Liverpool 2–1 West Ham Player Ratings: Virgil Van Dijk Wins a Tight Game for the Reds Who Close In on the Premier League Title
Virgil van Dijk scored a late winner for Liverpool as they took all three points after beating West Ham 2-1 at Anfield. The hosts started strongly as Mohamed Salah put a pass on a plate for Luis Diaz to tap home from close range as they opened the scoring. West Ham came back strongly in the second half as Aaron Wan-Bissaka forced an own goal late on. The Liverpool captain nodded home a goal to send the Reds faithful into celebrations as they were just two wins away from the league title.
The vibes in the Liverpool camp were immaculate as Mohamed Salah finally signed a long-overdue contract extension. Virgil van Dijk was next in line to put pen to paper. The Champions League elect were also buoyed by the return of Alisson in goal and Conor Bradley at right-back. They needed to rediscover their form and seal the league title. Arne Slot was wary of how costly last-minute slip-ups could be to his side as they lost to Fulham in the previous game.
Graham Potter’s Hammers weren’t flying like they hoped to as they came into this game without a win in their previous four games. A late goal against Bournemouth denied them a much-needed win. Their survival was all but guaranteed, but they needed to finish on a high to ensure Potter stayed at the helm. He deployed a conservative back 3 at Anfield, with Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus leading the attack.
Liverpool started brightly as they knew a strong performance today would allow them to have a hand on the Premier League trophy. Despite West Ham putting a back five, there were plenty of gaps in their shape. Diaz and Salah exploited the gaps between the wing-backs and centre-backs and ran riot.
Diaz forced a fine save from Alphonse Areola, and the Frenchman was on hand to make a couple of key saves again. However, Liverpool went long in the 18th minute as Salah ran past his marker, the young Oliver Scarles. The Egyptian legend produced a terrific outside-of-the-boot pass to Luis Diaz across the box. The Colombian in fine goal-scoring form recently accepted it gleefully and tapped it into an empty net.
The Red Machine was in fine form after that, as Alexis Mac Allister came close to doubling their lead. The Hammers defended patiently but did prove their potency going forward on breaks. The returning Alisson saved an effort from Carlos Soler before quickly reacting to tip away Mohammed Kudus’s curler to make a fine double save. They even had the chance to equalise through Konstantinos Mavropanos before the break, but his header was narrowly wide.
The Hammers continued their resurgence in the second half as they moved the ball a lot better. Their wingbacks started getting involved more, and they created a decent chance for Soler inside the box. The hosts needed to break the momentum and score an insurance goal. Mac Allister tested Areola twice, with a free kick first and a looping effort next.
Jarrod Bowen ran past Van Dijk, but he was denied by another excellent Alisson save. The Hammers put excellent pressure on Liverpool and got a late reward as Aaron Wan-Bissaka sent an excellent cross into Liverpool’s box. Van Dijk and Andrew Robertson were caught napping as the latter saw the ball bounce into the back of his net off his shins.
It was a deserved equaliser for the Hammers, as Liverpool were lethargic in the second half. However, the captain of the Reds claimed responsibility and took matters into his own hands just three minutes later. He rose the highest in the 89th minute to head a Mac Allister corner home to restore Liverpool’s lead before seven minutes were added on.
West Ham refused to go away as Niclas Fullkrug struck the crossbar with a glancing header in the 94th minute. Liverpool summoned the spirit of the champions to see out the game as Anfield bounced around with energy after the full-time whistle.
Liverpool are inching closer to that much-awaited 20th league title. The Premier League leaders need just five points to seal a second title in six years. They travel to Leicester next in the hope of getting another three points. West Ham United stays 16th and hosts Southampton next weekend.
Here are the Liverpool vs West Ham Player Ratings.
Liverpool Player Ratings
GK – Alisson – 7/10
A fantastic double save to keep Liverpool’s lead intact. He stood in Soler’s path first and then recovered well to tip away Kudus’s curler. He was caught flat-footed for the equaliser they conceded.
RB – Conor Bradley – 7/10
Building on his previous week’s cameo, he enjoyed another fine game. Provided a direct threat down the right flank as he overlapped and underlapped to Salah. Did his defensive duties to perfection as well.
CB – Ibrahima Konate – 6.5/10
Followed Mohammed Kudus closely into his half to win the ball back, thanks to his immense physicality. His long ball over the top helped Liverpool get their opener.
CB – Virgil van Dijk – 7/10
Another colossal performance as he dealt well with the threat of Jarrod Bowen. He was slow to react on a couple of occasions, but used his recovery skills to get away. He shouldered part of the blame for the goal they conceded, but made up for it with an excellent header just minutes later.
LB – Kostas Tsimikas – 6.5/10
A surprise start to prove his worth to the manager, and he gave a decent account of himself. Linked up well with Diaz and offered a set-piece threat.
DM – Ryan Gravenberch – 7/10
Had a fine game in the middle of the park as he rediscovered his drive with the ball to run past his markers. Won plenty of tackles to deny West Ham control in the middle.
DM – Alexis Mac Allister – 7.5/10
Had a lot of freedom and time to pick his passes in the midfield. Played plenty of creative passes and was denied by Areola multiple times as he went for the goal. Delivered a beautiful corner for Van Dijk to head home.
RW – Mohamed Salah – 7.5/10
A perfect display after signing a new contract. He ran past his wing-back multiple times and delivered the telling assist for Diaz. Came close to scoring as well with a couple of shots.
CAM – Curtis Jones – 6/10
Been used all over the pitch recently, as he started at number 10 this evening. Failed to truly test the opposition defence as he always took a second extra on the ball before making a decision.
LW – Luis Diaz – 8/10
A sharp display yet again, continuing his rich form. Scored his 11th league goal of the season from close range to celebrate his best league tally in Red. His chance creation was exceptional as well.
ST – Diogo Jota – 6.5/10
Dropped into the false nine role multiple times to break past the tight West Ham defence. His hold-up play created a couple of chances for his fellow forwards as well.
Sub – Andrew Robertson – 4/10
He conceded a terrible own goal after a mix-up with Van Dijk.
Sub – Cody Gakpo – 6/10
Sub – Jarell Quansah – 6/10
Sub – Dominik Szoboszlai – 6/10
Sub – Wataru Endo – 6/10
Manager – Arne Slot – 7/10
His side started the game strongly and took the lead. It looked like smooth sailing, but the tide turned rough in the second half. They uncharacteristically lost the plot in the second half as West Ham improved massively. He would’ve been glad as his skipper saved them. They are two wins away from the title now.
West Ham Player Ratings
GK – Alphonse Areola – 6.5/10
Pulled out a string of top-drawer saves to keep Liverpool at bay. Couldn’t have done anything to prevent Liverpool’s opener. His reactions to all of Mac Allister’s shots deserve massive credit.
CB – Jean-Clair Todibo – 6/10
Often played as a full-back, as Wan-Bissaka pushed higher. Had a couple of lapses in concentration as he gave the ball away and made a couple of fouls.
CB – Kostantinos Mavropanos – 6/10
He was solid at the back in the second half as West Ham played with more swagger. The Greek international almost scored the equaliser in the first half with a fine header.
CB – Max Kilman – 7/10
Saw a lot of the ball and made some good use of it with some progressive passes into the final third. Tried his best to cover for Scarles as he was hung dry by Salah.
RWB – Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 7.5/10
Started the game on the right and had a subdued half. But as soon as he shifted to the left, he started looking like a different player as he made a lot of darting runs into the box. His excellent cross forced an own goal from Liverpool.
CM – Lucas Paqueta – 7.5/10
Funnily brought the referee down as he slipped in a crucial area while defending. His chance creation from channels stood out in the second half as the Hammers played some good football. A similar pass released Wan-Bissaka for the leveller.
CM – James Ward-Prowse – 6.5/10
Sitting at the base of the midfield as they soaked maximum pressure from the hosts in the first half. Made good recovery challenges and offered a genuine threat from his set pieces.
CM – Carlos Soler- 6.5/10
He was given the freedom to attack the box and cause some chaos in Liverpool’s defensive third. Had a great chance that was well saved by Alisson and a volley that flew wide in the second half.
LWB- Oliver Scarles – 6/10
Probably the toughest opponent in his nascent career as Salah gave him all sorts of headaches. He was spun and left out of the picture as Salah accelerated into the box for the opener. Replaced early in the second half for some experience.
ST – Mohammed Kudus – 6.5/10
He was locked in a losing battle with Konate at times. Had the best chance to score an equaliser as he saw an empty net. But Alisson recovered brilliantly to make a recovery save. His ability to hold the ball under immense pressure created a lot of openings for them.
ST – Jarrod Bowen – 7/10
He thrives in these kinds of games by leading the line. Made a lot of smart runs to trouble the defence. Alisson denied him as he was running clear on goal in the second half.
Sub – Vladimir Coufal – 6/10
Sub – Luis Guilherme – 6/10
Sub – Niclas Fullkrug – 6/10
Lost his man as Liverpool took the lead and had a glancing header that struck the crossbar as they came close to a second equaliser.
Manager – Graham Potter – 6.5/10
His side was outclassed in all aspects in the first half. His team talk had a massive ripple effect as they came out like a new side. Created multiple chances before getting the deserved equaliser. Unfortunate not to hold onto that point, but promising sides from the manager.
Sportsdunia’s Player of the Match: Luis Diaz
How many league titles did Liverpool win?
Liverpool has won 19 league titles to date.
Was West Ham ever relegated?
West Ham were last relegated from the Premier League in 2011.
Who was the best player in Liverpool vs West Ham?
Luis Diaz was the best player in Liverpool vs West Ham.
Who was the worst player in Liverpool vs West Ham?
Andrew Robertson was the worst player in Liverpool vs West Ham.