Liverpool: bounced back to beat West Ham

Runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool fought back from behind to beat lowly West Ham United and maintain their 100% home record with a 3-2 win on Monday.

It looked like business as usual for Liverpool, unbeaten in the league and with a 22-point advantage at the top, when they went ahead in the ninth minute as Georginio Wijnaldum headed home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s whipped cross from the right.

Three minutes later, though, 18th-placed West Ham drew level with Issa Diop’s angled header from a Robert Snodgrass corner beating keeper Alisson Becker, who should have kept it out.

Virgil Van Dijk headed against the bar for Liverpool but Anfield was stunned in the 54th when Hammers substitute Pablo Fornals turned a low cross from Declan Rice into the far corner.

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Facing the possibility of their first defeat of the Premier League campaign, Liverpool inevitably piled on the pressure but their usually deadly frontline was misfiring.

Only an awful error from West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski that allowed Juergen Klopp’s side to get back on level terms.

Mohamed Salah’s tame shot from an Andy Robertson pull back creeping through the legs of the Polish keeper.

Fabianski was at fault again when he came off his line but failed to stop Alexander-Arnold looping the ball over him to Sadio Mane who slotted home.

Mane had the ball in the net again in the 86th minute but his effort was ruled out for offside after a swift VAR review.

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Liverpool’s win ensured they equalled Manchester City’s record of 18 straight top-flight wins.

In post match press conference, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp stressed that the boys remain focussed in maintaining and improving their performance rather than toasting such statistics.

“We all know it’s very special, but in the moment we are really just in the situation and want to recover and prepare for the next one. The next opponent is really waiting and wants to fight us, the whole stadium at Watford will go for us, that’s completely normal. There will be a special atmosphere and we have to be 100 per cent ready. I saw the boys tonight, they are ready to fight and as long as we are really ready to fight, nobody should worry, but we still have a lot of work to do.”