Liverpool 2-1 West Ham United
Premier League, Anfield, Sunday 13 April 2025, 2pm BST
West Ham United fell to defeat at the hands of Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday afternoon, losing 2-1 to Virgil van Dijk's last-gasp header at Anfield.
Despite showing signs of promise and attacking intent throughout, the Hammers were dealt a cruel late blow, as van Dijk finished from a corner in the 89th minute to give the Reds all three points.
Back in the first half, Luis Díaz opened the scoring with 18 minutes on the clock after Mohamed Salah led a lightning-fast breakaway down the right-hand side.
An own-goal by Andy Robertson looked to have earned a late, deserved point for the Hammers four minutes from time, until van Dijk's intervention right at the end proved decisive.
Following an immaculately observed minute's silence to mark the 36th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy, the Hammers kicked off the action in search of evoking the spirit of August 2015, when Manuel Lanzini, Mark Noble and Diafra Sakho all found the net in a 3-0 Premier League success for the Irons - our only victory at Liverpool’s famous stadium in the previous 57 visits in all competitions.
Liverpool - closing in on their first Premier League title since 2019/20 - were keen to establish themselves early in the game, with that intent made clear by Díaz in the sixth minute when he forced Alphonse Areola into a plunging one-handed save with a powerful, curling strike.
The Hammers were made to weather an early storm from Arne Slot's side, and were content to sit deep and try to absorb the hosts’ pressure. That harrying pressure continued, and after Conor Bradley’s volley flew just wide of the left post, Curtis Jones fired a low, angled shot from the edge of the box straight at Areola and Salah, cutting in from the right, curled narrowly wide of our No23’s right post, Liverpool struck on the counter, breaking the deadlock after 18 minutes.
The Reds raced forward as Salah collected an Ibrahima Konaté long pass and hit a right-footed cross that beat Diogo Jota but ran perfectly for Díaz to finish into the empty net.
Despite the blow of falling behind so early, the Hammers slowly grew into the game, creating openings of their own. Mohammed Kudus picked up a loose ball in the box after Carlos Soler’s forward run cleared space, only to see his curling effort bounce off the bar via a touch from Alisson's fingertips.
The Irons remained in the game as the break approached, continuing to carry a threat of their own going forward. And we almost levelled afterwards when Jarrod Bowen sent a defence-splitting pass into the path of Kudus, but he was denied from close range by Liverpool shot-stopper Alisson, before West Ham capped a strong end to the opening half with a gilt-edged chance just seconds before the interval.
After Kudus’ long-range effort hit the stanchion behind the goal, there was immediately a chance for Dinos Mavropanos, who guided a header over, having been picked out by James Ward-Prowse’s set-piece.
Another fast start followed after the restart as the encounter continued in the same vein, with Alexis Mac Allister’s free-kick crashing off the underside of the bar, before Areola - on top form - denied him again, showing quick-wittedness and bravery to get across and superbly tip an outside-of-the-boot chip away from danger.
West Ham hit back, with Bowen sent running down the wing. He cut the ball back to an unmarked Soler just outside of the box, but he knocked his effort over the bar.
Moments later, Bowen was presented with a golden chance to level. A fine pass from Lucas Paquetá slipped the Hammers skipper in behind the defence, but Allison reacted quickly to swipe away an attempted chip.
The chances kept coming for the visitors but Kudus would be denied twice in quick succession on 75 minutes, first seeing an effort from a difficult angle tipped wide by Liverpool’s No1, after latching onto Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s underlapping pass, before the No14 found a pocket of space on the edge of the box, showed some trickery and followed up with a low effort which was deflected wide for a corner.
After dominating for much of the second half, the Irons looked to have earned their just reward after 86 minutes, albeit there was a touch of good fortune about the leveller. Wan-Bissaka’s left-wing cross caused panic in the Reds’ defence and van Dijk’s attempted clearance inadvertently bounced off substitute Andy Robertson and into the net.
It was a breathless final few minutes at Anfield, as we looked to have taken a well-deserved point against the league leaders.
But it wasn’t to be, as Liverpool restored their lead moments later when van Dijk outjumped his marker to head in from six yards from a right-wing corner.
The action wasn't finished there though, as at the other end, the visitors almost rescued a point in stoppage time, when Maximilian Kilman lifted a cross into the box and substitute Niclas Füllkrug rushed onto it, heading onto the bar, before referee Andrew Madley came to the hosts’ rescue with the full-time whistle.
A battling and spirited performance deserved better but ended empty-handed as Liverpool took the points.
Liverpool: Alisson, Bradley (Quansah 68), van Dijk ©, Konaté, Tsimikas (Robertson 60), Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones (Szoboszlai 68), Díaz, Jota (Gakpo 60), Salah (Endō 85)
Subs not used: Jaros (GK), Kelleher (GK), Elliott, Chiesa
Goals: Díaz 18, van Dijk 89
West Ham United: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Todibo (Luis Guilherme 78), Kilman, Mavropanos, Scarles (Coufal 57), Ward-Prowse, Soler (Füllkrug 78), Paquetá, Kudus, Bowen ©
Subs not used: Fabiański (GK), Emerson, Rodríguez, Álvarez, Souček, Ferguson
Goal: Robertson (OG) 86
Booked: Coufal, Paquetá
Referee: Andrew Madley
