Croatian boss is left on the brink as two wins in their first 11 matches leave the Hammers one point above the drop zone
JURGEN KLOPP really loves the London Stadium.
His Liverpool side stuck four past West Ham again to go with the thumping they dished out last season on their first visit.
This time Mo Salah netted twice, Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also scored and Manuel Lanzini replied.
It was the perfect return to the capital after Tottenham swept past them on their last trip south.
If Klopp has hopes of finishing in the top four again, he’ll need more displays like this away from Anfield – although he was helped by Slaven Bilic’s side having a shocker.
This was as bad as their crushing defeat to Brighton in their last home game and piles on the pressure on Bilic.
But Klopp could celebrate a second away win of the Prem season – and the news got even better with news from the treatment room.
Klopp was able to name Sadio Mane in his starting line-up, with the Senegal forward making a miracle comeback after being out for just a month with a hamstring injury.
After picking up the problem playing for his country he was expected to be out for another couple of weeks.
But he came back and had a massive impact on Liverpool storming into their two-goal lead early on.
For the opener, Salah flicked the ball to him from a cleared corner and the ex-Southampton man went on a pacy 50-yard run.
With just Aaron Cresswell back defending, Mane had time to choose the right option, which was teeing up Salah.
Joe Hart came rushing out but Salah calmly sidefooted home for his 11th of the season, making the £34million fee paid to Roma look a bargain.
Within three minutes the lead was doubled thanks to Matip – and some kamikaze defending from the Hammers.
Salah swung over a corner and Andre Ayew had a swing and a miss, with the ball coming off Mark Noble’s shins towards goal. Hart did well to prevent an oggie but Matip was on hand to tap in.
It was a terrific start for Klopp’s lads.
Considering they conceded 15 goals in their five Prem trips this season, they were always going to need to score a few to win.
West Ham were left to reflect on their wasted chance before the goal-blitz started.
Lanzini’s pass was deflected through and Ayew was bearing down on goal with just Simon Mignolet to beat.
Ayew lifted the ball over the Belgium keeper but his finished hit the post – meaning a missed opportunity to pile the pressure on the visitors.
With Jordan Henderson out injured, Mignolet was given the captain’s armband in a massive vote of confidence from Klopp.
Mignolet could easily have been axed after shipping four against Spurs on his last trip to London – but Klopp has stuck by him.
The same cannot be said for Dejan Lovren, who has not had a look in since the Wembley horror show when he was hauled off after half an hour. He could have been hooked even EARLIER if Oxlade-Chamberlain was ready to come on as sub.
Since then he’s had death threats no social media and his house targeted by burglars in midweek.
This game would have been a perfect way to reintroduce him into the team as West Ham offered little threat in the first half after hitting the woodwork.
There were a few pot-shots from long-distance but Mignolet could have had a cigar out in the first half before it livened up in the second half.
The West Ham fans voiced their frustration at the break as Bilic’s team were jeered off.
They had come back from two goals down recently to defeat Tottenham in the Carabao Cup and were in desperate need for inspiration.
They were seconds away from victory against Crystal Palace last weekend before condeding Wilfried Zaha’s last-gasp leveller.
That felt like a defeat and this was the hangover.
Michail Antonio took the blame for Zaha’s goal for failing to keep the ball for the final seconds of the match – and he was one of THREE right-backs out injured.
With Pablo Zabaleta and Sam Byram also out, Bilic’s team did not look balanced.
Bilic needed to shake it up at half-time and brought on Andy Carroll to face his former club and try to ruffle Klopp’s defenders.
The goal that got them back in the game came when Lanzini got the wrong side of Joe Gomez and tucked away a smart volley.
But Liverpool’s cushion was restored within 55 seconds as Bilic’s defenders went missing again.
Roberto Firmino strolled into enemy territory and then saw Oxlade-Chamberlain totally unmarked on the right.
Hart saved his first effort but Ox was given too much time to pick up the rebound and slam into the top corner.
And there was time for Salah to pick up Mane’s chip and and fire home on the angle to make it another four-goal haul for Liverpool on this ground.
Lovren came on for the last few minutes with the job done. A morale-booster for the Croatia defender – and hopefully a sign for Liverpool that Wembley is out of their system.
West Ham boss Slaven Bilic: "We started well for the first 20 minutes, exactly what we wanted but then we conceded two goals, very cheap.
"I have to talk to the chairman, we are going to discuss this defeat. It's not the first one, it's the second in a row in home. It is a very difficult situation for me.
"I always believe in myself, I wouldn't be here otherwise."
