Darwin Nunez scored his first Anfield goal for Liverpool and Alisson saved a penalty as the Reds beat West Ham in an eventful encounter.
Nunez had already gone close with a quick effort when he rose to meet Kostas Tsimikas’ cross and headed low just beyond the reach of Lukasz Fabianski.
The busy Nunez was later presented with a chance to double the lead but this time Fabianski was able to save before the Hammers were awarded a penalty after Joe Gomez’s foul on Jarrod Bowen.
Bowen raised himself to take it but Alisson made a fine diving save in front of the Kop as Liverpool secured their impressive win against Manchester City on Sunday with another three points.
Nunez is Starting to Settle Down.
Liverpool fans came to Anfield wondering if the team could follow up their win against Manchester City on Sunday.
The Reds have been unpredictable this season but made it three straight wins in all competitions as Nunez made his mark.
It has not been an easy start to life for the Uruguayan striker who arrived from Benfica in the summer for an initial £64m to much fanfare.
Against West Ham, Nunez offered further evidence that he is starting to find his rhythm and confidence.
He put himself in a perfect position to meet Tsimikas’ cross and beat Fabianski for his third goal in four games.
Nunez was in full swing and could have scored a hat-trick but Fabianski, 37, denied him with two fine saves while the Liverpool forward also hit the post with a powerful effort.
His scoring streak is welcome news for manager Jurgen Klopp, who has lost Diego Jota and Luis Diaz to injury for the foreseeable future.
Hammers Pay the Price.
No one can seriously question David Moyes’ work since returning to West Ham in December 2019.
Two top-seven finishes and a Europa League semi-final are testament to the club’s progress but the Hammers are struggling for consistency after a sixth defeat in 11 Premier League games.
Moyes said the assistant referee “needs to go into the spades” after the officials became angry during Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Southampton.
But he was only accused of not taking his chances at Anfield.
Referee Stuart Attwell awarded the Hammers a penalty shortly before half-time after checking the pitch-side monitor after Gomez’s foul on Bowen.
But the England forward was brilliantly denied by Alisson, who assisted him with a crucial save from Mohamed Salah’s winner against Manchester City.
Substitutes Sead Benrahma and Gianluca Scamacca also had great chances to equalize while James Milner challenged Tomas Sucic to make a save in the closing minutes, denying Tomas Sucic a crucial equaliser.
The Hammers have now scored just nine goals in 11 Premier League games and their lack of spark in front of goal will worry Moyes.
