Two goals from Liverpool’s star man Mohamed Salah saw Jurgen Klopp’s side take all three points with a 3-1 win at West Ham.
West Ham’s winning start to 2021 came to an end against the reigning champions, after four straight Premier League wins.
The goals from Salah were his 14th and 15th of the Premier League season sending him three clear of Harry Kane in the race for the Golden Boot.
Liverpool who are struck with injuries field their 12th different centre-back partnership of the season, with Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez all still on the sidelines.
The opening 10 minutes of the game were dominated by Liverpool with the home side struggling to get on the ball in the early stages.
A flurry of West Ham shots just after the 20-minute mark, after Aaron Cresswell’s cross was unable to be converted by Said Benrahma.
A dangerous opportunity for West Ham from a free-kick five minutes before half time, but the Premier League’s set specialists were unable to connect with the cross after a perfect delivery from Vladimir Coufal.
The best chance of the game fell to Divock Origi just seconds before half-time, a cutting-edge pass through the Hammers defence, left Craig Dawson scrambling with Origi running in behind him.
Late challenges from West Ham duo Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek early in the second half saw both players enter referee John Moss’s book.
A huge chance fell for Michail Antonio, after James Milner missed a clearance, but the West Ham forward’s shot failed to bend into Alisson Becker’s net.
Seconds after his mistake an unhappy Milner was substituted by Klopp for Curtis Jones, who immediately picked the ball up in the middle of the park and surged forward towards the West Ham box.
After an impressive run Jones released the ball to Salah on the right side of the box, who cut in onto his stronger left foot and bent a perfect strike into the far corner past Lukasz Fabianski.
It was the most clinical of counter-attacks from a West Ham corner. The switch from Trent Alexander-Arnold crossed into the box by Xherdan Shaqiri, with Salah arriving to control superbly and finish past Fabianski.
David Moyes will be fuming with his lack of defensive numbers after a breath taking counter-attack from the away side, finished stylishly by Liverpool’s No 11.
A misery compiler for the home side after a neat passage of play from the reds finished by Georginio Wijnaldum from the edge of the six-yard box.
Nothing more than a consolation goal for West Ham but the customary set piece goal for Moyes’ side as Dawson floated into the box unmarked to side foot Cresswell’s corner past Alisson.
The result means West Ham’s winning form since the turn of the year comes to an end. For Liverpool though it’s their second successive win in the top flight, following Thursday’s 3-1 triumph at Tottenham, as they look increasingly like the side that were crowned champions last season.
By Fraser Day
