Match ends, West Ham United 3, Liverpool 1.
- Liverpool suffer back-to-back league defeats
- Reds have lost three of first five league games
- Win moves West Ham up to eighth
Liverpool suffered their third defeat in five Premier League games this season as West Ham emerged victorious at Upton Park.
Early goals from Winston Reid and Diafra Sakho proved too much for the visitors, who pulled one back through Raheem Sterling before the break.
Liverpool pressed hard after half-time.
However, Hammers keeper Adrian made a succession of saves and Morgan Amalfitano wrapped up a first home win for West Ham in the 88th minute.
Sam Allardyce's men had lost both previous home games this season and taken just four points from their last eight games against these opponents.
But they could not have started much better against Liverpool.
Reid's first goal since October 2013 was a close-range effort after James Tomkins had headed Stewart Downing's free-kick into the six-yard box.
West Ham's second was more speculative as Sakho floated the ball over Simon Mignolet from the right, the ball dropping into the corner before Enner Valencia could reach it.
A difficult start for the visitors also included a yellow card for Mario Balotelli, who had a head-to-head confrontation with Hammers goalkeeper Adrian, and the exit of the injured Javi Manquillo, who was replaced by Mamadou Sakho.
Liverpool were trying to shrug off the exertions of their successful midweek return to the Champions League.
Faltering Liverpool |
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Liverpool lost three of their opening five games two seasons ago. Prior to that it was 1959, when they were a Second Division club. |
The Anfield side had the majority of possession (62%) but West Ham had more shots, 13 in total and seven on target. |
Mario Balotelli has not scored a Premier League goal since his effort at Wigan on 28 November, 2012. |
And they did have hope through their remarkable scoring record away from Anfield.
When Sterling lashed home the rebound for his third goal of the campaign after Balotelli's shot had initially been blocked, it was their 34th goals in the last 12 away games and created a club record of scoring in 17 successive top-flight matches on the road.
Valencia forced Mignolet into a good save just after Dejan Lovren had been patched up to play on following a heavy collision with his own team-mate, Sakho.
The introduction of Adam Lallana at half-time for Lucas - and the consequent tactical switch - suggested Brendan Rodgers was unhappy with his team's efforts.
On his first Liverpool start for almost two years, Fabio Borini made little impact until a low shot at the start of the second half brought a low save from Adrian.
The Italian curled a shot narrowly over as Liverpool continued to press forward in search of an equaliser.
Then Balotelli, who has now scored just one goal in his last 19 Premier League appearances, was thwarted by Adrian.
Rickie Lambert was introduced for the last push forward.
However, Liverpool were vulnerable on the counter-attack and as time ticked down, Downing's pass released Amalfitano, who applied the clinical finish.
It was the first time the visitors had lost successive league games since last December.
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce:
"That performance today just shows what level and what capabilities we might be able to achieve this season.
"To score two goals in that early period really stunned the Liverpool players. We really took them to task. We played outstandingly well and really didn't let Liverpool play at all."
Line-ups
West Ham
Formation 4-1-2-1-2
- 13AdriánBooked at 17mins
- 20DemelSubstituted forJenkinsonat 61'minutesBooked at 66mins
- 5Tomkins
- 2ReidBooked at 4mins
- 3Cresswell
- 16Noble
- 8KouyatéBooked at 28mins
- 30SongSubstituted forAmalfitanoat 69'minutes
- 11Downing
- 31E ValenciaSubstituted forCollinsat 76'minutes
- 15Sakho
Substitutes
- 10Zárate
- 12Vaz Te
- 18Jenkinson
- 19Collins
- 21Amalfitano
- 22Jääskeläinen
- 24Cole
Liverpool
Formation 4-1-2-1-2
- 22Mignolet
- 19ManquilloSubstituted forSakhoat 22'minutes
- 37Skrtel
- 6Lovren
- 18Moreno
- 8Gerrard
- 21LeivaSubstituted forLallanaat 45'minutes
- 14Henderson
- 31Sterling
- 45BalotelliBooked at 17mins
- 29BoriniSubstituted forLambertat 75'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Jones
- 3Enrique Sanchez Diaz
- 4K Touré
- 9Lambert
- 17Sakho
- 20Lallana
- 50Markovic
- Referee:
- Craig Pawson
- Attendance:
- 34,977
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home38%
- Away62%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away5
- Corners
- Home7
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home16
- Away11
Live Text
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Full Time
Second Half ends, West Ham United 3, Liverpool 1.
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Raheem Sterling (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Mark Noble (West Ham United).
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Foul by Adam Lallana (Liverpool).
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Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!
Goal! West Ham United 3, Liverpool 1. Morgan Amalfitano (West Ham United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Stewart Downing with a through ball.
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Attempt missed. Martin Skrtel (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
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Raheem Sterling (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United).
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match Cheikhou Kouyaté (West Ham United) because of an injury.
Substitution
Substitution, West Ham United. James Collins replaces Enner Valencia.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Rickie Lambert replaces Fabio Borini.
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Carl Jenkinson.
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Aaron Cresswell.
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Adrián.
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Attempt saved. Mario Balotelli (Liverpool) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Mamadou Sakho.
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Attempt missed. Diafra Sakho (West Ham United) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
Substitution
Substitution, West Ham United. Morgan Amalfitano replaces Alexandre Song.