Was this the first proper glimpse of Liverpool 2.0? The first sign that Arne Slot’s costly evolution is, at last, beginning to take shape? It certainly felt that way as Slot dropped Mohamed Salah to his bench and instead successfully built his team’s attack around the £240m duo of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz.
With Salah watching from the dugout for the first time in a league game since Jurgen Klopp was Liverpool’s manager, the new boys finally delivered the sort of performances they were signed for. Isak struck his first league goal for Liverpool with a wonderfully sharp finish, while the much-criticised Wirtz was the game’s standout player.
Are Liverpool back? Let’s not go that far. They were hardly at their thrilling best here. But after a run of nine defeats in 12 matches, this victory in the capital feels like discovering water after days in the desert. There will be relief at winning a game again, and also excitement at the sense that Wirtz and Isak might just be starting to find their feet.
There is a caveat, though. This all came against West Ham United, a team that have struggled for so much of this season, and Nuno Espirito Santo’s side were hardly piling on the pressure. West Ham fans arrived here to the news of the passing of Billy Bonds, perhaps their greatest-ever player, and hoped their team might channel the spirit of Bonds in their performance. In that regard, the home players failed miserably.
West Ham’s efforts were summarised by the sight of Lucas Paqueta receiving the stupidest of red cards in the final moments. Not content with being shown a yellow card for dissent in the 82nd minute, the Brazilian kept complaining to referee Darren England until he was shown another in the 83rd minute. Even the Liverpool players were trying to drag him away. To call it ludicrous would be an understatement.
