season, after a 2024/25 campaign in which they were imperious for the most part, is a huge mystery, and their form has already led to calls for Arne Slot to be replaced.
Both teams in need of points
Nuno Espirito Santo took over the Hammers when in disarray following the Graham Potter era, and whilst there have been one or two encouraging performances from his charges, they’ll need to do much better if they don’t want to be battling relegation for the rest of the 2025/26 season.
Three games unbeaten, which included a creditable draw at Bournemouth – albeit they lost a two-goal lead at the Vitality Stadium – was certainly encouraging from the hosts’ point of view, as would Liverpool’s inability to string two wins together have been for them.
The Reds’ last game in the Premier League saw them succumb 3-0 to a Nottingham Forest side that had only previously been kept off the bottom of the table because of Wolves‘ awful season so far.
However, recent head-to-head history favoured the visitors, who were unbeaten in the last seven English top-flight games against the Hammers.Â
Not since November 2021 had West Ham beaten Liverpool in the league, scoring just five goals in that time and conceding 16.Â
No start for Salah
The Irons’ two wins and four losses at home mirrored exactly the Reds’ away form, with Slot’s men last not losing away from Anfield on September 14 against Burnley.
In a big surprise, Mo Salah didn’t start for the first time under Arne Slot, and for the first time since April 2024, also away against West Ham. That ended the Egyptian King’s run of 53 successive league starts.
Though the first shot on target in the game didn’t arrive until the 21st minute through Alexander Isak, both sides had shown encouraging signs with four shots either blocked or off target between them before then.
Liverpool had 82% possession during the midway point of the first half, with Ryan Gravenberch in particular being heavily involved in proceedings. He’d already completed all 16 of his passes and won the most duels (four) in the match, as the visitors continued to dominate the midfield areas.
Mavropanos holds the fort for the Hammers
Although the Hammers hadn’t really managed to offer anything in an attacking sense, nor had they given up on their defensive responsibilities, Konstantinos Mavropanos winning three of his four tackles as well as making five clearances.
The other members of the back four also contributed well in the latter sense, and El Hadji Malick Diouf can be happy with his three interceptions, the most from anyone on his team.
That grit and determination would be needed again after half-time, given that Liverpool had only lost one of their last 20 Premier League games that were goalless at half-time (W13 D6) – although that was to Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest side in September 2024 (0-1).
A worry for Nuno will have been the inability of his team to find the net in the first half again. In nine of their 13 league games this season under him and Potter, they’d not registered in the opening 45, and no other team in the English top-flight had a worse record.
Gakpo and Isak combine
Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak were beginning to show promise up front, and the pair soon combined for the latter to fire home his first goal for his new club, and his sixth in six games against West Ham.
Try as the hosts might, and they peppered the Liverpool goal with 18 crosses, they were still unable to find the target with any of their efforts.
Jarrod Bowen led the line well as always, and his three attempts were only one shy of the output from the rest of the team.
He could do nothing to stop Lucas Paqueta getting himself ridiculously sent off late on, however, despite his best efforts. Two yellow cards for the Brazilian in the space of a minute, both for dissent, are unacceptable for a team chasing the game.
With Liverpool continuing to dominate the ball, and Virgil van Dijk rock solid at the back with a 92.5% pass accuracy, it should’ve been only a matter of time before the visitors put the game to bed.
The only real surprise was that it took until the 92nd minute for Gakpo to make it 2-0. His fourth league goal of the campaign gave him the lead in the scoring charts for the Reds, too.
It was no more than the Dutchman deserved, his seven touches in the Hammers’ box more than double that of any of his teammates, not to mention 11 one-on-one duels attempted, the joint most in the game, along with Alexis Mac Allister.Â
Florian Wirtz, who, like Isak, had been criticised for the level of his performances this season, can be proud of his contribution in East London.
A 93.3% pass completion was the best showing of all Liverpool’s starters; only Isak had more than his one shot on target.
A loss of possession on just four occasions was markedly better than any other Reds outfield player, and he just looked more comfortable with the ball than he has for a long time, which can only bode well.
For Nuno and his Hammers squad, it’s back to the drawing board before they visit Old Trafford and a resurgent Man Utd.
Catch up on West Ham vs Liverpool here.
