Late Drama Saves Liverpool

Before West Ham United’s defeat on Sunday afternoon, Graham Potter was unbeaten on his last three visits to Anfield. The Hammers Head-Coach would have made it four but it wasn’t to be as they lost 2-1.

Both Tomáš Souček and Edson Álvarez dropped to the bench, in order for Konstantinos Mavropanos and Carlos Soler to come into the starting line-up, as Potter also went with three, rather than five in defence.

The Irons had been beaten heavily on their last two visits here and they suffered the same fate in December’s reverse fixture. That, coupled with the fact that Liverpool have lost at Fulham in their last match only pointed to one outcome.

Being fair to the visitors though, they withstood some considerable pressure from the home side early on but Arne Slot’s side eventually went in front when Mohamed Salah crossed and Luis Díaz put the ball past Alphonse Areola.

After going in front, the Reds appeared content to sit back and the visitors were beginning to find a foothold in the game. They had a great chance to equalise when Mohammed Kudus collected possession from Soler and then saw home goalkeeper Alisson Becker off his line. Kudus went for goal but unfortunately for the travelling support, the Brazilian got back in time and helped the effort onto the bar.

It was fair to say that the Irons were firmly on top by this point and had further chances to equalise but the Ghanaian was once again denied by Becker, before Mavropanos headed over just before the break when the defender was on the end of a corner from James Ward-Prowse.

At half-time when the Hammers were last on this ground back on 25 September, Julen Lopetegui’s men were in with a chance of winning the contest but it all went wrong by the end. Could they hold on here?

It was the same situation this time around when referee Andrew Madley blew the whistle and the East Londoners were just glad still to be in the game unlike the reverse fixture between the sides.

Whether it was the home teams’ determination to win the encounter, or down to the fact that Slot may have had some harsh words to say to his team in the dressing room, fans will never know but whatever was said the majority inside the stadium were treated to another fast start.

When the action got back underway, they almost went back in front. The hosts were awarded a free-kick, which was taken by Alexis Mac Alistair. Potter would have known all about what his former midfielder could do, as the pair worked together at Brighton and Hove Albion. Fortunately though, the away dugout were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief when the effort hit the bar.

Areola saved his team again when the Argentine had another go, as he audaciously tried to chip the Frenchman.

Potter kept faith with youngster Oliver Scarles in the starting line-up but he could see that he was struggling to cope so on fifty seven minutes, he replaced him with Vladimír Coufal.

West Ham passed up another presentable chance when captain Jarrod Bowen found Soler in space but the Spaniard failed to test Becker.

The visitors were still a goal down but definitely in the ascendancy. Another chance came and went when Bowen was at the centre of things again, as he was played through by Lucas Paquetá but Becker kept him out.

With only fifteen minutes of normal time to play, the Hammers knew that they would have to finish one of their chances off, otherwise they would leave with nothing yet again.

They were unable to reap the benefits of two more opportunities when Kudus tried to once again get his name on the scoresheet but Becker was again equal to everything that the winger could throw at him.

On seventy eight minutes, Potter made a double change, as he sent on both Luis Guilherme and Niclas Füllkrug in place of Jean-Clair Todibo and Soler.

For whatever reason, the hosts had not found any sort of rhythm in the second-half and on eighty six minutes, the goal that the East Londoners had spent most of the match trying to get finally arrived when Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s cross wasn’t properly cleared by home captain Virgil van Dijk and it was deflected past his own goalkeeper by Andrew Robertson. That sparked joyous scenes in the away end.

With the majority inside the stadium now willing their team on to find a winner, the ball went out of play and a corner was awarded. It was sent in from the right and the Dutchman gave Areola no chance.

Having suffered that setback, the travelling contingent were delighted to see seven minutes of stoppage time be signalled by the fourth official and despite conceding the late goal, their team almost did take a point back home with them when Füllkrug did his best to replicate the heroics from last weekend’s encounter with AFC Bournemouth. However, the away side were out of luck on this occasion, as the ball once again rebounded off the crossbar.

Having not made a good start to April, the fans will expect the team to win their next encounter, as already relegated Southampton arrive in Stratford on Saturday afternoon.