Liverpool 1-0 West Ham: Nunez winner seals perfect week for the reds

Darwin Nunez scored his first Anfield goal to help Liverpool to all three points against West Ham.  Alisson Becker was on hand to save a penalty to cap a perfect eight days for the reds.

Fresh from the 7-1 win over Rangers, and the 1-0 win over Champions Man City at the weekend, Jurgen Klopp again reshuffled his team.

With medium term injuries to Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota there were few options up front so Salah, Nunez and Firmino were straight-forward names on the teamsheet.

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, van Dijk, Gomez, Tsimikas, Carvalho, Alcantara, Henderson, Salah, Firmino, Núñez

Subs: Kelleher, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Clark, Phillips, Fabinho, Milner, Jones, Elliott, Robertson

Trent Alexander-Arnold returned to the starting XI whilst Robertson was moved back to the bench - the Man City game was his first start for a number of weeks.

Liverpool were effective in the first half and Nunez had already gone close before his 22nd minute goal.  He met Tsimikas perfect cross with a lovely downward header which eventually turned out to be the only goal in the game.

He also had a good effort rebound at him off the post as he tried to add further punishment on the excellent West Ham keeper, Fabianksi.

West Ham earned themselves a penalty late in the first half when Joe Gomez clattered into Jarrod Bowen.  Bowen stepped up and tried to place it in the bottom corner, but Alisson was more than his match and dived correctly to prevent the equaliser.

Declan Rice had a good game for the away team - his energy perhaps something missing in the Liverpool engine room at the moment but both teams had chances to add further goals and it was a better game than the 1-0 suggests.

For Liverpool, this is all about results at the moment and this win now moves them to within 4 points of a return to the top four - which is the minimum expected for the season ahead.

 

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