A comeback appeared very much on the cards for West Ham United after Tomas Soucek pulled one goal back in Saturday’s eventual 5-2 defeat by reigning Premier League champions Liverpool.
Despite going into the break three goals down – Virgil van Dijk profited from VAR offside call between smart volleys from Hugo Ekitike and Alexis Mac Allister – Nuno Espirito Santo’s visitors always carried enough of a threat to suggest that the hosts dare not let their heads drop.
Especially when Soucek converted following a ‘ludicrous’ Mateus Fernandes trivela and a fizzing El Hadji Malick Diouf cross. Fernandes’ fine cross, with the outside of his boot, was only partially cleared by Ibrahima Konate.
SEVEN goals at Anfield!
Where do you think it went WRONG for the Hammers?
West Ham United's Argentinian striker #11 Taty Castellanos (C) turns to celebrate as he scores their second goal during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on February 28, 2026.
Diouf reacted quickest, drilling the ball across the six-yard box. And Soucek did what he does best; driving into the penalty area to finish.
That, former Everton midfielder Leon Osman said from the commentary booth at Anfield, should have sparked Nuno into life. If the West Ham United boss could roll back the clock, would he have introduced Adama Traore sooner in proceedings?
Leon Osman says Adama Traore should have come on earlier for West Ham United
Adama Traore arrives at the stadium before West Ham play against Burnley.
Photo by Kate McShane/Getty Images
Osman certainly feels leaving the Spanish speed machine on the bench until the 76th minute was a game-changing tactical mistake.
By the time Traore did enter the fray, Cody Gakpo had restored Liverpool’s three-goal advantage.
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Osman felt that the game went ‘flat’ around the 60th minute mark; equidistant between Soucek’s strike and Gakpo’s 70th minute drive. Was Traore the ignition which could have sparked things into life again? Could his searing pace and direct running have given the Hammers a brand-new threat on the counter, while pushing Liverpool’s defence back towards their own goal?
We all love Jarrod Bowen – but is anyone actually undroppable? 🤔
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A graphic asking fans how they would react if West Ham dropped Jarrod Bowen.
Credit: Getty Images/Dan Mullan
On a day when captain Jarrod Bowen failed to make any kind of impact in the final third – he was gifted one first-half chance by Alisson but could not sort his feet out in time – it is not as if bringing on Traore for the skipper would have negatively impacted the visitors’ attacking verve.
Ironically, pre-match, Nuno talked about the importance of substitutes and using them ‘at the right moment’.
It can be argued that, as a potentially legendary comeback descended into another heavy defeat against a so-called ‘big six club’, the head coach did precisely the opposite.
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