Under-pressure Liverpool manager Arne Slot saw his bold team selection pay dividends as the Reds battled to a crucial 2-0 Premier League victory away at West Ham United on Sunday.
The match, played at the London Stadium, was settled by second-half strikes from Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo, with the home side's task made impossible by Lucas Paqueta's late red card.
Slot's Big Call and a Fitting Tribute
In a drastic move to halt his team's alarming slide of nine defeats in twelve matches, Slot made the seismic decision to drop star forward Mohamed Salah to the bench. This marked the first time the Egyptian had been omitted from a Premier League starting line-up since April 2024.
The emotionally charged afternoon began with heartfelt tributes to West Ham legend Billy Bonds, who passed away aged 79. Following a moment's applause, current captain Jarrod Bowen poignantly laid Bonds' iconic number four shirt in front of the stand named in his honour.
Isak Breaks His Duck
The first half saw Liverpool create the better chances. Isak, who had previously scored only once in the Carabao Cup since his £125 million summer transfer from Newcastle, was denied from point-blank range by a fantastic save from West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.
The breakthrough finally arrived on the hour mark. Florian Wirtz found Gakpo on the left, and the Dutchman cut the ball back from the byline for Isak to coolly side-foot home from 12 yards for his maiden Premier League goal for the club.
In a swift substitution, Isak was immediately replaced by Hugo Ekitike, who himself came close to scoring with a curling effort that flew just wide.
Paqueta's Moment of Madness Seals West Ham's Fate
The match's pivotal moment arrived in the 84th minute when West Ham's Lucas Paqueta received his marching orders. The Brazilian, already booked for dissent by referee Darren England, foolishly returned for a second argument and was shown a second yellow card.
Despite being down to ten men, West Ham nearly snatched an equaliser when Jarrod Bowen's effort whistled narrowly past the post. However, any hope of a comeback was extinguished in stoppage time.
Areola misjudged a situation, allowing Joe Gomez to seize possession and feed Gakpo, who made no mistake to wrap up a much-needed three points for the stuttering champions.
The victory provides a significant boost for Arne Slot and his squad as they look to rebuild momentum in the Premier League title race.
