CALM AFTER CHAOS AS NUNEZ HITS THE HEIGHTS
Klopp cruises after City drama
SAME result as at the weekend for Liverpool, just none of the aggravation. While Sunday’s win over Manchester City was born of the fire and fury of a desperate Anfield, this was a result more calmly earned.
No need for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to grow particularly agitated here either. His team were better than a West Ham side largely devoid of ambition.
Goalkeeper Alisson saved a penalty from Jarrod Bowen late in the first half and with his legs from Tomas Soucek at the end of the second. Apart from that, it was Liverpool hunting the goals.
The one they scored, after 22 minutes, was a landmark first Anfield strike for Darwin Nunez. A header from a left wing cross, it was a No 9’ s goal on a night when the 23-year-old really looked like one.
There were other chances for Liverpool and they should have taken a couple. West Ham worried them a little at the end.
But with a trip to Nottingham Forest to come on Saturday, Klopp and his players have a chance to properly make good the spiritual lift of their win over City.
Momentum. That is what this was all about.
Sunday’s win over City was dramatic and earned on a visceral occasion that has spilled over in to some nonsense subsequently.
But, dramatic as it was, it would have meant very little had it not been followed up with another victory here. Having started the season so poorly, Klopp’s team now have an opportunity to build.
Given the injuries that have afflicted his squad — forwards Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz will not play for a while — it would be a realistic aim now for Liverpool to simply be in touch with the top four by the time we break for the World Cup in a month’s time.
Given where they were after defeat at Arsenal a week and a half ago, that would represent progress. Liverpool now have a genuine platform.
For that to be the case, there will have to be more days like this. Liverpool were not spectacular, nor were they ruthless. But they were better than West Ham all the same.
Nunez’s goal was lovely. The three best Liverpool players on the night were Roberto Firmino — playing as a No 10 — Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara.
And the latter pair combined to feed Kostas Tsimikas midway through the first half and when his cross arrived it found Nunez easing between defenders to head down and across Lukasz Fabianski into the corner.
Nunez threatened on two other first half occasions.
An early volley from 18 yards was brilliantly touched over by the West Ham goalkeeper, while another cannonball shot hit the post in the 40th minute.
There had been other Liverpool half chances at that stage — Mo Salah was once more looking dangerous — and absolutely nothing from West Ham.
But when Joe Gomez clambered clumsily into Jarrod Bowen, referee Stuart Attwell rightly awarded a penalty after a look at the VAR monitor.
Bowen took the kick himself but telegraphed it, rather. Alisson dived to his right in front of the Kop and saved with both hands.
Liverpool needed to make West Ham pay for that, but could not quite manage it.
Klopp used all five substitutes in the second half — the fixture schedule is heavy at the moment — and his team continued to create chances.
Henderson fed Firmino from wide but Aaron Cresswell blocked. Then a Firmino header was saved, substitute Curtis Jones spooned a chance over and West Ham defender Kurt Zouma somehow diverted another Henderson delivery over his own crossbar.
We have seen scripts like this before in the Premier League. Teams that do not quite put the lid on a victory can get caught out at the end.
It should have happened here, to be honest.
West Ham did not deserve a goal but they should have scored one nevertheless.
As Henderson dallied over possession on his own six-yard line with three minutes left, Bowen saw his chance to make amends for his earlier mistake.
Few players work harder for their team and his slipped pass inside to Soucek seemed set to ruin Liverpool’s night.
But Alisson, spreading himself more in hope than anticipation, managed to make contact with the ball via his thigh and it somehow ran to safety.
At full time, Klopp was on the pitch, smile as wide as the Mersey. But even his celebrations lacked their usual vigour.
This has been a big week, even by his standards. A pair of 1-0 victories do not remotely tell the full story.