Liverpool’s players scored well against West Ham, but most were quiet. Cody Gakpo did okay. Only Mohamed Salah and a few others were used as substitutes.
LONDON STADIUM, STRATFORD // Liverpool struggled once more in the Premier League, this time against West Ham United, as the dull match finished 2-2. Cody Gakpo was competent, but not particularly so.
Before Jarrod Bowen’s first goal late in the first half, Lucas Paquetá nearly got away with a card for a shoddy tackle on Alexis Mac Allister. Luis Díaz struck the post and the offside flag was hoisted, giving Liverpool the impression that they had a penalty, but neither team had really done enough to deserve the lead.
A few minutes after the restart, Andy Robertson hammered home a shot from within the penalty area to tie the score for Liverpool, and that’s when the game changed. Gakpo’s strike that put his side ahead was deflected at least twice, but even though it went in off Angelo Ogbonna, they are all valid.
Another goal that should have been avoided was given up with less than fifteen minutes remaining in normal time, this time by Liverpool. With enough work, Michail Antonio moved Jarell Quansah under the ball and out of the situation when Bowen’s cross reached his head.
WINNERS
After playing poorly against Everton in midweek, Cody Gakpo returned to the team. The Dutchman, despite having many shots blocked, was active and connected the dots well. Even the one that resulted in an own goal was pulled off by a few West Ham players. However, he was a better option than Núñez, thus he should be starting against Spurs the following Saturday.
LOSERS
In a game like this, how much can you actually win or lose? It is difficult to evaluate a game where not much was at stake. However, the players who entered performed better than the ones who left, so Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah may have to work a little more to regain their position.
RATINGS OF PLAYERS
Alisson Becker 7
made an incredible stop from the first header before Liverpool still gave Bowen the opportunity to open the score from the subsequent corner kick. It was not the best way to be rewarded after he had played the rest of the game clean. He didn’t really have a lot to do for the most of the match.
Trent Arnold Alexander 6
handled Mohammed Kudus pretty well down that side of the field, while his offensive contributions were minimal. One free-kick, placed in a similar spot as his goal against Fulham, went over the top by a considerable margin.
Jarell Quansah 6
There was some impressive defending at times, including one moment when Antonio forcefully moved Paquetá out of the way, but Antonio’s expertise paid off as he scored the equalizer. Both on the ball and in the main, excellent positioning. assisted Alexander-Arnold in managing Kudus.
Van Dijk, Virgil — 6
Really, it’s just his normal game. Though he wasn’t overly strong or skilled with the ball, his influence should be limited moving forward. For the Bowen goal, the marking was inadequate, but he has no control over everything.
Andy Robertson — 7
looked impressive down that side of the field and scored the equalizer. A few crossing attempts were wasted, but overall the performance was respectable. quieted as the second part progressed.
Gravenberch Ryan — 7
Early in the second half, had a shot go over the bar and found himself in some favorable positions. Like against Fulham the previous weekend, but this time without the curled goal finish. The potential is there, but it hasn’t quite materialized yet.
Wataru Endō — 5
appeared cautious and a little afraid of himself at times during the game, and his dispersion is restricted. When there are a lot of West Ham players surrounding him on a large field, he lacks some quickness.
Alexis MacAllister 6
received a few knocks and was obviously a player that West Ham didn’t want to see much of the ball. As a result, he fought for room and wasn’t as involved as he had been in recent months. calm.
Harvey Elliot 6
possesses good ball handling skills and an awareness of available areas, but lacks the explosive pace that a winger down the flank needs. He will have enjoyed the opportunity to start, having completed a great deal of running.
Cody Gakpo: 7
He gave a pretty good performance through the center. Although he may have performed better in a few positions, he was nonetheless active in the action and appeared left, right, and center.
Luis Díaz — 7
Energetic on the left and Liverpool’s most potent offensive weapon. Hit the post when a shot didn’t seem to be going in, and one of the few to release the ball at the appropriate time. Not as successful as Núñez, but still rather good.
Joe Gomez, Mohamed Salah, and Darwin Núñez — n/a
Not on long enough to have a significant impact. Dominik Szoboszlai, who entered during stoppage time, is comparable.
