Alexander Isak scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool to help boss Arne Slot to a much-needed 2-0 win at West Ham, who saw Lucas Paqueta dramatically sent off for dissent.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher reckoned Reds boss Slot had a week to save his job following a disastrous run of results and Mohamed Salah was benched in a big selection call from the Dutchman.
But £125m summer signing Isak eased the pressure, converting from a Cody Gakpo cutback to end his high-profile drought before Gakpo grabbed a goal for himself in stoppage time after Paqueta's red card.
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GOAL
Alexander Isak opens the scoring with his first Liverpool Premier League goal
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GOAL
Cody Gakpo wraps it up for Liverpool against West Ham in the Premier League.
Paqueta had incredibly earned himself two bookings in quick succession for arguing with ref Darren England. The Brazilian refused to be pulled away by West Ham team-mates or even compatriot Alisson of Liverpool as he ranted at the official until a second yellow card was brandished at him.
He had only just returned from suspension after picking up five yellow cards already this season.
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Lucas Paqueta is sent off after a double yellow for dissent
Isak, in his sixth league appearance for Liverpool since a record switch from Newcastle, had spurned chances in the first half, including a close-range effort brilliantly saved by Alphonse Areola. But he looked like the player who starred at Newcastle when he punched a crisp, low finish in on the hour mark to lift Liverpool to eighth.
Team news
Soungoutou Magassa began in midfield for West Ham, Lucas Paqueta was back in the XI, while Konstantinos Mavropanos started at centre-back in place of Max Kilman.
Mohamed Salah was benched for a Premier League game for the first time under Arne Slot, while Florian Wirtz, Alisson, Joe Gomez and Alexander Isak all came into the Liverpool team.
Slot will also have been encouraged by the performance of Florian Wirtz - his best in a Liverpool shirt - although the German should have scored his own big chance in the first 45. Defensively, the visitors were relatively solid too. They'd conceded 10 in their past three games but West Ham didn't have a shot on target.
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PL
Alphonse Areola's save denies Alexander Isak in West Ham's Premier League match against Liverpool
Captain Jarrod Bowen came closest, whipping a shot wide at 1-0, but it had been an emotional afternoon for the hosts, who mourned the passing of club legend Billy Bonds earlier in the day. Bowen laid a No 4 shirt in front of the Billy Bonds Stand in memory of the former Hammers player, coach and manager who made 799 appearances for the club.
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West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen describes Billy Bonds as club's 'biggest legend'
West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen says the fans will make plenty of noise to show appreciation for who he describes as the club's 'biggest legend' Billy Bonds who has passed away at the age of 79
This defeat leaves West Ham 17th, level on points with third-bottom Leeds, and ends a run of seven points from their past three league games.
Carra: Liverpool find formula to take them back towards CL spots
Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher:
"If you keep it really simple about Liverpool today - don't concede from a set piece, no big mistake at the back from maybe Konate or Kerkez, and one of your summer signings is outstanding.
"If they keep that up in the next few weeks, they could find themselves right in the middle of the Champions League positions. A million miles off the title race, but just to calm everything down Liverpool need to be in those positions.
"If they ever got to a position where that was in real doubt, that would be the time when it would really intensify the pressure on the manager."
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