Liverpool vs. West Ham United: Winners and Losers from Premier League Game
The Anfield crowd were left stupefied on Saturday evening after watching West Ham United beat Liverpool 3-0 in an exhilarating display of counter-attacking football.
Manuel Lanzini tapped home just two minutes in to begin the scoring spree, then Mark Noble doubled the lead just before half-time after a grievous error from Dejan Lovren. Diafra Sakho made it three in stoppage time in the second period, beating Simon Mignolet cleverly at his near post.
"We parked the bus but we didn't put the handbrake on," admitted Slaven Bilic to journalists post-match, per Emma Sanders.
Here, B/R divides up winners and losers from the game.
Winner: Cheikhou Kouyate
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Cheikhou Kouyate put in a sublime display from midfield, utilising his incredible aggression and tenacity to rule the pitch from a box-to-box role.
B/R’s Karl Matchett branded him “unstoppable” on Twitter after the game, lauding his ability to scythe through the Liverpool midfield at will, causing issues at both ends of the pitch.
The Hammers purchased several established players this summer, such as Dimitri Payet, Angelo Ogbonna and Pedro Obiang, but the star of the central midfield show remains Kouyate. Devilishly strong and steam train-esque on the run, he is perfectly suited to the Premier League and an asset who can tip West Ham’s game over the edge.
Loser: Dejan Lovren
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Reds manager Brendan Rodgers took a big gamble in proceeding with Dejan Lovren over Mamadou Sakho this season after the horror show of 2014-15, and although shoots of recovery have been evident in the Croatian’s game, the first big blunder was simply a matter of time.
Who had four games in on their betting slip?
In attempting to shepherd a harmless ball out for a throw-in deep in his own territory, Lovren lost possession to a persistent Manuel Lanzini. The Argentinian turned toward goal and fired in a low cross, and Mark Noble swept home with aplomb, making the score 2-0. Later, he kicked the ball against Alberto Moreno and allowed Diafra Sakho to swoop in and score a third.
Rodgers’ decision to start Lovren (his own signing) over Sakho (the transfer committee’s signing) is largely political, and we’ve not yet reached September before it’s bitten the club on the behind.
Surely Sakho comes into the XI now?
Winner: Manuel Lanzini
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Manuel Lanzini’s first Premier League start could hardly have gone any better; the Argentinian scored the first and forced the second goal in West Ham’s 3-0 win over Liverpool.
He was a threat on the counter-attack from minute one, troubling the Reds’ defenders in wide areas and staying irritatingly wide to the touchline, stretching the pitch and giving the Hammers a good option on the flanks.
He found the end product to match a sparkling performance.
Loser: Referee Kevin Friend
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Kevin Friend dropped a clanger on Saturday afternoon, sending Mark Noble off with a straight red card for a tackle that, in all honesty, could be perceived as not even a foul.
Noble was chasing the ball on the edge of his box and lunged for it, but he went one-footed and kept his studs down the entire time. He also took a sizeable chunk of the ball, and while his marker went flying due to the firm nature of the challenge, it’s difficult to defend the decision to send him off.
Friend also sent Philippe Coutinho off in potentially harsh circumstances, showing the Brazilian a second yellow for a clumsy but ultimately unmalicious tackle.
Winner: Dimitri Payet
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Dimitri Payet was so good on the counter-attack that Liverpool eventually slashed him down, with Danny Ings taking him out from behind in order to stop another dangerous surge on the reverse.
The Frenchman has a number of excellent qualities, but chief of all is the cool head on his shoulders when he’s breaking forward into space. He lifts his chin and makes great decisions, making the Hammers arguably the premium counter-attacking threat in the league.
Payet posed a constant threat to the Reds, whether on the dribble or from a dead ball. He forced Philippe Coutinho’s red card with a stunning Diego Maradona turn, too.
