Liverpool secured a hard-fought victory with goals courtesy of Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Diogo Jota, keeping them in close pursuit of their traditional rivals, Manchester City.
In the first half, Salah successfully converted a penalty, which was later canceled out by Jarrod Bowen’s header. Nunez then restored Liverpool’s lead during the second half, and substitute Jota added the third goal, securing their sixth consecutive victory in all competitions. This win propelled them to second place in the standings, trailing their old rivals by just two points.
For Hammers manager David Moyes, it was a familiar tale, as he has now visited Anfield as a manager 19 times without registering a victory. However, he would have been encouraged by his team’s performance, as the Hammers kept Liverpool under pressure until the final moments.
Liverpool has had a tendency to start slowly this season, falling behind in four of their previous six games. They were fortunate not to face a similar situation this time, as the Hammers began brightly and had two close opportunities in the early minutes.
Alisson made a remarkable fingertip save to deny Tomas Soucek’s header from a Lucas Paqeta cross. Soucek then turned provider with an enticing cross that Michail Antonio should have converted, but he surprisingly headed wide.
Liverpool occasionally squandered possession but managed to take the lead against the run of play in the 16th minute when Salah converted a penalty after being fouled by Nayef Aguerd.
This goal initiated a period of dominance for the home team, during which Van Dijk had a close-range chance, and Salah, Alexis Mac Allister, and Dominik Szoboszlai all missed the target.
However, the Hammers consistently looked threatening when they ventured forward, especially from set pieces. They deservedly equalized in the 42nd minute when Bowen, who had an impressive performance, capitalized on a well-executed move by edging ahead of Van Dijk to score with a diving header.
Both teams had opportunities to seize the lead in the second half, with Nunez missing the target after a setup by Salah, while an unmarked Bowen directed his header straight at Alisson.
Nunez, however, found the mark with a well-placed volley after slipping between Kurt Zouma and Aguerd to latch onto Mac Allister’s delicately lofted pass.