After a tough stretch like no other in 70 years, Liverpool snapped their slide with a crucial win at West Ham, thanks to record signing Alexander Isak’s first Premier League goal for the club.
The Reds had lost nine of their last 12 games, putting manager Arne Slot under pressure. In a bold move, Slot benched Mohamed Salah for the first time this season, handing the spotlight to Florian Wirtz who showed promise but missed a big chance early on.
Isak had a shaky start, missing a couple of good opportunities, but he stayed composed and scored the match-winner off a slick Cody Gakpo assist right after the hour mark. Liverpool held firm, helped by Lucas Paqueta’s bizarre double yellow for dissent in the final minutes, leaving West Ham at a disadvantage. Gakpo capped it off with a late goal in injury time to seal the victory.
This win—only Liverpool’s second in eight league games—boosts them to eighth place with 21 points from 13 matches, while West Ham settle in 17th at 11 points. Notably, Liverpool kept a clean sheet for the fifth time this season, a big turnaround after conceding 10 goals in their last three matches.
The day was also marked by tributes to West Ham legend Billy Bonds, reflecting the emotional weight of the fixture.
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