West Ham 1-4 Liverpool: Rapid Reds pile pressure on Slaven Bilic as Mohamed Salah, Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain punish hapless Hammers

  • Liverpool won at West Ham on Saturday, with Mohamed Salah scoring twice in an emphatic 4-1 victory
  • Salah scored in each half at the London Stadium where Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also netted
  • Liverpool's opener came 13 seconds after a Hammers corner as the visitors broke at stunning speed 
  • Manuel Lanzini bagged for West Ham, who were awful defensively and got booed off by home fans at full time

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Sometimes it is not the defeat itself that marks the end of an era; sometimes it is the manner of the defeat which is far more damaging than the score-line itself.

West Ham were abject against Liverpool at the London Stadium. By the end, a crowd of almost 60,000 had withered and thinned to around 15,000 hardy souls who saw it out to the bitter end to half-heartedly boo the team off. In fact, most of those left were jubilant Liverpool fans whose side had been made to look extremely good, not least Mohamed Salah and the returning Sadio Mane.

This isn't how it was meant to be when West Ham launched their brave new world in Stratford last year. Then, Slaven Bilic was riding high, having overseen an excellent first season. European adventures beckoned; new horizons were coming into view; West Ham might even set their sights hanging onto the coat tails of the big six.  


Liverpool won for the third time in eight days as they beat West Ham United in Stratford on Saturday evening

Liverpool won for the third time in eight days as they beat West Ham United in Stratford on Saturday evening

Mohamed Salah scored twice for the Reds, who climbed to sixth in the Premier League table and to within one point of third

Mohamed Salah scored twice for the Reds, who climbed to sixth in the Premier League table and to within one point of third

Centre back Joel Matip also scored for a dominant Liverpool outfit, who were 2-0 up inside the opening 24 minutes

Centre back Joel Matip also scored for a dominant Liverpool outfit, who were 2-0 up inside the opening 24 minutes

Summer signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain got on the scoresheet too, netting his first Premier League goal for the Reds

Summer signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain got on the scoresheet too, netting his first Premier League goal for the Reds

MATCH FACTS, RATINGS AND PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE

Mohamed Salah was Liverpool's star man, scoring 8/10 in Sportsmail's player ratings. Sadio Mane and Roberto Firimo also impressed as the Reds ran riot in Stratford

Mohamed Salah was Liverpool's star man, scoring 8/10 in Sportsmail's player ratings. Sadio Mane and Roberto Firimo also impressed as the Reds ran riot in Stratford

Season at a glance

  • Premier League
  • Premier League
  • Championship
  • League One
  • League Two
  • Scottish Premiership
  • Scottish Div 1
  • Scottish Div 2
  • Scottish Div 3
  • Ligue 1
  • Serie A
  • La Liga
  • Bundesliga
Liverpool's first goal was the product of a fast break led by  Mane, who set up Salah

Liverpool's first goal was the product of a fast break led by Mane, who set up Salah

Liverpool's third was scored by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain but Firmino made it with a fine run - past Winston Reid - and then pass

Liverpool's third was scored by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain but Firmino made it with a fine run - past Winston Reid - and then pass

For more stats and graphs visit Sportsmail's brilliant Match Zone.

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It took Liverpool 13.6 seconds to go from defending a corner to scoring. Mane was the architect, picking up the loose ball and then evading Edimilson Fernandes' feeble challenge. That left a three-on-one and Mane timed his pass to perfection for Salah

It took Liverpool 13.6 seconds to go from defending a corner to scoring. Mane was the architect, picking up the loose ball and then evading Edimilson Fernandes' feeble challenge. That left a three-on-one and Mane timed his pass to perfection for Salah

That seems fanciful for now. Of course, they will play better than this and they could yet recover some respectability. They have a League Cup quarter final. They also have Jose Fonte, James Collins and Pablo Zabaleta missing, which provides some mitigation.

Yet when you concede so easily, defend so poorly and appear so utterly bewildered by a Liverpool team which, good though they are, always offer opponents some hope, it's hard to see where the how improvement could come at present.

David Gold and David Sullivan have to ponder whether to risk a season treading water to avoid sinking and then head out for deeper waters in the summer or take the plunge now. They have a fortnight to consider and gazump Everton for Sean Dyche. Losing in such a miserable fashion is always inadvisable just especially so before an international break.

'I'm always facing the situation, facing the consequences, said Bilic. 'I'm strong and was always strong and I'm not hiding behind anything.' When would he speak to Gold and Sullivan he was asked? 'When they call me.'

'Of course I believe in myself and my staff and my team and my character. I've been a long time in football and I've come so far from a small country, first as a player then as a manager. I'm a big fighter. And I definitely don't feel a broken man. I'm very, very strong. On the other hand the situation for West Ham is not very good. But the club is about every individual and that includes me.'  

The Reds were ahead on 21 minutes when Salah scored his 11th goal since joining from Roma in the summer

The Reds were ahead on 21 minutes when Salah scored his 11th goal since joining from Roma in the summer

Salah was left with a simple finish after he and Sadio Mane broke at speed following a West Ham corner kick at the other end

Salah was left with a simple finish after he and Sadio Mane broke at speed following a West Ham corner kick at the other end

Egypt international Salah celebrated by kissing the turf at the London Stadium while his team-mates gathered around him

Egypt international Salah celebrated by kissing the turf at the London Stadium while his team-mates gathered around him

Mane also kissed the ground, playing in his first Reds match since recovering from an injury picked up in early October

Mane also kissed the ground, playing in his first Reds match since recovering from an injury picked up in early October

Bilic makes much of his own character. But no-one is questioning that. He remains a warrior. What will be his undoing is the team's lack of organisation at present.

Liverpool could take heart, whilst remaining realistic about the quality of the opposition they faced. Salah was superb, Mane infinitely better than might be expected for a man who had been out for a month and completed two training sessions and, cheeringly, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was flourishing. Klopp added Firmino's performance to the mix.

'We've had a fantastic week,' said Klopp. 'Two weeks ago [after the defeat to Tottenham] I felt quite different. Now we responded to that. I know after that game we were bad. We wanted to strike back and the boys did with two really nice results.'

They played what at times looked a highly-aggressive 4-2-4, but Salah, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mane defended enough to make it work. Still, they didn't need to be excellent because the theme throughout was West Ham's inability to defend and Liverpool's first goal was almost comical, so awful was it from West Ham's perspective. Thirteen seconds passed between Manuel Lanzini taking West Ham's corner at one end and Salah scoring at the other.

Liverpool headed the corner clear and Salah's clever touch for Mane put Edimilson Fernandes out of the game. Incredibly Salah and Mane, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain swiftly joining them, found themselves deep inside their own half yet with just Aaron Creswell confronting them. It was evidently a hopeless task. Bilic argued there were three players defending but, if so, Mark Noble and Fernandes had got themselves far too far forward. It was beyond naïve, a schoolboy moment.

Mane carried the ball for 60 metres before releasing Salah and only Noble and Winston Reid had then managed to get back to help Cresswell, with Fernandes sauntering back. As such, Salah's task was easy to finish from close range. 

Liverpool were 2-0 up on 24 minutes when defender Matip was left with a simple finish in the Hammers' six-yard box

Liverpool were 2-0 up on 24 minutes when defender Matip was left with a simple finish in the Hammers' six-yard box

Matip tapped home after Joe Hart had failed to hold onto the ball as he made a diving save to prevent a Mark Noble own goal

Matip tapped home after Joe Hart had failed to hold onto the ball as he made a diving save to prevent a Mark Noble own goal

Manuel Lanzini gave West Ham supporters brief hope by making it 2-1 just 10 minutes into the second half

Manuel Lanzini gave West Ham supporters brief hope by making it 2-1 just 10 minutes into the second half

Argentina international Lanzini found the net with a chip over goalkeeper Simon Mignolet

Argentina international Lanzini found the net with a chip over goalkeeper Simon Mignolet

But Liverpool regained their two-goal lead less than 60 seconds later when Oxlade-Chamberlain gobbled up a rebound

But Liverpool regained their two-goal lead less than 60 seconds later when Oxlade-Chamberlain gobbled up a rebound

Salah then made it 4-1 with a crisp left-footed shot, again set up by Mane, who completed 77 minutes for Jurgen Klopp

Salah then made it 4-1 with a crisp left-footed shot, again set up by Mane, who completed 77 minutes for Jurgen Klopp

West Ham's defeat left Slaven Bilic facing increasing pressure. He looked exasperated as he watched his team struggle

West Ham's defeat left Slaven Bilic facing increasing pressure. He looked exasperated as he watched his team struggle

Mignolet captained Liverpool for the first time and looked proud as he celebrated one of his team's first-half goals

Mignolet captained Liverpool for the first time and looked proud as he celebrated one of his team's first-half goals

Two minutes and thirty seven seconds passed from the restart before West Ham were looking around utterly bewildered again. This time, at least, it was a Liverpool corner which was their downfall. Salah drilled it in low to Mane but Andre Ayew thumped the ball against Mark Noble. And though Joe Hart saved the deflection he could only push the ball to Joel Matip, who finished from close range.

Yet West Ham had started well and should have taken the lead on ten minutes, Manuel Lanzini lifting the ball beyond the Liverpool back four for Ayew, who charged clear but shot against the post. Still, even at 2-0, Liverpool are not a team to shut up shop; rather, they're open all hours. West Ham changed to a 4-4-2 with Andy Carroll at half time and on 55 minutes Andrew Ayew's cross found Lanzini. His movement was too clever for Joe Gomez and his volley past Mignolet was wonderful.

Briefly the London Stadium stirred yet just fifty-five seconds passed from the re-start before hope was deferred once more. Firmino surged, shrugging off challenges, found space and released Oxlade-Chamberlain. His first strike was parried by Hart but the rebound landed kindly and the he struck home from close range, his first Premier League goal since his summer move.

On 76 minutes, Mane wriggled his way through a plethora of barely-committed challenges before lifting the ball to Salah, in yards of space, on the edge of the box. Confident and precise, the Egyptian simply drilled the ball across goal and into the far corner.

Cue an exodus. Seemingly without rancour, West Ham fans simply got up and left. Thousands headed for the exits. There wasn't even much anger; simply resignation. Even with ten minutes to play, the stadium was half empty. But the team had surrendered long before the crowd had thrown in the towel.