Mohamed Salah scored a stunning brace at West Ham United for the first time in seven Premier League games, lifting Liverpool to third in the standings.
The Egyptian striker’s quick play allowed the Reds to get off to a good start in the second half, after Jurgen Klopp’s side failed to impress in the first.
Salah doubled Liverpool’s lead 11 minutes later, immediately controlling a pass from Ksherdan Shaqiri before passing Lukasz Fabianski.
Without the injured Sadio Mane, and with Roberto Firmino on the bench, it was up to Salah to end his mini-drought and he did it in style.
Firmino put Georginio Wijnaldum to work for Liverpool’s third goal, before Craig Dawson equalised for West Ham from a corner.
Liverpool’s second win in four days in London has shrunk the gap on leaders Manchester City to four points, with one game to go before the two sides meet at Anfield on Sunday.
Klopp solutions pay off
Eyebrows were raised when Firmino was not in Liverpool’s starting line-up as Senegalese striker Mane was absent due to a slight muscle injury.
An enameled first half, in which Liverpool’s only shot on target was a 20-yard drive from Salah directly at Fabianchi, suggests the defending champions are suffering from the absence of two of their famous three strikers.
However, the coach’s substitution of Curtis Jones early in the second half proved to be the turning point, as the young playmaker played competently against Salah and scored the first goal.
His electrifying run in midfield put West Ham in the driving seat. After exchanging passes with Trent Alexander-Arnold, he found Salah, who beat Aaron Cresswell and slid the ball into Fabianski’s net.
Liverpool’s second goal was even easier: Shaqiri received a diagonal ball from Alexander-Arnold on halfway, before picking up Salah on the first pass as the visitors escaped a hammered corner with devastating effect.
is only his second in the Premier League this season for Liverpool.
The third goal was just as impressive: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain set the Brazilian free through Firmino and substitute Wijnaldum had to settle for a cold shot.
Tottenham Hotspur’s goal on Thursday suggests Liverpool have regained their attacking flair after four scoreless games - just in time to revive their title defence.
There’s more.
The player of the game
Mohamed SalahMohamed Salah
West Ham United
- Team Number15Player Name Dawson
- Team number 1Player nameFabianski
- Team number5Players nameKufal
- Team number21Players nameOgbonna
- Team Number20Player NameBowen
- Team number28Player nameSchuchek
- Team number3Player name Cresswell
- Team number9 Player nameBenrahma
- Team number30Player nameAntonio
- Team number41Players nameRice
- Team number 7Player name Yarmolenko
- Team number 16Player nameNoble
- Team number24Player nameFredericks
- Team number18Player namePackages
Lines
West Ham
4-2-3-1 training
1Fabian
5Coufal15Dawson21Ogbonna3Cresswell
28Kitchen41Rice
20Bowen9Benrahma18Fornale
30Antonio
- 1Fabian
- 5Kuphal.
- 15Dawson
- 21Ogbonna
- 3Cresswell
- 28SawsekBocking at 49 min.
- 41RiceReserved for 47Minutes
- 20BowenSubstitution of Fredericks in the 79th minute
- 9Benrahma
- 18FornalShe was killed on the 62nd. Yarmolenko replaced him in the second minute.
- 30AntonioReplaced byNobleat79’min
replaces
- 4Balbuena
- 7Yarmolenko
- 10Lanzini
- 16 Nobel
- 23Diope
- 24Fredericks
- 25 Martin
- 31Johnson
- 45Odubeko
Liverpool
4-3-1-2 training
1Alisson
66Alexander-Arnold47Phillips14Henderson26Robertson
6Tiago Alcantara5Vijnaldum23Shakiri
7Miller
11Salah27Origi
- 1Alisson
- 66 Alexander-Arnold
- 47Phillips
- 14 Henderson.
- 26Robertson.
- 6Tiago Alcantara
- 5Bijnaldum
- 23 ShaqiriSwapped for Firminoin at 69’min
- 7MilnerRepresentativeofJonesin57’minutes
- 11Salah
- 27OrigiZe was replaced by Oxlade-Chamberlain in 80′ minutes
replaces
- 9Firmino
- 13Adrien
- 15Oxlada-Chamberlain
- 17 Jones
- 18 Minamino
- 21Cymicas
- 46R Williams
- 62Kelleher
- 76H Williams
Real-time text
- Game over: West Ham United 1, Liverpool 3.
- End of the second half, West Ham United 1, Liverpool 3.
- Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) is awarded a free kick on the half of the opposition.
- Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham United) is penalised after committing a foul.
- Goal! West Ham United 1, Liverpool 3. Craig Dawson (West Ham United) shoots with his right foot from very close range into the bottom right corner following a turn.
- Corner, West Ham United. Introduced by Andrew Robertson.
- Corner, West Ham United. Resigned by Curtis Jones.
- Goal! West Ham United 0, Liverpool 3. Unfortunate shot by Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum (right) in the middle of the penalty area. Assisted by Roberto Firmino.
- Substitution : Liverpool. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaces Divock Origi.
- Substitution : West Ham United. Ryan Fredericks replaces Jarrod Bowen.
- Substitution : West Ham United. Mark Noble replaces Michael Antonio.
- The attempt failed. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)’s left footed shot is high and wide on the left side of the box. Sponsored by Giorginio Wijnaldum.
- Corner, Liverpool. Diversion by Vladimir Kuphal.
- Offside, West Ham United. Jarrod Bowen plays a forward pass but Saeed Benrahma is offside.
- Saeed Benrahma (West Ham United) is involved in a challenge.
- Substitution : Liverpool. Roberto Firmino (in) comes off the bench to replace Xherdan Shaqiri.
- Goal! West Ham United 0, Liverpool 2. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) shoots with his left foot from the centre of the box into the bottom left corner. Set up by Xherdan Shaqiri with a cross after a quick counter-attack.
- Corner, West Ham United. Introduced by Andrew Robertson.
- The attempt failed. Craig Dawson (West Ham United) takes a shot from the centre of the box, high and wide to the right. Set up by Jarrod Bowen with a cross after a corner.
- Corner, West Ham United. Resigned by Curtis Jones.
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