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Daniel Hambury
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: West Ham vs Liverpool, Premier League

Two early goals put West Ham on the way to a 3-1 win.

LIVERPOOL TRAVEL TO West Ham this evening looking to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointing home loss to Aston Villa. Meanwhile, West Ham come into the game having played out a highly entertaining 2-2 draw with Hull.

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Hello, how are you all this evening? I am great, thank you for asking.

First off, here are the teams.

West Ham: Adrian, Cresswell, Reid, Tomkins, Demel, Noble, Song, Kouyate, Sakho, Downing, Valencia.

Subs: Zarate, Vaz Te, Jenkinson, Collins, Amalfitano, Jaaskelainen, Cole.

Liverpool: Mignolet, Manquillo, Moreno, Lovren, Skrtel, Gerrard, Henderson, Lucas, Sterling, Borini, Balotelli.

Subs: Jones, Toure, Enrique, Sakho, Markovic, Lallana, Lambert.

So who do we think has the edge today? After Liverpool’s excellent win over Spurs, they have fallen away slightly while West Ham have started hot and cold yet again.

For those who missed it, here is Enner Valencia’s cracker for West Ham last Monday. Any chance of a repeat of this?

Muhammad Hafiz / YouTube

There was no backlift!

Did anybody catch any of the action earlier? Mesut Ozil finally decided to contribute to a game and grabbed a goal and an assist in Arsenal’s 3-0 win at Villa while Alan Pardew may have saved his job after Newcastle came from 2-0 down to draw with Hull.

This goal from Jelavic looked to have put Hull on their way to three points.

For the betters amongst you, West Ham are 17/4, Liverpool are 7/10 and the draw is 31/10. Long odds on West Ham considering Liverpool’s form, no?

What do people think of Borini being in the Liverpool team? They did look short of firepower in their last two games but still a bit of a surprise. It has been a long time since the boy Fabio started for Liverpool.

We are off at Upton Park!

Stewart Downing wins a free on the right wing and West Ham have an early chance.

GOAL! West Ham 1-0 Liverpool

Downing’s cross to the back post is headed across goal and then nodded in by Winston Reid.

Dejan Lovren might have got a touch on the line too.

Shocking marking by Liverpool, especially Jordan Henderson who allowed the initial header at the back post.

Mark Noble just crunched Lucas in midfield. Brendan Rodgers wants a free but the ref says play on.

GOAL! West Ham 2-0 Liverpool

Diafra Sakho had some room on the edge of the box and exquisitely chips the ball over Mignolet and into the top corner. Liverpool are in disarray.

Mignolet didn’t know what was going on here.

Think all Liverpool fans feel like this right now.

West Ham are easily breaking up Liverpool’s attacks at the moment and West Ham are breaking menacingly.

Mignolet makes a nice save to tip Cresswell’s shot around the post.

So, a lot has happened so far.

The game has settled down after that frantic start and West Ham are well on top. Liverpool haven’t exchanged more than one or two passes in a row yet.

West Ham are now 4/9, Liverpool are 5/1 and the draw is 7/2.

Balotelli tries to combine with Borini but his pass is poor and West Ham clear.

At the other end, Downing’s shot deflects off Skrtel but Mignolet holds it.

Balotelli and West Ham goalkeeper Adrian have each gotten a yellow for an off the ball tussle following a late tackle by the striker.

West Ham have a corner after a run by Cresswell.

Liverpool have been very poor so far. It is hard to remember a tamer opening 20 minutes from Rodgers’ side.

Liverpool have a corner now after Sterling’s shot is deflected wide.

The corner is cleared.

Moreno gets the ball out wide but plays the ball all the way back to Lovren in their own half. Sums up Liverpool’s start.

Sakho has just come on for Manquillo as Liverpool go to a back three with Moreno and Sterling playing wing back.

Gerrard is seen getting instructions from Rodgers. The Liverpool manager has made an early decision to change things.

Sterling gets free on the right but Reid cuts his cross out well.

That goal last Tuesday doesn’t seem to have bought Balotelli much.

GOAL! West Ham 2-1 Liverpool

Mario Balotelli takes down a cross from Henderson and has his shot blocked, but it falls to Raheem Sterling who blasts the ball past Adrian. A really good finish from the Liverpool winger.

West Ham almost score immediately after Sakho backheels the ball across the six yard box but Valencia fouls Moreno as the defender just scrambles the ball clear. Valencia gets a yellow for the challenge.

Which goal was better, Sakho’s or Sterling’s?

The game is really swinging back and forth at the moment. Both defences look shaky and it wouldn’t be surprising  if there is another goal before the half.

Sterling drags back Downing and West Ham have a free just outside the box. Sterling was lucky not to get a yellow.

Enner Valencia’s bouncing free is pushed around the post by Mignolet.

Sterling gets in a good position in the right corner but Song bullies him physically and comes away with possession.

Dejan Lovren is down at the moment after clashing heads with Sakho. Kolo Toure is on the bench and I don’t think Liverpool fans would like to see him on the field. Remember these?

NewSoccerNews / YouTube

 

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Sakho escapes down the right for West Ham but his cross goes over. Meanwhile, Lovren returns to the pitch after getting his head heavily strapped.

Valencia pulls away from Skrtel and rifles a low shot which is saved by Mignolet. The Liverpool defence has been exposed a few times so far.

Not everybody agrees with Liverpool’s decision to send back on Lovren.

A teasing cross by Cresswell is headed behind by Lovren and James Tomkins nods wide from the corner.

Stewart Downing tries to take Skrtel on by the touchline but Skrtel does well to win the ball and clear. Meanwhile, we have six minutes of added time after the injury to Lovren.

Song wins the ball from Sterling again but this time the winger wins a free on the right wing outside the box.

Gerrard whips it across the face of goal but Winston Reid clears.

West Ham have a free just outside the box after Sakho is adjudged to have handled the ball. Replays show it is the wrong decision.

Valencia’s free hits the wall and West Ham have a corner.

Winston Reid’s dinked cross is almost nodded home but Liverpool’s Sakho clears from under the bar.

HT West Ham 2-1 Liverpool

West Ham were 2-0 up after six minutes after goals from Winston Reid and Diafra Sakho but Raheem Sterling’s powerful finish has set up an exciting second half at Upton Park.

What did you all make of the first half? Besides the Sterling goal, Liverpool have offered very little and in fairness to West Ham, they haven’t sat back since conceding.

To entertain you during the half-time break, here is a rather crude photoshop of Mario Balotelli’s role in Raheem Sterling’s goal.

Would Liverpool fans like to see Rickie Lambert on soon? Balotelli has offered a little but Borini hasn’t really done anything.

And what about the West Ham fans out there? I imagine those first seven minutes were like watching football pornography for you all.

Surely Big Sam will give the order to sit back and some stage though?

Just a quick update on the odds for the second half: West Ham are 5/6, Liverpool are 4/1 and the draw is 11/5.

I have Liverpool to win or draw as the last team in my accumulator. Should I hedge it? I need guidance!

And we are off in the second half!

Lallana has come on for Lucas on the Liverpool side.

Lallana links up well with Sterling but the winger’s left footed shot is weak and Adrian saves easily.

Moreno was in plenty of room on the left but Henderson fires a woeful ball about 10 yards into touch.

Song is dispossessed in midfield and Gerrard plays the ball in the direction of Sterling who goes down in the area. Nothing is given though.

Liverpool have started the second half very well and their passing game is starting to take over. Meanwhile, they have a free in the right hand corner after Lallana’s shirt is pulled.

West Ham break out of defence and Valencia’s cross is cleared by Sterling.

Balotelli plays a beautiful ball into the path of Fabio Borini on the right wing but his shot is well saved by Adrian.

Gerrard’s through ball almost finds its way to Sterling on the right but Song cuts it out.

Liverpool have a corner after Sterling’s cross is deflected wide. It is all Liverpool at the moment.

West Ham have defended set pieces well all day and this one is no different.

After some nice build-up play, Balotelli buys himself a yard and curls the ball towards goal but Adrian saves comfortably.

West Ham have a corner after Lovren challenges Kouyate.

Mignolet catches Downing’s corner.

Lallana almost goes down in the box but he slips the ball to Borini who fires just over. The replay shows Lallana may have been fouled.

Lovren has grown into the game and is dealing with West Ham’s crosses far better than earlier.

Sterling blows past two West Ham defender sand flicks a ball across goal but the ball is cleared off Lallana and goes wide.

Gerrard feeds Borini, whose long range shot is spilled by Adrian initially before the keeper dives on it.

Liverpool continue to press through Lallana on the left and have a throw in near the corner flag.

Carl Jenkinson has just been given a yellow after a hard foul on Moreno.

Liverpool have a free after Winston Reid fouls Borini right by the corner flag.

Reid makes up for the concession of the free by clearing the ball from Lallana’s boot.

Alex Song has been replaced by Morgan Amalfitano.

Skrtel lets the ball run behind him but Sakho shoots over.

Balotelli drives another ball towards goal but Adrian tips it wide. Liverpool have a corner.

Adrian punches the ball away and West Ham retain possession with a few passes in midfield.

Lallana’s cross is blocked and Liverpool have another corner but the ball is cleared again.

Liverpool have one more substitution left to make. Will Rodgers bring on Lambert?

Reid slices the ball backwards but Noble clears before Liverpool can get a chance.

Balotelli plays in Moreno on the left but the defender’s cross is scrambled away. Liverpool are turning up the pressure now.

Liverpool have yet another corner after Sterling’s cross is deflected out. Lambert has just come on for Borini.

West Ham have made their last sub too, as James Collins comes on for Enner Valencia.

Adrian has to save well after Lallana’s corner lands on the head of Sakho.

West Ham have gone to five at the back now.

The game has dropped into a pattern of: Liverpool attack, West Ham clear and repeat.

West Ham might be down to ten here as Kouyate is down injured and they have made all their subs.

Looks like he will play on.

Last ten minutes now, can Liverpool find an equaliser?

Downing leads a West Ham break but his long ball to Sakho gives over the touchline.

There was some Sakho on Sakho crime there as Liverpool’s man caught his opponent with a late challenge.

After weathering a period of pressure, West Ham are comfortably dealing with Liverpool attacks now.

After a Moreno cross is headed clear, the ball falls to Martin Skrtel but the defender’s ill-advised shot flies wide.

GOAL! West Ham 3-1 Liverpool

Stewart Downing slides the ball to Morgan Amalfitano on the left side of the box and the sub toes the ball into the corner.

West Ham are running out the clock now and Liverpool can’t get out of their own half.

FT West Ham 3-1 Liverpool

West Ham’s two goal barrage from Winston Reid and Diafra Sakho early on ultimately proved the difference. Despite pulling a goal back from Raheem Sterling, West Ham weathered the spell of dominance from the visitors before sealing victory with a goal from substitute from Morgan Amalfitano.

Thanks for joining us for our liveblog today, we hope you enjoyed our minute-by-minute coverage. Join us tomorrow for more live action as we follow Leicester vs Man United and Man City vs Chelsea.

 

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