Mohamed Salah’s omission from the starting lineup stole the spotlight on Sunday, as Liverpool ended their slump with a much-needed 2-0 victory over West Ham United.
The result brought relief to a side that had suffered three consecutive heavy defeats. The win also reinforced Liverpool’s dominance in this fixture, marking their 15th triumph in the last 13 Premier League meetings.
The atmosphere at the London Stadium was subdued following the news of club legend Billy Bonds’ passing, but once tributes were paid, Liverpool got straight to work. Slot’s men, bruised by recent results, produced a sharper and more controlled performance, even if their attack lacked bite without Salah from the start.
Liverpool nearly took an early lead when Alexander Isak, still searching for rhythm since his blockbuster move, forced a brilliant reaction save from Alphonse Areola with an acrobatic strike. Later, Florian Wirtz should have opened his Premier League account after Virgil van Dijk’s long ball caused panic in the West Ham defence, but his weak finish let the hosts off.
The breakthrough finally came just before the hour mark. Isak spun smartly inside the box and rolled a composed finish past Areola after good work from Cody Gakpo, breaking his own drought and giving Liverpool the confidence they’ve been missing in recent weeks.
West Ham, lacking ideas and urgency in the final third, failed to build momentum. Their hopes collapsed completely when Lucas Paquetá was sent off late on, astonishingly receiving two yellow cards for dissent within a single minute.
Liverpool sealed the points deep into stoppage time when Gakpo pounced to make it 2-0. Salah, who entered late, played only a minor role, but Slot’s decision to bench him will remain a talking point, especially with AFCON duty looming and the forward struggling for form this season.
The victory lifts Liverpool back into the top half and relieves some of the pressure on Slot. West Ham, meanwhile, avoided slipping into the bottom three only because of results elsewhere, but the warning signs are flashing.
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