Liverpool 2-1 West Ham United: Premier League – live!

Diogo Jota has scored three goals in his last three games at Anfield. “It means a lot of course. Always on the bench I was thinking about what I could do to unlock the result. I scored two goals, just one to count, and fortunately we got the victory.” He’s told that he’s the first player since Luis Garcia in 2004 to score in three consecutive matches for Liverpool at Anfield. “Stats and more stats. Always good things, of course, but most important was the win. The other team got tired. Movement, movement, and there was space. Great pass from Shaq and I could score. For me it [the disallowed goal] was a goal. I didn’t see anything. But it’s football now, we need to wait.”

West Ham will be distraught at getting nothing from that game, having held Liverpool so long. They defended quite magnificently. But they were ripped in two by a magical Xherdan Shaqiri pass, a defence-splitter and a nutmeg, all rolled into one. The in-form Diogo Jota slammed home, and Liverpool go top of the table. They’re three points ahead of Everton, who visit Newcastle tomorrow. West Ham remain in 13th position on eight points, but should take heart from their performance. They’ve gone toe-to-toe with Arsenal, Spurs, Manchester City and now Liverpool, causing great concern against them all. It bodes well for the future. It’s unfashionable to say it, but David Moyes is doing a fine job.

That is that! Liverpool were made to work their socks off, but they get the three points and equal the club record of 63 consecutive home league games unbeaten. Diogo Jota’s fast start to his Liverpool career continues apace; David Moyes is still waiting for his first Anfield win after 17 attempts.

90 min +5: Phillips, who has been superb on the whole, bashes a header clear. Lanzini tries to return it dangerously, but the ball sails out for a goal kick. That should be that.

90 min +4: Yarmolenko curls in low from the right. Alisson was preparing to gather but Gomez doesn’t hear a call and hacks out for a corner. Will Liverpool pay?

90 min +3: Soucek beats Gomez to the high free kick, but the resulting header is weak and easy for Alisson. Liverpool go up the other end, Alexander-Arnold scampering into the box from the right. Coufal is on hand to clear.

90 min +2: Yarmolenko is clattered by Phillips as the pair contest a high ball 40 yards out on the right. A chance for West Ham to load the box.

90 min: Liverpool look to hold on to what they’ve got. Salah makes way for Milner. There will be five added minutes.

87 min: Turns out the VAR decision was for a foul on Ogbonna, and not the keeper. Like I say, clear and obvious? “I am an Everton fan,” writes Mary Waltz. “Nothing would make me happier then a Liverpool loss. But VAR has to go. That was simply a multi player scramble and that should be a good goal. VAR has to be binned and we will accept the inevitable howler from a human official.” Preach.

Jota’s not to be denied! They press West Ham back for the first time all evening. Probing left and right. Suddenly Shaqiri slides a ball down the inside-left channel, nutmegging Rice, and releases Jota, who passes into the bottom left! That’s a quite wonderful goal, a brilliant pass from Shaqiri.

83 min: The Delap has gone out of fashion, and West Ham opt to work space for a cross instead. Soucek delivers to nobody.

82 min: Yarmolenko goes on a fine dribble down the right, but there aren’t many options for him. The move peters out. But West Ham come again and win a throw deep in Liverpool territory down the right.

80 min: That’s one that’ll no doubt be argued about. There wasn’t much contact, and it didn’t seem a clear and obvious error. On the other hand, Mane was sliding in with his boot and caught the keeper. You could make a decent argument for both sides. That’s how the internet works, right?

No referee this season has stuck with his original decision after being sent across to the monitor. And Kevin Friend isn’t going to buck the trend. He performs the international mime for TV, and the goal is chalked off.

78 min: But VAR Guy is checking this. Mane’s boot clipped the keeper. Enough to blow for a foul? Kevin Friend goes over to the monitor to check!

Bowen crosses from the right. Alexander-Arnold heads clear. Jota sashays down the left. He rolls inside for Mane, who shoots towards the bottom left. Fabianski parries. Mane slides in for the loose ball. It breaks left for Jota, who lashes home!

76 min: Jota busies himself down the middle and tries to slip Salah clear. Just a little bit too much on the pass. Salah can’t control and Fabianski claims. Henderson wanted to be released down the right channel, but Jota didn’t spot him.

75 min: West Ham make their first change, replacing the ineffective Haller with Yarmolenko, who surely can’t be any worse than he was last weekend against Manchester City.

74 min: A rare bit of space for Salah, just inside the box on the right. He fires ambitiously towards the top left. His rising effort is decent, but always wide and high.

73 min: Liverpool ping it around the middle, but there’s no space to advance. It’s all too slow. West Ham are holding their shape marvellously.

71 min: Klopp has seen enough. Jones and Firmino are replaced by Shaqiri and Jota.

70 min: Robertson instigates a melee in the West Ham box, trying to poke home from a tight angle on the left. Fabianski saves but goes walkabout. Salah loops over him into the centre, but can’t find anyone in red. West Ham clear again.

69 min: Mane tries to dribble his way into the West Ham box. A successful one-two with Salah would ping him clear, but the return ball is weak and the visitors can clear.

68 min: Liverpool were lucky Fornals didn’t spot Bowen free and unmarked to his left before taking that shot. If he’d found his team-mate, Bowen was almost sure to score, with Alisson having been drawn out of position.

66 min: Haller flicks on, beating Phillips for the first time in a while. And he nearly opens Liverpool up. Fornals latches onto the dropping ball and powers into the area. He shoots low and hard, but Robertson comes across to block bravely and brilliantly.

65 min: Another Liverpool long ball sails out of play for a goal kick. This is really poor from the champions. West Ham are as comfortable as can be right now.

64 min: Cresswell’s good to go again. On the touchline, Jurgen Klopp looks pensive.

63 min: Cresswell slips as he tries to beat Alexander-Arnold down the left. He accidentally performs the splits, over-extending and hurting himself in the process. On comes the trainer.

60 min: Mane dinks a clever pass down the right channel for Alexander-Arnold. For a second it looks as though it’ll land perfectly for a shot, just inside the box, but Cresswell extends a leg to hook clear. That’s fine defending.

58 min: West Ham put a lovely sweeping right-to-left move together, involving Bowen, Soucek and Cresswell. Phillips does very well to clear the eventual cross.

57 min: It’s all very bitty. West Ham are doing a textbook job of breaking up play, closing down space, and jiggering Liverpool’s momentum.

55 min: The game grinds down almost to a halt. West Ham will be perfectly happy with this. Liverpool need a rocket; they’ve been so laboured.

53 min: Jones finds a little bit of space to the right of the West Ham box. He rolls an inviting ball across the face of goal, but neither Salah nor Firmino react in time and West Ham are eventually able to clear their lines.

51 min: Alexander-Arnold hangs one in from the right. Mane does his best but it’s always going to be an easy claim for Fabianski. Liverpool are pretty ponderous in attack right now.

50 min: West Ham’s first attack of the second half sees Masuaku get the better of Alexander-Arnold down the left. He crosses low. Fornals sticks out a leg and sends the ball goalwards, but there’s no real pace on the effort and it’s an easy snaffle for Alisson.

49 min: Wijnaldum turns on the jets and makes off towards the West Ham box, defenders backtracking. Rice takes one for the team, tugging him back. A booking, and a free kick, just to the right of centre. Alexander-Arnold wedges into the centre. Salah tries to head towards the top left, but the ball comes off his shoulder and Fabianski claims.

48 min: Jones drifts across the front of the West Ham box, right to left. He should feed Mane on the left, but tries a reverse ball towards Firmino and gets that all wrong.

46 min: Salah bustles down the right. He’s hoping to spring West Ham’s back line, but Firmino over-elaborates a flick and eventually fouls Ogbonna.

Liverpool get the second half underway. They’re kicking towards the Kop in this second half. Let’s see if they’ve been given the what-for by Jurgen Klopp. No changes.

Liverpool have done the lion’s share of attacking but West Ham have defended well and scored a fine goal. The scoreline seems about right. Both teams will fancy their chances in the second half on this evidence.

45 min: Salah drifts in from the right and looks for Robertson, racing in from the opposite flank. There’s too much on the cross and it’s a goal kick. There will be two minutes added onto the end of an entertaining first half.

43 min: West Ham hoick a ball into the Liverpool mixer. Alisson claims under pressure from the physical Haller. But they come back at Liverpool again, Henderson clipping Haller out on the left. Soucek’s delivery is easily cleared by Robertson. But that’s a good response to conceding the equaliser from West Ham.

… lashes it straight down the middle with extreme power. Fabianski dives out of the way and the hosts are level!

40 min: Robertson should probably have taken it. Alexander-Arnlod blooters it straight into the wall, and that’s that. But Liverpool come again, Jones chipping down the inside-right channel for Salah, who looks to spin but is clipped by Masuaku. The referee points to the spot. Salah gets up to take it himself. And …

39 min: Firmino slips a ball down the inside right for Wijnaldum, who spins cleverly into space and draws a foul from Rice. This is a free kick just to the right of the D. Alexander-Arnold’s eyes have lit up, though Robertson fancies it as a left-footer too.

37 min: Mane jinks down the inside-right channel before switching play to Robertson, who meets the dropping ball with a creamy volley. But it’s always heading over the bar. It’s an attempt, though, and Liverpool haven’t had many of those so far.

35 min: Salah tries to bustle down the right but he’s eased off line by Cresswell and eventually concedes a frustrated foul. West Ham are extremely well organised. They’re offering up little space, doing a proper number on Liverpool’s front line.