Match ends, West Ham United 1, Liverpool 4.
Liverpool produced the "perfect" counter-attacking performance to thrash West Ham at London Stadium on Saturday, Reds manager Jurgen Klopp said.
Mohamed Salah scored twice, while Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also netted in a 4-1 win.
The Reds, who are sixth in the Premier League, have now scored 10 goals in their last three games in all competitions.
"Our counter-attacking was pretty perfect," Klopp said.
"We had some wonderful play. That's 3-0, 3-0, 4-1, it's been a really good week."
Salah put his side ahead in the first half, firing beyond keeper Joe Hart after the Hammers were caught out by a quick counter-attack. The Reds doubled their lead soon after when Matip slotted home from a corner.
Manuel Lanzini's deft finish briefly gave the hosts hope but Oxlade-Chamberlain's first Premier League goal for Liverpool restored their two-goal advantage before Salah's powerful finish sealed the win.
Defeat for West Ham means they are 17th and just one point above the relegation zone. The Hammers' points total of nine after 11 games matches their total over the same period in 2010-11 when they were relegated from the top flight.
"The pressure mounts game by game and at this moment it is big," Bilic said.
"We will see what the club will do. The club is above everyone."
- Re-live Liverpool's victory over West Ham
- Bilic 'will see what the club will do'
- Podcast: Liverpool heap more pressure on Bilic
Consistency key for Liverpool challenge
Liverpool's attacking play has been outstanding at times this season but during the first few games of the campaign they lacked the clinical touch in the final third to round it off.
However, successive 3-0 wins against Huddersfield in the Premier League and then Maribor in the Champions League in recent weeks suggested that had perhaps been found.
With Manchester City hosting Arsenal and Chelsea entertaining Manchester United on Sunday, the trip to West Ham offered Liverpool an excellent chance to gain ground on their title rivals before their games.
It was a chance they grasped with both hands.
Against a side who had set up to try to stifle their attacking qualities, the visitors made the most of their few opportunities - something they failed to do earlier in the season - as two of their three shots on goal in the first half resulted in goals.
Sadio Mane, back in the side for the first time since the start of October after recovering from a hamstring injury, highlighted why he is such an integral player for the Reds as his pace allowed Liverpool to break quickly from a West Ham corner.
The Senegal forward took the ball from the edge of his own area to the edge of the West Ham box before setting up Salah for a simple finish.
"I decided after just one training session to bring Sadio in from the beginning," Klopp added.
"I've never done that before, but obviously it was not the worst idea I've ever had. Sadio is a naturally fit player, he is a machine."
Salah the signing of the summer?
The opener was Salah's fifth goal in as many games for the club and the winger is proving to be worth every penny of the £34m Liverpool paid Roma for his services in the summer.
The Egypt international's second of the game, a neat drive across Hart into the far corner, means he has now had a hand in 15 goals in all competitions this season, more than any other Liverpool player.
The win marked the first time since August that Liverpool had recorded back-to-back wins and maintaining that sort of consistency will be crucial to their hopes of finishing in the top four.
Is there any hope for Bilic?
It has been a testing season for the West Ham manager, who on several occasions this season has reportedly been teetering on the brink of losing his job, only to oversee a result that relieved any immediate pressure.
The Hammers avoided a fourth successive Premier League defeat by beating Huddersfield 2-0 on 11 September and last month staged a stunning fightback to beat Tottenham 3-2 in the League Cup after trailing 2-0 at half-time.
West Ham were arguably the better side for the first 20 minutes against Liverpool but defensive naivety proved their downfall.
Despite knowing the threat Mane and Salah posed on the counter, the hosts left just one defender back for the corner that led to Liverpool's first before Matip was left unchallenged to tap in a second barely two minutes later.
And even the glimmer of hope offered by Lanzini's goal early in the second half was quickly snuffed out as a lapse of concentration allowed the visitors to score immediately from the restart.
Against a side who had scored six goals in their previous two games and won 4-0 at London Stadium in May it was perhaps always going to be a tough task for the Hammers, but Bilic knows his situation is becoming increasingly precarious.
"I don't feel a broken man," he said. "On the other hand, the situation for West Ham is not good and the club is above every individual.
"Of course I always believe in myself but it is not only about that now."
Man of the match - Mohamed Salah
No home comforts for West Ham - the stats
- Liverpool have scored eight goals in their two Premier League trips to London Stadium, the same tally as the Hammers have scored in their last nine there in the competition.
- Since moving to London Stadium in August 2016, West Ham have lost more games at their home stadium than they have won (W9 D4 L11).
- In fact, since the move, only Swansea (44) have conceded more goals at home in the Premier League than West Ham (41).
- For the 14th time under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool have scored more than four goals in a single Premier League game - only Manchester City (16) and Tottenham Hotspur (16) have done so on more occasions in this period.
- Mohamed Salah has scored or assisted nine goals in his first 11 Premier League games for Liverpool (seven goals, two assists); only Daniel Sturridge has been directly involved in more after 11 games (10).
- Indeed, no player has scored more goals after 11 Premier League games than the Egyptian (seven - level with team-mate Sturridge).
- Sadio Mane assisted twice on his comeback from injury; no Liverpool player has been directly involved in more league goals since his debut in August 2016 (23 - 16 goals, seven assists).
- Since Dimitri Payet's departure in January, no player has been directly involved in more goals for West Ham in all competitions than Andre Ayew (16 - 10 goals, six assists); nine more than any other player.
- Joe Hart has conceded 33 goals in 18 Premier League games against Liverpool during his career; nine more than he has let in against any other side.
What next?
It is the international break next with West Ham returning to action on Sunday, 19 November, when they travel to Watford (16:00 GMT). Liverpool, meanwhile, are at home to Southampton on Saturday, 18 November (15:00).
Line-ups
West Ham
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 25Hart
- 8Kouyaté
- 2ReidBooked at 47mins
- 21Ogbonna
- 31FernandesSubstituted forCarrollat 45'minutes
- 16NobleBooked at 37minsSubstituted forArnautovicat 61'minutes
- 14Obiang
- 3Cresswell
- 20A Ayew
- 10LanziniBooked at 90mins
- 17HernándezSubstituted forSakhoat 72'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Arnautovic
- 9Carroll
- 13Adrián
- 15Sakho
- 23Haksabanovic
- 26Masuaku
- 41Rice
Liverpool
Formation 4-2-2-2
- 22Mignolet
- 12Gomez
- 32Matip
- 17Klavan
- 18Moreno
- 5Wijnaldum
- 23Can
- 21Oxlade-ChamberlainSubstituted forLovrenat 87'minutes
- 19ManéSubstituted forMilnerat 77'minutes
- 9FirminoSubstituted forSolankeat 87'minutes
- 11Salah
Substitutes
- 1Karius
- 6Lovren
- 7Milner
- 15Sturridge
- 16Grujic
- 29Solanke
- 66Alexander-Arnold
- Referee:
- Neil Swarbrick
- Attendance:
- 56,961
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home48%
- Away52%
- Shots
- Home6
- Away15
- Shots on Target
- Home1
- Away7
- Corners
- Home2
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away13
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, West Ham United 1, Liverpool 4.
Booking
Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United) is shown the yellow card.
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Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United).
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Foul by Joel Matip (Liverpool).
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Winston Reid (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Winston Reid.
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Attempt missed. Dominic Solanke (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Mohamed Salah following a fast break.
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Foul by Dominic Solanke (Liverpool).
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Pedro Obiang (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Dominic Solanke replaces Roberto Firmino.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Dejan Lovren replaces Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
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Attempt missed. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) right footed shot from the left side of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Emre Can.
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Attempt missed. James Milner (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
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Attempt blocked. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
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Foul by Andy Carroll (West Ham United).
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Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt saved. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
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Offside, West Ham United. Pedro Obiang tries a through ball, but Andy Carroll is caught offside.
Comments
Join the conversation
Hope Bilic somehow finds a way to galvanise the team. Why grown men need a manager to do this is beyond me, they should be proud for the club they play for and grateful for the money they earn.
Gylfi Sigurdsson cost more than Salah. Let that sink in.
you seem upset about something. Maybe if you cared more about your own team than Liverpool your life would feel better.
Getting some form at last.
As a season ticket holder I'd like to thank the dildo bros and trailer trash Brady for ruining my boyhood club - thank you for you interference!
Must grate a little for the Utd fans to watch a team actually trying to win away from home. Jose is so defensive he would rather a 0-0 anyway. :)
West Ham were (trying) to play like that, as did Huddersfield last week.
Liverpool played way below their best yesterday, but still came away 4-1 winners.
An those tactics which Mourinho uses are small club tactics against the bigger clubs.
Hamsters, - if you do get relegated this year take comfort in knowing that you will of course be most welcome at the Den next year (assuming we stay up!) Have you missed us? 😢
Anyone notice absolutely no acknowledgement between Noble and Bilic when he came off? Ignored each other. Noble is the sole player with passion for WHU.
Good result for us, 3pts, nothing more. We did well, but no joy in beating a poor team.
Big enough club for you as a Man U fan to feel the need to come on a forum about a Liverpool game and degenerate our club at 1am on a Sunday morning. 😜