Five Seems To Be The Magic Number for Reds Against Hammers

Liverpool have still only lost one Premier League game this season after they again hit West Ham United for five in Stratford in the late kick-off on Sunday.

Despite fitness concerns over both Max Kilman and Carlos Soler, both were able to retain their places from the 1-0 win at Southampton on Boxing Day.

Guido Rodríguez and Tomáš Souček were both suspended for this match, meaning that Julen Lopetegui made four changes to the side that played at St Mary’s. Alphonse Areola replaced the injured Łukasz Fabiański in goal. Lucas Paquetá returned from suspension, while Edson Álvarez was restored to the starting line-up. Vladimír Coufal and Niclas Füllkrug dropped to the bench.

Youngsters Luis Guilherme and Oliver Scarles were included amongst the substitutes, along with Andy Irving and Wes Foderingham, who provided cover for the Frenchman.

At the same stage of last season, the Hammers produced a statement win as they inflicted Arsenal’s first home defeat by beating them 2-0 and although Paquetá should have put his team in front early on, he slipped at the crucial moment. In all honesty, once Arne Slot’s side had gone in front there was very little chance of the home side repeating a feat like that.

Areola hadn’t started a game since 19 October but the home support were thankful for his saves, otherwise the scoreline would have been a lot worse. He kept out Mohamed Salah, Curtis Jones and Luis Díaz.

Coady Gakpo tried his luck but it took the Reds until the half-hour mark to put the ball in the back of the net.

It was Díaz who put the Premier League leaders ahead. His initial ball through to the Dutch international bounced back into his path after it had hit Coufal and Díaz gave Areola no chance.

West Ham weren’t without their chances to equalise however, as Paquetá directed his diving header straight at visiting goalkeeper Alisson Becker. Shortly after, the Brazilian midfielder was back involved in the play when he combined with Mohammed Kudus for the Ghanaian to run through and test the former AS Roma stopper. He didn’t just test him, he had him beaten but unfortunately, the ball hit the post.

There were ten minutes between the two goals as Gakpo got his name on the scoresheet and it was three before half-time when Alexis Mac Allister took possession from Soler, then spotted Jones in space and the youngster then played in Salah, whose shot evaded the attentions of Kilman, before the ball found its way past Areola.

The Egyptian striker almost got his second before half-time but the former Fulham loanee was alert and kept the visitors out again.

Referee Anthony Taylor blew the half-time whistle and it was clear that Slot’s machine was going to keep rolling on and the hosts had extinguished all hopes of ending their unbeaten away record.

Lopetegui shared the same sentiment as the majority inside the stadium at the break, as he made a double change with Coufal and Álvarez making way for both Jean-Clair Todibo and Füllkrug.

The travelling support saw their side continue where they had left off and dominate the start of the second-half. Areola had to deny Salah once again, before he had yet another chance but fortunately, he’d got his attempt all wrong on this particular occasion.

It didn’t take the Irons long to concede again and nine minutes later, there was no doubt that the points were definitely going back to Merseyside when Trent Alexander-Arnold’s shot ended up in the back of Areola’s net via a huge deflection off Kilman.

With an hour gone, Captain Jarrod Bowen felt the full force of a challenge from Mac Allister and had to be replaced by Crysencio Summerville.

Another thirteen minutes had passed before both managers made more substitutions. Lopetegui introduced Irving in place of Soler while Slot also shuffled his pack and threw on both Harvey Elliott and Konstantinos Tsimikas for Jones and Andrew Robertson.

The Reds probably would have added more goals, had it not been for the French international, who was the standout performer for the home side.

Kudus saw a shot hit the bar before he was withdrawn and Guilherme entered the fray.

Visiting Captain Virgil van Dijk prevented the youngster from claiming his first goal for the club when the Dutchman helped deflect the shot onto the post.

Four minutes of stoppage time signalled at the end of the contest and the last kick of the game saw Summerville deliver a corner into the box but unfortunately, it came to nothing.

Most of the top-flight clubs now don’t have a game until New Year’s Day, meaning they have time to prepare. The East Londoners couldn’t have dreamt of a worse fixture to kick-off 2025 with.

Having said that, Manchester City don’t possess a particularly good for record at the moment so the Hammers will be hopeful of going to The Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon and causing a major shock.