David Moyes had never won at Anfield ahead of kick off on Saturday, and it is a status he still has to wear despite West Ham’s best efforts. Their top-four ambitions were knocked as Liverpool narrowly drove home their intent to stretch Manchester City all the way and go collecting trophies in May.
On an evening that hosted an emotive tribute to Ukraine, juxtaposed by a plane buzzing overhead with the message “cats lives matter”, Sadio Mane’s goal was enough for victory, and to keep Jurgen Klopp’s charges motoring on.
The aftermath could not have felt in greater contrast to the last time these two sides met, with Liverpool looking goosed then and now set to count the glories.”
A week can feel an awfully long time in football, let alone four months.
Since Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat at London Stadium in November, we have witnessed Kurt Zouma’s “catgate”, players past and present shamelessly flog Bored Ape NFTs, John Terry unfortunately join Twitter, former Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa be divorced from his bucket, Roman Abramovich forced to put Chelsea for sale with pressure rising on him following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine…
In that scarcely believable period, the Merseysiders have lost just once in all competitions, with 20 wins to make City seriously uncomfortable at the summit, the League Cup secured at Chelsea’s expense, while the European Cup and FA Cup remain in play.
Saturday’s taxing 1-0 triumph further turned the dial up on the title race ahead of the Manchester derby and solidified the internal idea that Liverpool will not be completing this campaign with just one piece of silverware.
Or phrased another way, to pinch Klopp’s words: “The only team that can win the quadruple.”
Liverpool could have been ahead within two minutes as Trent Alexander-Arnold’s quick free kick released Mohamed Salah, putting him one-on-one with Lukasz Fabianski.
The goalkeeper thwarted a sidefooted effort well with his legs.
Plenty of pinball took place within both boxes, the first of which saw Luis Diaz lift the ball up, shift his feet, and flick a shot towards the top right. Craig Dawson blocked it, before Salah dragged the rebound wide.
West Ham’s resistance would temporarily wilt when Naby Keita squared to Alexander-Arnold, who chested down and directed a low diagonal across the danger area. Mane was alive to it, sensing a slight hesitancy from both Dawson and Fabianski as he nipped in-between them to convert.
Diaz’s direct, purposeful running then turned Dawson into a shadow and invited a foul from Zouma, which led to an Alexander-Arnold whipped free kick going just wide.
Pinball part two saw the right-back send in a low, hard ball that neither Diaz nor Salah could will in amid manic scenes, before Aaron Cresswell cleared off the line to prompt seconds of calm.
Chaos returned, this time at the other end. Pablo Fornals got in behind Liverpool with well-timed movement to meet Ben Johnson’s long pass. He dinked Alisson, but Alexander-Arnold was on hand to hook it off the line. Fornals tried to head the ball back in, only for Alisson to parry. Jarrod Bowen forced Alexander-Arnold into another intervention to cap a breathless few minutes.
Moyes’s men achieved the rare feat of matching Liverpool for total shots in the first half, and had directed more on target.
A fine Andy Robertson tackle denied Bowen, who fell awkwardly on his knee and limped off moments later.
The best opening of the second 45 fell to Manuel Lanzini, who applied the worst finish. Tomas Soucek crossed from the right and the Argentine greeted the ball with a glorious touch to bring it down and take Alexander-Arnold out of the equation.
With only Alisson to beat, Lanzini should have scored but lent back and awfully blasted over the bar.
Robertson and Keita halted certain danger from Michail Antonio as Liverpool were made to toil for maximum points.
