Liverpool 2-1 West Ham United: Final Thoughts as Reds Edge Closer to 20th League Title | OneFootball

Liverpool 2 – 1 West Ham United – The Postmortem

After a frustrating 3-2 loss away to Fulham the previous weekend, Liverpool returned to Anfield with both a point to prove and an opportunity to take a significant step toward the Premier League title. Arsenal’s 1-1 home draw with Brentford meant that just nine points from their final seven fixtures would be enough to secure a historic 20th league championship.

West Ham arrived intent on frustrating the Reds and hitting on the counter. It was a strategy that caused discomfort at times, but Arne Slot’s men showed composure, resilience, and just enough cutting edge to grind out a critical victory.

Below is how the team lined up, with match details following.

The Starting Eleven

GK – Alisson Becker

RB – Conor Bradley

RCB – Ibrahima Konaté

LCB – Virgil van Dijk (c)

LB – Kostas Tsimikas

CM – Alexis Mac Allister

ACM – Curtis Jones

CM – Ryan Gravenberch

RF – Mohamed Salah

CF – Diogo Jota

LF – Luis Díaz

Subs:

Andy Robertson – Kostas Tsimikas (60 mins)

Cody Gakpo – Diogo Jota (60 mins)

Dominik Szoboszlai – Curtis Jones (68 mins)

Jarell Quansah – Conor Bradley (68 mins)

Wataru Endō – Mohamed Salah (84 min)

Goals (Assisted by)

Liverpool 1 – 0 West Ham

Luis Díaz (Mohamed Salah) – 18 mins

Liverpool 1 – 1 West Ham

Own Goal (Andy Robertson) – 66 mins

Liverpool 2 – 1 West Ham

Virgil van Dijk (Andy Robertson) – 72 mins

Important Match Stats

Possession

Liverpool 55% – 45% West Ham

XG

Liverpool 1.78 – 2.48 West Ham

Total Shots

Liverpool 15 – 11 West Ham

Corner Kicks

Liverpool 10 – 3 West Ham

Offsides

Liverpool 5 – 4 West Ham

Fouls

Liverpool 15 – 8 West Ham

Yellow Cards

Liverpool 0 – 2 West Ham

Goalkeeper Saves

Liverpool 4 – 4 West Ham

The First Half

Liverpool started on the front foot, dominating possession and looking sharper than in their defeat at Craven Cottage. The midfield trio of Mac Allister, Gravenberch, and Jones dictated the tempo early on, while the returning Alisson provided a reassuring presence behind the backline.

The breakthrough came in the 18th minute. Mohamed Salah drifted inside from the right and slalomed past his marker before sliding a pass into Luis Díaz’s path. The Colombian forward timed his run perfectly and coolly slotted home to put Liverpool ahead.

Though West Ham responded with a few dangerous moments on the break, Liverpool controlled the half, with Van Dijk and Konaté commanding in defence and Bradley offering energetic support from the right.

It would be later in the half that West Ham would start to offer more and more potency, which required Alisson Becker to make a super pair of saves to send his side into a fragile half-time lead.

The Second Half

The second half started with more balance, as West Ham grew in confidence and began to test Liverpool’s composure. Their persistence paid off in the 66th minute when Andy Robertson, trying to clear a dangerous cross shortly after coming on, inadvertently turned the ball into his net to level the game.

It was a setback—but one that drew a quick and decisive response. Just six minutes later, Robertson atoned for his error with a pinpoint corner that was met by the towering figure of Virgil van Dijk, who thundered home a header to restore Liverpool’s lead.

Slot’s remaining substitutions did not manage the closing stages well and a late melee within the Liverpool box nearly saw the game drawn. West Ham pushed for another equaliser but were kept at bay by a relieved Liverpool side.

Final Thoughts

This was a gritty and important win. Not every performance can be dominant or fluid at this stage of a title race, and this one was about resilience as much as quality. Salah’s brilliance in the first half and Van Dijk’s leadership in the second proved the difference, alongside a ferocious performance of Alisson Becker.

While West Ham made things difficult, Liverpool found the answers required and took another vital step toward lifting the Premier League trophy. With six games left, only two more wins are needed to make it official.

Next up is a trip to Leicester City, where another massive three points will be the objective.

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction:

Liverpool 3 – 1 West Ham