As the 2023 Premier League season is slowly approaching the final leg, all teams are now fighting for their lives to ensure they rise up the ranks as quickly as possible. While some teams have lived up to expectations, some have failed to make an impact. Liverpool and West Ham United are two such teams which define these categories.
In the most recent Premier League encounter that take place at the London Stadium on 27th April, Liverpool pulled off a fighting 2-1 victory over West Ham United. The White Knights have been in great form this season and are gradually riding up the ranks with every vostory. The win on Thursday pushed them to the 6th spot on the table with 53 points in the kitty.
On the other hand, while West Ham has really showcased some intense footballing skills this season, they haven’t really been able to convert their matches into victories so often. Just in their last encounter against the table toppers Arsenal, they fought back valiantly from imminent defeat by drawing the game 2-2 after trailing Arsenal 2-0 within the first half. However, victory still eludes them.
In Thursday’s match, which was a crucial encounter for both teams, West Ham started off well as they got the early lead following a 12th minute goal by Lucas Paqueta from 20 yards out past Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson. However, they could only hold the lead for merely 6 minutes until Cody Gakpo socred the equalizer for Liverpool in the 18th minute from just outside the penalty box.
There on, West Ham did manage to hold their opponents well at a 1-1 scoreline and were maintaining it quite well, only for Joel Matip’s header in the 67th minute to help Liverpool take the lead and eventually close the game at 2-1. It was a well-timed close range header from a corner kick at a very crucial that Lukasz Fabianski was just unable to block as the ball went past him into the nets.
While Liverpool did well top maintain the lead, they did experience some occasional threats from West Ham, particularly during the closing moments of the game when Thiago Alcantaro was seconds away from being booked for handling in the penalty area. However, luck favoured the White Knights as the penalty was not given and that infuriated West Ham manager David Moyes. He went on to confront the on-field referees at the final whistle, still angry at the decision that cost his side an opportunity to earn a point.
This was the third straight victory for Liverpool, which is extremely crucial to help them move up the ranks and possibly make it into the top 4. On the other hand, West Ham’s winning streak of seven points in three games came to an end with the loss, which sent them down to 14th.
