West Ham United vs Liverpool. Premier League.
London StadiumAttendance56,961.
Sunday 5 November 2017 00:04, UK
Mohamed Salah scored twice as Liverpool increased the pressure on Slaven Bilic with a 4-1 victory over West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday.
Summer signing Salah put the visitors ahead in the 21st minute and Joel Matip made it 2-0 from a corner shortly afterwards.
The Hammers eventually responded through Manuel Lanzini in the 56th minute, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain struck back just 57 seconds later with his first Premier League goal for Liverpool and Salah then made it 4-1.
The win sees Liverpool close the gap on the top five, all of whom play on Sunday, while West Ham continue to hover above the relegation zone after another underwhelming performance.
The home side were booed off at half-time and full-time, and manager Bilic now heads into the two-week international break with his job potentially under threat.
The Hammers could have gone ahead early, with Andre Ayew striking the outside of the post after Roberto Firmino was denied early by Joe Hart in the second minute.
Chances after that were few and far between as West Ham defended deep and tried not to give Liverpool space to run in behind. That worked until the visitors scored two goals inside three minutes midway through the first half.
First, Liverpool broke from a West Ham corner, with Mane racing clear from inside his own half and then playing in Salah to finish past Hart. Shortly afterwards, Hart saved from a corner but could only palm the ball out for Matip to tap in from close range in the 24th minute.
West Ham could not mount any sort of response before the break, but they did cut the deficit in the 56th minute when Lanzini chested down and then flicked a shot into the far corner.
The celebrations were short-lived, though, as Oxlade-Chamberlain replied less than a minute later, finishing from close range after Hart saved his initial shot.
Lanzini and Javier Hernandez spurned chances for West Ham and, after Firmino fired wide, Salah made it 4-1 when he drilled a brilliant shot into the far corner.
Liverpool could have had more as West Ham fans headed to the exits, with those who did stay until the final whistle voicing their disapproval at the performance.
Slaven Bilic: "Of course I believe in myself, in my staff and in my team and their character and everything. I came so far from a small country first as a player then as a manager, so it's not about that. I am a big fighter. I definitely don't feel a broken man. I am very, very strong. On the other hand, the situation for West Ham is not good and as I said two years ago, one year ago, and now, the club is about every individual and that includes me."
Jurgen Klopp: "I decided after just one training session to bring Sadio in from the beginning. I've never done that before, but obviously it was not the worse idea I've ever had. Sadio is a naturally fit player, he is a machine. The first goal was a fantastic counter-attack, the second from a corner and that's two goals from set-plays in a week. We've had that before - but usually from the other team. Our response to their goal was outstanding, Oxlade-Chamberlain used the chance, and then brilliant play for the fourth."
Salah continued his fantastic start to the season by scoring his 11th and 12th goals for Liverpool. The first was a composed finish with just Hart to beat, while the second was a superb drilled shot across goal and into the bottom corner.
Along with Mane, the Egypt international looked dangerous throughout and could have scored his first hat-trick as Liverpool continued to flood forward late in the game.
West Ham are live on Sky Sports Premier League when they travel to Watford on Sunday, November 19 and also when they host Leicester on Friday Night Football on November 24. Liverpool host Southampton and then Chelsea after the international break, either side of a Champions League trip to Sevilla.
