Digging Deeper Into Liverpool’s Dramatic Late Win Over West Ham

With a late goal by Virgil van Dijk required to retake the lead and the points, we take a look at what it means for Arne Slot’s Reds.

Liverpool were again handed a gift ahead of their own match as Arsenal continued to prove they are not serious contenders after dropping points to Brentford. The Reds look much more assured than last weekend and were on the attack early and often. They took a deserved lead through Luis Diaz and piled on plenty of pressure throughout the rest of the first half but could not find a second goal. West Ham regrouped in the second half and began to cut through the Liverpool midfield with regularity. A late Hammers move and a defensive miscommunication saw Virgil van Dijk attempt to clear a ball, but saw it deflect off of Andy Robertson for an own goal. The captain dragged his team back, however, scoring off a corner kick in the 89th minute to bring his side closer to the club’s 20th first tier title.

Below, we take a look at some winners and losers on the night, and attempt to disentangle narrative from fact.

Winners

Mohamed Salah
The big news coming into today’s match was the new two-year contract signed by Salah. The Egyptian King looked reinvigorated after having the contract negotiations behind him and he was an immediate threat down the right wing. It didn’t take long for him to break his goal-involvement drought after he absolutely skinned Ollie Scarles on the right wing (well done, he’s 19) before racing forward and delivering an inch-perfect ball across the face of goal with the outside of his left boot for Luis Diaz to tap in.

The assist put Salah on 45 goal involvements in the Premier League this season. That is yet another modern-day record held by the Egyptian.

Luis Diaz
Like his counterpart on the opposite wing, Lucho looked dangerous early and often against West Ham. Se scored the opening goal, timing his run well to tap in from close range. He now has two goals and an assist in his last three games.

Diaz continued to be a threat after scoring by varying his attack angles, effectively getting to the end line before cutting the ball back or cutting inside early if given the space. He finished with four shots, two on target, and two key passes on the day. He also lead the team with two dribbles completed.

Alexis Mac Allister
With Dominik Szobozlai left on the bench to start the match, Mac Allister was given more freedom to pick his moments for forward runs. He created havoc a couple of times in the first half with intelligent timing of a run beyond the back line, getting into a shooting opportunity. Mac Allister also was good with his set piece deliveries on the day. He hit a sensational free kick that was just barely touched up onto the bar by Alphonse Areola to be denied by the woodwork. The Argentine provided the corner kick that was headed home by Virgil van Dijk for the late winning goal.

Mac Allister matched many of the key statistics of forward Luis Diaz. He also finished with four total shots, two on target, and provided two key passes. He also battled well in midfield, winning three tackles and intercepting a pass.

Virgil van Dijk
It was a captain’s performance from the Dutchman. He was pinging the ball from deep throughout the first half, ending up with seven of nine long passes completed. Several of those passes were long diagonals dropped in perfectly for Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz. The Dutch defender was also a threat on attacking set pieces, and he ultimately won the match with a header in the 89th minute, just shortly after being involved in a defensive miscue that resulted in an own goal.

Alisson Becker
The Brazilian goalkeeper made his return after missing the last two matches due to a concussion and quickly reminded everyone just how important he is. Just after Liverpool took the lead, Alisson was called on to make two fantastic saves in a single sequence to preserve the lead. He came out quickly and slid in to make and initial save before having to jump up, backtrack towards the goal, and get a leaping touch while going backwards to push the ball into the crossbar. Alisson made several other key saves in the second half as Liverpool allowed themselves to be put under pressure.

Losers

Second Half Control
Liverpool were cruising in the first half, keeping control of the ball and generating attack after attack. West Ham adjusted in the second half and the Reds seemingly did not. The visitors began to carve open Liverpool with regularity due to poor spacing between the lines and some poor communication. The lack of control over matches has been a trend since the winter break, and is something that needs to be sorted out. The second half substitutions did not seem to create much positive effect, and even seemed to open up space in midfield after Curtis Jones came off in favor of Dominik Szoboszlai.

Andy Robertson
The Scot came on as a second half substitute and had a torrid run out. He failed to step up with Virgil van Dijk, keeping Jarrod Bowen onside and allowing him a run on goal. A few minutes later Robertson was involved in another mix-up with Virgil van Dijk that saw the captain try to clear the ball, which deflected off of Robbo and into the net for an own goal.

Diogo Jota
This may be more feature than bug at this point for the central striker role under Arne Slot, but Jota again failed to have much impact on the match. He had a paltry 16 touches over 60 minutes, with zero shots and one key pass.

Title Math

With Arsenal again dropping points on Saturday, the Reds had the chance to shorten the timeline for the title race. Unlike last weekend, Liverpool managed to find a way to the win. The Reds now hold a 13 point lead with 6 matches left to play. That leads the magic number at 6 points required from the remaining matches to seal the deal.

What Happens Next

Liverpool have a full week to prepare for a trip to Leicester City next Sunday. Depending on Arsenal’s result with Ipswich Town, the Reds could potentially seal the title next weekend. Most likely, however, it would be the following match at home against Spurs where the hardware will be secured.