Alexander Isak scored his first goal in a Liverpool jersey, and Cody Gakpo added an insurance goal in stoppage time as Liverpool picked up a big three points with a 2-0 win over West Ham United in London.
First Half
Alexander Isak put a shot over the bar in the sixth minute. Alisson delivered a big punch away in the 10th, before the Reds earned a corner, but the header was high. Isak had a bicycle kick saved later in the half.
Both teams had reason to complain about non-calls before Alexis McAlister forced a save at the half-hour mark. Florian Wirtz had a golden opportunity saved in front of the goal as the match entered the locker room tied at 0-0.
Second Half
West Ham started the second half on the front foot with three straight corners, but it was the Reds who finally got on the board. Right on the hour mark, Cody Gakpo cut a ball back to Alexander Isak, who squeezed the ball in the bottom corner for a 1-0 lead.
West Ham earned a corner in the 70th minute, but it was cleared. The Reds continued to dominate possession, and that resulted in a shot from Hugo Ekitike that went wide. The Hammers started to throw numbers forward in the final 10 minutes, but then Lucas Paquetá received a second yellow for dissent.
Even so, Jarrod Bowen just missed in the 88th minute, but the Reds got an insurance goal from Gakpo in stoppage time to seal the 2-0 win.
No Salah, No Problem
Mohamed Salah was a healthy scratch for this match, the first time he has not featured in an EPL starting XI in 54 games. Arne Slot hinted at changes ahead of the match, and his decision to start Isak over Salh paid off in a big way. Not to worry, though, with two more games this week, the Egyptian King will see plenty of minutes.
Isak Breaks The Ice
As mentioned, Alexander Isak scored his first goal in a Liverpool shirt. What I did not realise is that he had only had two previous shots on goal before the strike. Isak spoke about the goal to Sky Sports after the match.
"I'm aware that it's been a long time coming," Isak said. "I've been trying to get back to my best form, and I'm still on the way. But I'm happy to have that goal. It's a mix [of feelings], of course. The most important and the best feeling today is that we won the game, that's the best way to get a good spirit within the group, and that's helpful for the individual as well.
"But, of course, I'm a striker, so scoring goals will always help me."
The Cleanest Of Clean Sheets
Alisson returned in goal after missing the last Champions League match, but he did not have that much to do. West Ham had no shots on goal thanks in large part to the backline, particularly the strong play of Joe Gomez and others.
LFC Globe Verdict
This is a start. Liverpool jumped from 13th to 8th on the table, and they are just one more win out of the Top 3. What a difference one match makes. Just a few hours ago, news outlets were saying Slot's job was in danger. Now the questions are about climbing the table. Even in this recent run, though, Liverpool have had a few good games, such as against Real Madrid, so the Reds need to take this win and build consistency.
Player Of The Match
Alexander Isak would be the easy choice, and he certainly deserves the accolades. But Cody Gakpo squared the ball to Isak for the shot and provided the insurance goal in stoppage time, so the nod goes to him.
Up Next
Liverpool looks to continue the momentum as they host Sunderland on December 3rd.
Goals
West Ham
-NONE-
Liverpool
- Alexander Isak 60'
- Cody Gakpo 90+'
Substitutes
West Ham
- Luis Guilherme for Soungoutou Magassa 68'
- Niclas Fullkrug for Callum Wilson 78'
- Tomas Soucek for Freddie Potts 88'
Liverpool
- Hugo Ekitike for Alexander Isak 68'
- Curtis Jones for Florian Wirtz 75'
- Andy Robertson for Milos Kerkez 85'
