DEFEAT AT THE HANDS OF FEET
Liverpool 3 West Ham 1
Little rebirths, we might call them. I have had several. Moments when I decide, against my better judgement, that this year I will go to Anfield, as I few we might get a result there. By ‘result,’ I don’t necessarily mean a victory. Let’s face it, they have made a pretty good start to this season themselves. I think a score draw would be immensely satisfying.
Okay, West Ham lost to Manchester City at home last weekend. But that single defeat as we approach October should bring hope to our hearts. It certainly does to mine, which is why I am enduring a late night slow journey northwards the night before the game.
As it transpires, the route north has been hijacked by a mysterious bout of engineering works that have forced the train to travel up via Northampton. Further delays mean that it takes over an hour longer than it should, and it is delayed by a further twenty minutes, into the bargain. A tedious, but not insurmountable challenge.
The game takes place in the 2 – 4pm slot, not at the behest of Sky for a live transmission, but because both teams have been in action in the Europa League on Thursday. Both won their games 3-1 after falling behind.
West Ham stick to the same starting XI that ran Manchester City close last weekend, and begin confidently, Souček and Antonio coming close in the initial five frantic minutes’ action. On the quarter hour West Ham are still passing with confidence and élan, when James Ward-Prowse loses possession and Liverpool fashion their first break. After an interplay of passes, Mohammed Salah roams loose in the area past Nayef Aguerd, who fells him like a towering redwood. Penalty. Salah slots home.
But there is much to commend in the Hammers’ work ethic and passing finesse. Antonio, who has thrown bold claims into the media ether by claiming that West Han could finish the season above Liverpool, is powerful and difficult to dispossess once he picks up the passes down the channels. Álvarez is majestic in front of the defence and Liverpool are once again momentarily tamed. Then three minutes from half-time Hammers are rewarded for their neat and disciplined attacking approach play when Coufal hits in a low cross that Bowen gets an angled head to, steering it into the corner of the net via the far post like a long red hit gently into the bottom pocket at the Sheffield Crucible.
The second half offers more opportunities for this bold West Ham side. The next two are both missed by Jarrod Bowen, one in particular from an inswinging Ward-Prowse corner that he will have been disappointed not to have buried.
Then, on the hour, Darwin Núñez flicks out a loose boot at MacAllister’s delicious chip over the Hammers’ defence to send the ball past Areola. Hammers push harder for their second equaliser and, after Paquetá has waved for a replacement after feeing his ham growing taut, they lose concentration at a corner five minutes from time and Diogo Jota flicks home a third. I groan into what is left of my packet of strong mints. A long journey home awaits, with no points to assuage the hours of queuing and battling across track crossings of weekend engineering works.
13 Alphonse Areola, 33 Emerson, 4 Kurt Zouma (captain), 5 Vladimir Coufal, 19 Edison Álvarez, 27 Nayef Aguerd, 7 James Ward Prowse, 11 Lucas Paquetá, 22 Saïd Benrahma,, 20 Jarrod Bowen, 9 Michail Antonio
Substitutes: 8 Pablo Fornals, 18 Danny Ings, 14 Mohammed Kudus
Goalscorer: Jarrod Bowen
