- West Ham stunned Liverpool to earn all three Premier League points at Anfield on Saturday
- Manuel Lanzini scored in the third minute and Mark Noble added a second on half-hour mark
- Philippe Coutinho was sent off for two yellow cards and will miss the game against Manchester United
- Diafra Sakho added a third goal in injury time for West Ham after Noble's red card
They
stood as one jubilant mass, praising their manager, belting out the old
favourites and imploring their team to score a fourth.
When
the fixture list pits Liverpool against west Ham at Anfield, the result
is usually a foregone conclusion: three points for the home team and a
long, miserable trip back to the capital following an afternoon of
disappointment.
Not
this time. Not by a long way. West Ham, for the first time since
September 1963 when the Beatles topped the charts with 'She Loves You',
have been victorious in this part of Merseyside and how emphatically
they ended their hoodoo, with three unanswered goals.
West Ham celebrate their first win at Anfield in 52 years after sweeping Liverpool aside on Saturday afternoon
Philippe Coutinho was sent off for two bookable offences on a miserable afternoon for Liverpool in the Premier League
Coutinho reacts in frustration after his red card and realising he will miss the trip to Manchester United on September 12
MATCH FACTS, STATS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE FROM ANFIELD
Liverpool:
Mignolet 5, Clyne 5, Skrtel 5, Lovren 4, Gomez 5 (Ibe 78), Can 4
(Moreno 45), Lucas 5, Milner 6, Firmino 5 (Ings 61, 6), Benteke 4,
Coutinho 4.
Subs not used: Sakho, Origi, Bogdan, Rossiter.
Booked: Lucas, Ings, Clyne.
Sent off: Coutinho 52.
West Ham:
Randolph 7, Tomkins 7, Reid 8, Ogbonna 8, Cresswell 8, Kouyate 7,
Obiang 7, Noble 7, Lanzini 8 (Oxford 81), Sakho 7 (Cullen 90), Payet 8.5
(Jarvis 88).
Subs not used: Spiegel, Samuelsen, Lee, Knoyle.
Goals: Lanzini 3, Noble 29, Sakho 90.
Booked: Lanzini.
Sent off: Noble 78.
Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)
Attendance: 43,680.
Ratings by DOMINIC KING at Anfield
West
Ham, despite finishing with 10 men after Mark Noble was sent-off for a
wild challenge on Danny Ings, were outstanding and secured victory
thanks to first-half goals from Manuel Lanzini, Noble and another in
injury time from Diafra Sakho.
Liverpool,
who also finished with 10 men after Philippe Coutinho was given his
marching orders for two bookable offences, were absolutely wretched and
this result punctures the early cautious optimism that had started to
grow after their unbeaten start.
To
make matters worse for Rodgers, he will now have Coutinho suspended for
the trip to Old Trafford after the international break. The Brazil
international was foolish and once he walked down the tunnel,
Liverpool's hopes of a comeback disappeared. West Ham took full
advantage.
Lanzini gave West Ham the perfect start with a goal inside three minutes to stun the home side
Lanzini celebrates his early strike which sent Anfield into silence in the third minute of the Premier League contest
This
ground has been a graveyard for West Ham. Since that day in 1963, they
have played 42 times. On fleeting occasions, they have ground out draws
but the narrative has tended to follow a familiar pattern, with them
being dispatched back to East London on the back of a pummelling.
From
the first whistle, though, this seemed like it was going to follow a
different pattern. Bilic, a figure of perpetual motion who barked,
bellowed and cajoled from flag fall, had sent his team out with a plan
and within three minutes they had secured a priceless early advantage.
Dimitri
Payet spread the panic amongst Liverpool's defence, when he darted down
the left flank and fizzed in a cross; Martin Skrtel tried to clear but
his header went straight to Aaron Cresswell, who showed great poise to
pick out Lanzini and give him a simple chance from six yards.
Mark Noble slotted in a second for West Ham just before the half hour mark to put the visitors in dreamland
West Ham capitalised on a Dejan Lovren mistake and Noble slotted into the bottom corner to double West Ham's lead
Noble turns away to celebrate his goal at a stunned Kop end on Saturday during a Premier League encounter
Liverpool
were stunned but the celebrations in the away end suggested that while
it was a pleasant surprise, they didn't hold out any great expectations.
When Roberto Firmino cracked a 25-yard drive against the post in the
eight minute, it seemed that Liverpool would get back on an even keel.
How
dangerous it is to make assumptions. The best performers from the start
wore claret and blue and with Cresswell and Lanzini buzzing down the
flanks, assisted by the gifted Payet and industrious Diafra Sakho, West
Ham were intent on causing a shock.
Lanzini,
who learned his trade with River Plate in Argentina, was a particular
pest and in the 29th minute, his persistence embarrassed Dejan Lovren
and created a chance for the visitors to extend their lead.
Sakho rounded off a memorable afternoon for West Ham with a third goal in injury time of the Premier League encounter
Sakho celebrates his goal as Liverpool's Martin Skrtel and James Milner look on in dejection in the background
West Ham were incensed when Noble was given a straight red card in the 78th minute by referee Kevin Friend
Noble was sent off for this challenge on Ings in the 78th minute of the Premier League encounter at Anfield
On
the back of three clean sheets, Rodgers had predicted that Anfield
would 'see a different player' this season when discussing Lovren in the
build-up to this contest but his aberration when Lanzini applied
pressure was horribly familiar.
The
Croatia international ended up getting in a tangle and fell on his back
side by the corner flag as he tried to usher the ball out of play,
allowing Lanzini to pick his pocket; though his cross was cleared, it
only ended up at the feet of Noble, who guided it emphatically past
Simon Mignolet.
Those
around the country who would have saw the score flash will have been
inclined to do a double take but there was nothing fortuitous about it.
Liverpool – one paced and predictable – never threatened to test Darren
Randolph and Christian Benteke was left horribly isolated.
Rodgers
made a significant change at half-time, switching from a flat back four
to three central defenders, but it made no difference. Liverpool never
looked like landing a blow and in the final moments, Sakho crowned a
memorable afternoon when firing from 18 yards.
Lovren, pictured battling with West Ham's Cheikhou Kouyate endured a difficult afternoon in Liverpool's defence
Injured captain Jordan Henderson (right) and Adam Lallana (left) watch on from the stands at Anfield
James Milner remonstrates with referee Friend while heading down the tunnel at half-time at Anfield
Christian Benteke cut a frustrated figure as he was unable to make a difference for Liverpool in their home defeat
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