Isak Breaks Duck as Liverpool Halt Alarming Slide
Liverpool manager Arne Slot hailed Alexander Isak's maiden Premier League goal for the club as a pivotal moment for both the player and the team, following a hard-fought 2-0 victory over West Ham United. The win on Sunday 30th November 2025 provided a much-needed respite for the stuttering champions, who had suffered nine defeats in their previous twelve matches across all competitions.
Slot's Drastic Salah Decision Pays Off
In a bold move to reverse his team's fortunes, Slot took the drastic decision to drop star forward Mohamed Salah, handing a start to the Swedish striker Isak instead. This marked the first time the Egyptian had been omitted from a Premier League starting line-up since April 2024, a match which also took place at West Ham and was infamously marred by a touchline row with former manager Jurgen Klopp. This time, Salah remained an unused substitute, with Hugo Ekitike replacing the goalscorer Isak late on.
Slot acknowledged the significance of his team selection, stating, "Mo has had an unbelievable career here at this club and will have a very good future at this club because he’s such a special player." He explained the decision was partly due to a congested fixture list, adding, "We have four games in 10 days with only 14 to 15 outfield players available for us. Then you have to decide once in a while to make a certain line-up."
Isak's Relief and West Ham's Woes
The breakthrough came from Isak, who had previously only scored once in the Carabao Cup since his protracted £125million summer switch from Newcastle. Slot emphasised the goal's importance, noting, "It’s very important for us as a team that we went 1-0 up, but I think it was also important for him... to score just before you come off was important for us, but also for him."
Liverpool's victory was sealed in stoppage time by Cody Gakpo's goal, confirming a deserved three points. Their task was made easier when West Ham's Lucas Paqueta received a ludicrous red card, shown a second yellow for dissent by referee Darren England after initially being booked for complaining.
The defeat for West Ham was compounded by the sad news of the death of club great Billy Bonds earlier in the day. Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo said, "We felt that we wanted to do another thing that can honour the memory of Billy Bonds, and it was not to be." He admitted his team's performance was lacking, saying, "We required better accuracy, crossing and shooting."
