Liverpool 5 West Ham 2
The day gets off to a bad start with the news that West Have announced a £104m loss for the last financial year and will have to sell players in the summer. Then WHU have to play at a ground where we have only won once since 1963.
Not conceding after five minutes would be a good start. But from a Liverpool corner West Ham win two headers only for Gravenberch to find Etikike with a clever pass. Castellanos has got upfield too quickly and the Liverpool striker fires through the legs of the Greek Bloke to beat Hermansen at his near post.
West Ham respond by winning a corner and from the resulting melee the Greek Bloke fires over when well-placed in front of goal. It's two for the home side when a corner is headed in by Van Dijk who has out-muscled Magassa. Aaron Wan-Bissaka has moved away from his post, when had he stayed he could have cleared.
The Irons have a good spell after that as Liverpool look vulnerable to quick breaks. Bowen is taken by surprise when Alisson plays the ball straight to him and can only scuff it back at the keeper. Another pass straight to Bowen results in Jimmy Summerville having an effort superbly blocked by Konate. Bowen and Soucek then almost produce a copy of Tom's goal against Man United, with Soucek's flick being parried at close-range by Alisson.
But against the run of play Liverpool score a third. The Greek Bloke makes a good block to concede a corner. Again it's headed clear but Ekitike plays it first time to Mac Allister who hits it on the volley to score with a great finish. The ball takes a nick off AWB's head to beat Hermansen. We'd take a draw at this point.
The second half starts with renewed hope as Soucek sweeps home a fine low cross from Diouf. Gakpo misses a good chance and a long-range drive from Fernandes extends Alisson. But the Reds score a fourth as Wan-Bisakka allows Gakpo to turn inside. The striker shoots through AWB's legs, with the ball taking yet another deflection.
HAMMERS KOP IT
Summerville still threatens and forces a really good save from Alisson. From the resulting Bowen corner Castellanos arrives at the back post to head home from a difficult angle. Liverpool look a bit worried as Jimmy Summerville twists inside two defenders only to fire over when he might have scored.
It's game over when Frimpong crosses and the ball takes another unlucky deflection off Disasi for an own goal. Liverpool almost make it six as sub Nyoni fires over.
It's been a strange game as West Ham have played well going forwards and had slightly more possession than Liverpool. The Irons have scored twice at Anfield and created seven other decent chances. We've been unlucky with three deflected goals, but you won't win many games conceding five. Bad habits have re-emerged, with an early goal conceded and three let in from corners.
But at least the most difficult fixture of the run-in is out of the way. Fulham are not as good as Liverpool. If Nuno can restore some solidity to the back four and we get a bit more luck with deflections then we can still get something at Craven Cottage on Wednesday.
