It certainly wasn’t convincing or particularly entertaining, but Liverpool stopped the rot with a 2-0 win at West Ham, largely thanks to Alexander Isak‘s first league goal for the club.
West Ham 0-2 Liverpool
Premier League (13) | London Stadium
November 30, 2025
Goals
Isak 60′ (assist: Gakpo)
Gakpo 90+3 (assist: Gomez)
Salah dropped, Wirtz starts, Szoboszlai right wing
Looking for the second league win since September 20, Arne Slot made four changes from the team that was thrashed by PSV in the week.
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, November 30, 2025: Liverpool's substitute Mohamed Salah on the bench before the FA Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Liverpool FC at the London Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Mo Salah was dropped, but Cody Gakpo kept his place in attack. Florian Wirtz replaced the Egyptian, with Joe Gomez coming in for Curtis Jones at right back.
Alisson returned in goal, while Alexander Isak replaced Hugo Ekitike up front.
Goalless first half
It was actually Dominik Szoboszlai who lined up on the right, in Salah’s usual position, with Wirtz central as the No.10.
Isak skied a shot over from the edge of the box early on, then should have got on the end of a good cross from Wirtz.
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, November 30, 2025: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz challis challenged by West Ham United's Lucas Paquetá during the FA Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Liverpool FC at the London Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Arguably the best chance of the half arrived for Wirtz from Gakpo’s set up, but the shot was weak.
It was a pretty boring 45 minutes of football.
Half time: West Ham 0-0 Liverpool
Isak finally off the mark
Gakpo blazed over soon after the interval, while Wirtz again played a good cross for Isak which the forward didn’t get on the end of.
On the hour, finally, Isak got his first Premier League goal for Liverpool, an instinctive finish from Gakpo’s pullback. A confidence boost for the future, hopefully.
LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, November 30, 2025: Liverpool's Alexander Isak celebrates with team-mate Ibrahima Konaté (L) after scoring the first goal, his first FA Premier League goal for the club, during the FA Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Liverpool FC at the London Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Isak, who was pretty poor and still clearly not match fit, was replaced by Hugo Ekitike soon after. Slot opted to replace Wirtz with Curtis Jones with 15 minutes to go.
Lucas Paqueta’s dismissal for two yellow cards, both in the same incident after incessantly complaining to the referee, hampered the home side’s chance of a come back.
But it was the Hammers who piled on the pressure and came closest when Jarrod Bowen fired just wide.
Victory, though, was sealed when Gakpo fired home in stoppage time.
The win actually moves Liverpool up to eighth, only two points behind fourth-place Chelsea at full time.
TIA Man of the Match: Florian Wirtz
West Ham: Areola; Todibo, Magassa, Mavropanos; Wan-Bissaka, Potts, Fernandes, Diouf; Bowen, Paqueta, Wilson
Subs: Hermansen, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Igor, Fullkrug, Guilherme, Rodriguez, Soucek, Irving
Liverpool: Alisson; Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez (Robertson 90+5′); Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister; Wirtz (Jones 75′), Gakpo, Isak (Ekitike 67′)
Subs not used: Mamardashvili, Endo, Nyoni, Salah, Ngumoha, Chiesa
Referee: Darren England
Next match: Sunderland (H) – Premier League – Wednesday, December 3, 8.15pm