Monday, February 1

Hammers undone by quality of Mersey

West Ham 1 Liverpool 3

Wasn't able to watch this as the Virgin Media users' link to Sky Sports had a server problem — though it was probably for the best. Listening on the radio the first half seems a tepid affair, though the best chance came when Fornals' deflected shot is headed off the line. What is disappointing is that West Ham don't really test Liverpool's makeshift centre back pairing of Henderson and Nat Phillips (who looked decent when he was up against Haller at Anfield). 

West Ham have a good chance to score in the second half as a great tackle from Dawson releases Bowen whose cross allows Antonio to spin and fire just wide of the post. Liverpool take the lead soon after. Sub Jones finds Salah who turns inside Cresswell onto his left foot and curls a typically classy effort into the corner. 

A corner seems to offer West Ham hope of an equaliser but it's headed clear and the Reds break to score in three passes. Alexander-Arnold finds Shaqiri on the left and his first-time long ball is expertly cushioned and swept past Fabianski by Mo Salah. A world class finish, though it's obviously poor to concede from our own corner. Some credit to poor old Yarmolenko though, who was the last man back trying to catch Salah.

West Ham heads drop and a burst of short passing sees Wijnaldum stroke home a third. At least the Irons keep going and Dawson is in the right place in the box to score from a late corner. 

Yes it was a weakened Liverpool side without Van Dijk and Mane, but the anger on some social media was strange as we'd been beaten by two world-class finishes. Still, it's progress to be annoyed at not beating the Champions even if the side could have gone at Liverpool more in the first half. It's a reality check as the cliche goes, but if we finish in the top eight it will be solid progress. 

As Moyes said, the side didn't play well, which will happen. The same Liverpool side won at Spurs a few days earlier and beat Palace 7-0 so it's no disgrace to lose to the Scousers. A better measure of progress will be next three games, all away, against Villa, Man United and Fulham.

2 comments:

Jackhammer said...

Henderson and Phillips was solid as a rock, no weakness there to exploit!
As you say all the Liverpool goals were very good, very few defenses could have defended any better.
The corner you mentioned was poor and should have cleared the first defender.
Back to reality, Villa should be a cracking game and a much better gauge.
We just want a season without relegation looming and not necessarily be overwhelmed by Champions League football. All that can come next season!
It is interesting that empty stadiums seems to suit us!!?
thanks for the write up.

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