Liverpool 3-1 West Ham – Darwin Nunez helps Reds to Premier League victory over West Ham as Reds maintain unbeaten start

Darwin Nunez scored a crucial goal as Liverpool battled past West Ham United 3-1 at Anfield and maintained their unbeaten start to the season.

Liverpool took the lead against the run of play and from the penalty spot; Mohamed Salah scored after he had been fouled at the end of an excellent counter-attack.

West Ham went in level, though, thanks to Jarrod Bowen’s diving header, which rounded off a nice team move.

The teams traded bad misses after the break as first Nunez hacked wide after Liverpool sprung the offside trap and then Bowen headed straight at Alisson when picked out by an exceptional James Ward-Prowse set piece.

Yet Nunez made amends on 60 minutes, acrobatically volleying home after Alexis Mac Allister clipped a hopeful pass into the box, and Diogo Jota added a late third from a corner.

The victory lifts Liverpool to second place, two points behind the leaders Manchester City with 16. West Ham fall to seventh on 10 points.

At one point last season Nunez had become a punchline, but so far this campaign few are laughing at the Uruguayan. He proved the match-winner here, just as he was at Newcastle, and is starting to show why Liverpool spent so much money on him last summer.

Sunday’s performance was far from perfect and included a notable miss, but with his movement and energy, Nunez kept coming and got in a position to score the winner. In a Liverpool team with a functioning midfield, Nunez is going to get a lot of chances, and he’s shown an increased capacity to take and make them so far this season.

An assured display in the middle of the park. Mac Allister generally used the ball well, never more so than when he set up Nunez to score, and he was also an important part in Liverpool controlling the second half. West Ham never threatened to get back into it after going 2-1 down and Liverpool’s midfield, led by Mac Allister, had a lot to do with that.

Liverpool: Alisson 7, Gomez 6, Matip 6, Van Dijk 7, Roberton 6, Szoboszlai 6, Mac Allister 7, Jones 6, Diaz 6, Salah 6, Nunez 7. Subs: Gravenberch 6, Jota 7, Gakpo 6, Endo n/a.

West Ham: Areola, Emerson, Aguerd, Zouma, Coufal, Alvarez, Soucek, Ward-Prowse, Paqueta, Bowen, Antonio. Subs: Kudus 5, Fornals 5, Ings n/a.

SAVE! 6′ – Antonio outmuscles Szoboszlai and West Ham work a crossing opportunity for Paqueta, who lands it on Soucek’s head, but Alisson denies the Czech diving low to his right.

PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL 15′ – Diaz and Nunez launch a brisk counter-attack, the Colombian carries the ball forward and his wayward pass is flicked Salah’s way by Nunez. Aguerd then trips Salah and it’s a blatant penalty.

GOAL! LIVERPOOL 1-0 WREST HAM (SALAH) 16′ – Salah takes the penalty and smashes it into the net, with Areola diving the wrong way for good measure.

GOAL! LIVERPOOL 1-1 WEST HAM (BOWEN) 42′ – Bowen nods a long ball back to Antonio, who spreads the play wide to Coufal. When Coufal comes to cross, Bowen makes a nice run across his marker and aims a diving header into the far corner, out of Alisson’s reach but in off the post.

BIG CHANCE! 55′ – West Ham win a free kick by the corner flag and Ward-Prowse’s delivery is immaculate, but from six yards out Bowen heads down and straight at Allison, who gladly saves.

GOAL! LIVERPOOL 2-1 WEST HAM (NUNEZ) 60′ – Mac Allister plays a hopeful, clipped pass between two defenders and Nunez meets it 12 yards out, acrobatically volleying into the corner! A super finish from the Uruguayan.

GOAL! LIVERPOOL 3-1 WEST HAM (JOTA) 85′ – A Liverpool corner is headed back into the mixer by Van Dijk and Jota diverts into the net.

• In his last five Liverpool games, Nunez has four gaols and two assists. That’s despite twice coming off the bench.
• Salah has scored or assisted in 12 consecutive home Premier League matches.
• David Moyes is winless in 21 trips to Anfield as a manager.
• West Ham have won at Anfield just once in 60 years.