Quality of Mersey too much for improved Hammers

West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Pre-match it's in to the Best Cafe where Matt is enjoying a Halloumi baguette with chips and Scott and Joe are also sampling the fine cuisine (Alison can't be with them as she's playing in goal for the Scousers). Matt helpfully points out that West Ham are the only team Liverpool haven't beaten this season thanks to our cunning tactic of not playing them.

Matt and myself experience a near-disaster at the stadium as the last programme is sold in front of us, though thankfully a trip to the WHU gazebo finds a secret collection of programmes, including one for the tardy Nigel. Inside we find my daughter Lola, Fraser and eventually latecomer Lisa. 

Michael the Renaissance Playwright thought he had a ticket for the theatre but has been disappointed. Having promised his West Ham ticket to Lisa, he proves a man of honour — rather like Ron Greenwood refusing to sign Gordon Banks because he had shaken on a deal for Bobby Ferguson — and insists Lisa goes to the match.

Before the game Tomas Soucek is introduced to the crowd and the team then come on accompanied by flame throwers. The crowd is up for this one and we play a lot better than against West Brom. The big shock is that young Jeremy Ngakia is making his debut at right back, with Moyes deciding the ageing legs of Zabaleta can't be risked against the pacy Liverpool wing-backs. Jeremy plays without fear and has a fine game, overlapping well to get several crosses in.

The Hammers work hard playing a containing game, but after 15 minutes have their first serious attack as Masuaku's cross is prodded wide by an offside Lanzini. Liverpool's only real effort in half an hour has been a Robertson cross shot that Diop has cleared. 

But then comes the sort of penalty that the big teams always seem to get. Firmino does well to keep the ball alive and play it towards Origio, who falls very easily in a tangle with Diop. After a couple of minutes of VAR debate it's given and Salah strokes home the penalty.

THEY'RE GOING TO WIN THE LEAGUE
The second half starts promisingly as Rice gets in a cross but Lanzini scuffs a volley that he might normally score with. "We're so nearly a good team," laments Lola.

At the other end Fabianski makes a fabulous save from Firmino. Things go wrong when WHU get a corner. Vin Dijk heads clear, Noble and Masuaku can't control the loose ball and Salah breaks at speed to send a lovely ball with the outside of his boot in towards Oxlade-Chamberlain. Lanzini has got back but isn't strong enough to stop the Liverpool man, who strokes home.

At two goals down the Hammers give it a good go. Snodgrass draws a fine save from Alisson. Masuaku has the beating of Alexander-Arnold and sends in a great low cross that Haller fails to anticipate. 

The out-of-form Lanzini is subbed to a few cheers, which as Moyes later says, won't improve his confidence. The best moment is when Rice storms through from midfield to shoot at Alisson and Alexander-Arnold pokes the rebound on to his own post. 

Salah hits the outside of the post and late on Alisson makes a superb save to tip away Rice's header from Snodgrass' whipped-in free-kick.

The game ends with Liverpool 19 points clear and still unbeaten. They are strolling the league and the world-class Salah simply glides through the game, so it's positive that we have at least ruffled Liverpool at times. 

We head to the Refreshment Rooms where Nigel (who against all health advice is drinking Corona) reveals that when he can't sleep he counts up all the different gig venues he's been too; resulting in reminiscences of the Marquee, the Mean Fiddler, the Rainbow, the Lyceum, the Hammersmith Palais and many more obscure venues. 

So it's back again on Saturday for the six-pointer against Brighton before away games at Man City and Liverpool again. But at least there were some positives to take from a spirited performance against the Champions elect.

PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 7; Ngakia 6, Ogbonna 6, Diop 5, Cresswell 6, Masuaku 7; Snodgrass 7, Rice 7, Noble 6, Lanzini 5 (Fornals 5); Haller 5.