Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 10:24 PM• Jeroen van Poppel • Last update: 22:29

Liverpool got away well against West Ham United on Wednesday night. Jürgen Klopp’s team was lord and more in its own stadium, but failed to finish it after a quick opening goal from Darwin Núñez. Alisson Becker became the big man at the side of the Reds by first stopping a penalty from Jarrod Bowen and just before time also a huge opportunity for Tomás Soucek: 1-0. Liverpool finds only connection with the sub-top of the Premier League due to the much-needed three-pointer in fifth place, while West Ham is disappointingly thirteenth.

For forty minutes, West Ham United had nothing to say at Anfield. Liverpool, who took office with no fewer than five new names against Manchester City (0-1 win), dominated and smoothly combined a number of great opportunities, only one of which led to a goal. That was after 22 minutes, when Darwin Núñez headed in a cross from Konstantinos Tsimikas: 1-0. The goalscorer did not get the ball past Lukasz Fabianski immediately after one-on-one, after West Ham had just handed the ball in.

Six minutes before half time, Núñez tried again, this time the Uruguayan hit the crossbar. Out of nowhere, West Ham United were awarded a penalty just before half-time, when Joe Gomez unfortunately got the ball against the arm during a physical duel with Bowen. The latter himself went behind the ball and saw Alisson tap it out of the corner.

Even after the break, almost all chances were for Liverpool. Roberto Firmino couldn’t get the ball in after an hour of play from a cross by Mohamed Salah through a block from Aaron Cresswell. Fifteen minutes before the end, Curtis Jones and Firmino were unlucky in succession with shots from a corner, while West Ham defender Kurt Zouma moments later worked a Liverpool corner against his own crossbar. The Hammers stayed alive and got the chance to equalize four minutes before the end. Bowen delivered the ball ready to Tomás Soucek, who seemed to be able to shoot the ball from about five meters into the empty goal. However, the Czech’s attempt was so weak that Alisson, who rushed back, was able to turn the ball.