A moment of glory for West Ham United, as they defeated Liverpool 3-2 at the London Stadium on Sunday. The Hammers hammered down the Reds in the coffin with a scintillating performance.
With the victory over Liverpool, the Irons now sit above them at 3rd place in the Premier League. David Moyes’ team are now tied on points with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. West Ham last defeated the Reds almost six years ago in the last days of Upton Park.
Not only did the Hammers break their losing streak, but they also broke Liverpool’s 25-game unbeaten streak. The Reds last defeat came at the hands of Spanish Super Giants, Real Madrid, 7 months and 25 days ago in their Champions League quarter-final clash.
David Moyes has definitely transformed the Hammers ever since his takeover in 2020. He has put the team in great shape at each position and it would be arrogant to say that the team is not a force to reckon with.
All kinds of criticism arrives after West Ham United defeat Liverpool in a big upset
An early mistake by Alisson Becker led to an own goal that put the Irons in front early in the game. A dominant strong response equalled the score with a Trent Alexander-Arnold freekick.
While everyone expected the Hammers to sit back and defend, the second half took a turn around. Jurgen Klopp’s team seemed sloppy and lacked intensity while Moyes’ side kept their heads up and gave a tough fight. In the end, the Hammers managed to get the better of the Reds as the game finished 3-2.
A Pablo Fornals strike was enough to prove Liverpool’s disorganized midfield. He was also indirectly responsible for the opening own-goal by Becker. Even Kurt Zouma could not hold himself back after he netted the ball with a superb header, which ended up being the difference-maker in the contest and a night to remember by the Hammers’ fans.
However, Klopp was fuming with the decisions made by the referees regarding the own goal and Cresswell’s tackle on Jordan Henderson:
“Their first goal was a foul. It makes no sense. We were fully in control of the game in the first half. I just don’t know how the first goal was allowed.”
Acceptance is, of course, grief’s final stage, and Klopp was nowhere near it in the immediacy of defeat.
Jamie Carragher’s criticism over Alisson Becker
The opening goal was followed by a lot of controversies involving Angelo Ogbonna and Alisson Becker. Klopp claimed after the match that the goalkeeper was impeded as he tried to deal with Pablo Fornals’ in-swinging corner. The Liverpool boss had the following things to say to Sky Sports during the post-match interview:
“The first goal is a foul on the goalie, The arm goes against Alisson’s arm so how can he catch the ball when someone pulls his arm away? It makes no sense.”
Former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher disagreed, saying on Sky Sports:
“Ogbonna is well within his rights to make a challenge for the ball.
“When you challenge for the ball your arms are going to come up. You can’t say players can’t touch the goalkeeper.”
The result proved that West Ham United are serious title contenders this season, chasing down Chelsea and Man City. Registering his 50th win with the Hammers, David Moyes will now be looking forward to taking on the remaining two giants and going all out for the trophy.
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