By Our Man in Liverpool
LIVERPOOL – Liverpool finally stopped the rot yesterday, but it was West Ham’s moment of sheer madness that grabbed the headlines as the Champions eased the heat on gaffer Arne Slot with a 2-0 win in East London.
Second-half strikes from £125million summer signing Alexander Isak—who finally bagged his first Premier League goal for the Reds—and Cody Gakpo sealed a much-needed three points.
But the real drama came just minutes from time when West Ham playmaker Lucas Paquetá was sent off for a BRAINLESS blast of dissent towards referee Darren England, picking up two quick-fire yellow cards in the 83rd minute.
The Hammers faithful had already seen their team put in a blunt display on an emotional day that saw the London Stadium pay tribute to late legend Billy Bonds. Yet Paquetá’s shocking lack of self-control killed any faint hope of an equaliser stone dead.
After a dominant but wasteful first half, where only a heroic performance from West Ham stopper Alphonse Areola kept the scoreline respectable, the Reds finally broke the deadlock on the hour mark.
Florian Wirtz fed Gakpo on the left, and the Dutchman’s quick cutback found Alexander Isak, who smashed a first-time rocket into the bottom corner, ending his lengthy goal drought and sparking scenes of pure relief in the Liverpool dugout.
West Ham, who had been unbeaten in their last three league outings, simply couldn’t muster a response, failing to register a single shot on target all afternoon.
And when Brazilian star Paquetá saw red for his outburst, the game was over. Gakpo then rubbed salt into the wound deep into stoppage time, slotting home a second after a Joe Gomez cross to seal the 2-0 victory.
The win provides a massive sigh of relief for Slot, whose side had been reeling from three straight defeats.
For Nuno Espírito Santo’s Hammers, however, the misery continues, and they face a huge inquiry into Paquetá’s costly tantrum.