As a result of Darwin Nunez scoring the lone goal in Liverpool’s 1-0 victory over West Ham, the Reds’ recovery in the Premier League was able to continue.
The goal scored by the Uruguayan striker in the first half helped the Reds build on their significant triumph over the defending champions Manchester City at the weekend.
In light of the fact that the home team generally controlled the action throughout, things ought to have been simpler, but in the end, they are in goalkeeper Alisson Becker’s debt for the three points that they earned.
Both a penalty kick save in the first half from Jarrod Bowen and a late stunning close-range stop from Tomas Soucek proved to be crucial to the victory for the Brazilian goalkeeper.
Liverpool vs. West Ham result 1H 2H FT
The score was Liverpool 1-0-1 and West Ham 0-0-1.
Goals
LIV – Nunez (22nd min)
The ‘other’ side of Alisson is displayed here.
Andy Robertson was pleased to identify his teammate, Alisson, as “the best goalkeeper in the world” after the latter assisted Mohamed Salah in Liverpool’s victory against Manchester City in their most recent match.
But the Brazilian’s prominence is due to more than just a few assists here and there; rather, it is because to the remarkable skill with which he performs each and every aspect of goalkeeping in the present day.
This was made very clear by his performance earlier this evening, which not only included a penalty save but also a key late save that ensured that the Reds would take home all three points.
It is difficult to imagine where they would be at this point in the season if they did not have him, and the supporters will be relieved that they do not have to find out.
A crucial evening for Nunez’s often-chaotic life
Nunez is going to have to abandon any hopes of having a smooth transition into life at Liverpool because Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz are both expected to miss time due to injury until after the World Cup.
The Uruguayan is, thankfully, beginning to demonstrate that he is capable of becoming a vital man now, and his performance this evening summarised why this is the case.
When playing in deeper areas, Nunez still has a slightly rough around the edges appearance; he is hardly Roberto Firmino.
However, the assurance with which he took his headed goal and then pounded the post with a left-footed effort from distance shortly thereafter demonstrated that he is going to be a significant danger going ahead.
Klopp avoids criticism despite making challenging substitutions.
If this game were considered in isolation, it would be reasonable to assert that Jurgen Klopp came dangerously close to losing the game with the substitutions that he made.
When all three players were pulled off at about the hour mark, Liverpool lost Thiago Alcantara’s control, Nunez’s menace from behind, and Fabio Carvalho’s innovation.
Having said that, the fact that they were ultimately successful means that Klopp will undoubtedly come to the conclusion that those substitutions were a risk that was well worth taking.
The German cannot afford to lose any more of his stars in the weeks ahead as his injury troubles continue to worsen. This was clearly his purpose in mixing things up here as it was clear that this was his motivation.
The manager of the Reds will likely be pleased with how things turned out tonight, despite the possibility that taking such risks in the future would work against him.
Live coverage and highlights from the Premier League match between Liverpool and West Ham are available here.
FULLTIME: At Anfield, the game is over, as Liverpool walks away with all three points thanks to a header by Darwin Nunez in the first half.
However, Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker is also deserving of praise for his efforts, as he made two key saves, including one from the penalty spot, to maintain the Reds in the lead.
What a stop in the 88th minute!
Alisson makes a heroic save with his knees to deny Soucek a goal from close range after the ball had fallen to him following a scuffle for West Ham. This save allows Liverpool to maintain their lead in the match.
85th minute: At this point, Liverpool are just trying to see things through, but West Ham are searching for any opportunity to get Antonio or Scamacca off the field.
The hosts are in for a tense finale to the match.
In the 78th minute, Liverpool scored a goal!
Zouma stretches to get his body in the way of a low cross from Henderson, but the ball only manages to hit the top of the crossbar after it bounces off of Fabianski.
In the 74th minute, West Ham is having a pretty nice stretch right now and is putting some pressure on Liverpool by playing balls into the box despite the windy conditions.
They have also recently recruited Antonio, who will be a challenge when dealing with deliveries of that nature.
In the 63rd minute, Henderson gets in behind the defence and pulls the ball back for Firmino, but Cresswell does an outstanding job of blocking it.
The Reds will absolutely need a second goal to give themselves some breathing room.
In the 57th minute, Liverpool made three substitutions all at once: Nunez, Carvalho, and Thiago were taken off the field and replaced by Elliott, Jones, and Fabinho respectively.
In the 53rd minute, West Ham is having their finest stretch of possession in the contest so far, but they are having trouble making something of it. An example of this is Johnson crossing the ball straight out of play after patiently building up the play.
That decision didn’t sit well with David Moyes at all.
At the 46th minute mark, play has resumed at Anfield, with Liverpool attacking the end opposite the Kop.
WEST HAM GETS A LATE CORNER, BUT IT LEADS TO NOTHING, AND THANKS TO ALISSION AND NUNEZ, LIVERPOOL HOLDS A ONE-GOAL LEAD GOING INTO THE HALF.
45th minute: WE WERE SAVED!
Alisson makes a diving save to his right to deny a penalty shot from Bowen, which you have to admit was neither in the corner nor stuck with genuine venom.
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West Ham wins a penalty kick in the 42nd minute!
In the Liverpool penalty area, Joe Gomez commits an unnecessary challenge on Jarrod Bowen, and referee Stuart Atwell gives a penalty kick after taking a second look at the replay on the video assistant referee screen.
The defender for the Reds had little to gripe about in regard to that one.
40th minute: Liverpool and Nunez were so close to scoring a second goal.
The powerful striker gets his head on a headed clearing and fires a shot with his left foot, but his magnificent effort is denied by the post. The striker’s bad luck couldn’t have been worse. Both of his feet are equally capable of making a good strike on the ball.
34th minute: Liverpool are really thumping it about now and causing West Ham issues; they appear to be a team that has its mojo back after defeating the champs.
However, they will need to improve on their most recent try, which saw Mo Salah fire an attempt that went well over the goal from the side of the box.
Watch as Nunez opens the scoring at Anfield in the 25th minute.
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22nd min: GOAL! Liverpool is currently in the lead.
Nunez gets in front of Kehrer and heads the ball into the ground so that it goes over Fabianski. Tsimikas plays an exquisite pass in from the left side, and Nunez makes a fantastic header off of it. The ball goes over Fabianski.
In the 15th minute, Liverpool’s Nunez took a left-footed shot from a distance and forced the goalkeeper Fabianski to make an outstanding save. This was the first serious chance of the encounter.
The Uruguayan got off on the wrong foot and hit that well.
10th minute: A solid start for Liverpool, who have had West Ham caged in pretty much since the first whistle blown. This is a good sign for Liverpool.
There were no huge scoring opportunities, but the Reds were given an early warning about the danger posed by Bowen on the break as he sprinted onto a ball played in behind the defence but was unable to capitalise on the opportunity.
In the first minute of play, Jarrod Bowen of West Ham gets the ball rolling for his team.
15 minutes before kickoff: It’s a cool evening at Anfield, and the atmosphere is somewhat subdued in compared to the frenzy that was there during Sunday’s match.
Would it be possible for West Ham to capitalise on that?
30 minutes before the start of the match: This will be a momentous night for Darwin Nunez.
Since his big-money move to Anfield, the Uruguayan forward has been scoring goals, but he has not been able to solidify a starting position due to the perception that his contribution to build-up play needs some improvement.
Considering that Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota won’t be available until after the World Cup, does he have a chance to stake a claim?
1 hour before the start of play: We have some team news!
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Henderson, Thiago, Salah, Firmino, Carvalho, Nunez.
Fabianski, Johnson, Zouma, Kehrer, Cresswell, Soucek, Rice, Downes, Fornals, Bowen, and Scamacca make up West Ham’s starting lineup.
100 mins before KO: In his programme notes, Jurgen Klopp paid respect to the strength of Anfield by writing: “Wow! When Anfield is as packed with fans as it was on Sunday, it transforms into the most fantastic venue. Someone would have to create it from scratch if it didn’t already exist because football was designed to accommodate fans with such a level of fervour.
Welcome to Anfield, where Liverpool will be looking to demonstrate that their triumph over Manchester City here in the same venue the last time around was no fluke. This match will begin in 120 minutes.
Liverpool vs. West Ham lineups
In preparation for Liverpool’s match against West Ham, Jurgen Klopp made five substitutions to the team’s lineup. The only one that was necessary was Diogo Jota’s (calf) absence due to injury.
Jordan Henderson will start in the middle of the field for Liverpool, while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kostas Tsimikas will take over at the outside back positions.
In a revamped forward line, Darwin Nunez and Fabio Carvalho will have additional opportunities to demonstrate their value to the team.
Liverpool lineup (4-2-3-1): The starting lineup for Liverpool was as follows: Alisson (GK) — Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Djik, Tsimikas — Henderson, Thiago – Salah, Firmino, Carvalho – Nunez
Subs: Kelleher, Milner, Jones, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho, Clark, Robertson, Elliott, Phillips.
The absence of Lucas Paqueta from the squad is a setback for David Moyes, but it presents an opportunity for youngster Flynn Downes to get some playing time in the centre midfield position.
Michail Antonio will begin the game on the bench for the Hammers, but he might end up being a vital option if they are seeking a late goal.
West Ham lineup (4-3-3): Bowen, Scamacca, and Fornals for Fabianski (GK), Johnson, Kehrer, Zouma, Cresswell; Downes, Soucek, and Rice; and Fornals, Scamacca, and Cresswell.
Areola, Emerson, Coufal, Coventry, Lanzini, Antonio, Ogbonna, Benrahma, and Randolph were the players who came on as substitutes.
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