Everything else is overshadowed by the morning's news that Billy Bonds has died.The club do pretty well at short notice to organise a video tribute, a minute's applause and Jarrod Bowen laying a number four shirt at the side of the pitch. The game starts to choruses of "Billy Bonds' Claret and Blue Army!" and 1970s classic, "Oh Billy Billy, Billy Billy Billy Billy Bonds!" plus another minute's applause in the fourth minute.
Liverpool haven't helped us by dropping Salah to give more support to their defence and recalling Gomez to the troubled right-back spot. Up against a team on their worst run in years and with Isak not having scored a goal — what could possibly go wrong? I'm joined by Matt and Lisa, Nigel, Michael and Big Sam, who has travelled up from Wales next to an annoying Chelsea fan who drank three bottles of wine before Paddington.
Kilman has been dropped with the Greek Bloke coming in while Magassa is in for the still-injured Jimmy Summerville. A few early West Ham corners are followed by Alisson dropping as if felled by the Grealish Sniper. Or was it just one of the black balloons popping? We suspect that Jack might be going down holding his leg somewhere on Merseyside.
West Ham compete reasonably well, without ever troubling Alisson. Magassa gets stuck in, Fernandes is busy and the Greek Bloke starts well. Liverpool are surprisingly physical and ref Darren England lets a lot go. It's Liverpool who create the first-half chances. Isak skies a shot over and then has a goalbound volley blocked by Areola's star-jump. While a long ball from Alisson sees Wan-Bissaka miskick and Wirtz allow Areola to save.
The breakthrough comes in the 60th minute. Clever footwork from Wirtz releases Gakpo whose low cross is cleverly steered home first-time by Isak, who has lost Dinos. Nuno brings on the £20m Guilherme and £27m Fullkrug in an effort to salvage a point, while for the Scousers £125m Isak is replaced by £69m Ekitike. The £116m Wirtz is replaced by Jones.
SEEING RED
There's still a slight chance West Ham might grab a point until Paqueta gets himself sent off in ridiculous fashion. He waves his arms in the air after a free kick is awarded against Fullkrug and gets booked for dissent. Paqueta then pursues the ref and has to be held back by his Brazilian team-mate Alisson. We can all see what's going to happen from the Billy Bonds Stand. It's terrible captaincy from Bowen too, who should be marching Paqueta away from the referee, or instructing Dinos or Todibo to get him away. Lucas talks himself into an utterly self-indulgent second yellow and departs ironically applauding the referee.
Paqueta later posts on X that he's received no support from the FA over his two-year purgatory facing those betting changes, but even if that's the case he's got a duty to his team-mates and the club who stood by him. This sending off was, as the BBC puts it, nonsensical.
West Ham do fashion their only decent chance after Paqueta's departure. Guilherme dribbles towards the box, Fullkrug's strength sees the ball fall to Bowen who curls it just wide. Jarrod's had a frustrating afternoon not really running at Kerkez and looks as if he might be carrying a slight knock.
In added time Liverpool score a second against our ten men as Mavropanos misses the ball and Gakpo chests it down to shoot home. Not exactly the way we wanted to pay tribute to Billy Bonds.
We retreat to the Eagle where Nigel reminisces about telling Ian Gillan that Smoke on the Water was the first song played at his wedding. As we watch Chelsea play Arsenal Matt lists his top five most hated PL players, including Joao Pedro, Enzo Fernandez and Villa's Martinez. Lisa thinks he might actually have a list of 365 most hated players. The juke box plays Down Under to mark Matt's brother's imminent visit from Australia for the Villa game — what could possibly go right?
So it's Man United away on Thursday with Paqueta suspended for gross stupidity followed by a difficult away match at Brighton. This wasn't a terrible performance and Liverpool are not as bad as recent form suggests, but we need action in the window to stay up.
PLAYER RATINGS: Areola 7; Wan-Bissaka 5, Mavropanos 5, Todibo 6, Diouf 5; Magassa 6 (Guilherme 5), Potts 6 (Soucek n/a), Fernandes 6, Paqueta 3; Bowen 5, Wilson 5 (Fullkrug 6).
