Darwin Núñez and Diogo Jota fire Liverpool to win against West Ham

Something is growing atLiverpoolin the supremely qualified opinion of Jürgen Klopp. That judgment applies to this season’s expectations at Anfield, as well as the development of his refreshed, gifted and hungry team. West Ham were comfortably eclipsed as Liverpool registered a sixth successive win in all competitions with plenty to spare.

David Moyes’ visitors started brightly and deserved to head in level at the interval. Once Liverpool stepped up in the second half, however, they found no response to the movement and quality that surrounded them and the Scot’s wait for a first win at Anfield was always destined to continue. Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool the lead from the penalty spot – he has now scored in 12 of his team’s last 13 home games – before second-half goals from Darwin Núñez and substitute Diogo Jota made Jarrod Bowen’s equaliser a distant consolation.

The Egyptian picked himself up to send Alphonse Areola the wrong way from the spot. It was a timely break for Liverpool, who were indebted to Alisson for a superb goalline save from a Tomas Soucek header and a glaring miss from Michail Antonio, heading well wide from the Czech midfielder’s inviting cross, for not having to come from behind yet again.

With Dominik Szoboszlai decorating the contest with touches of class, and matching his talent with a prodigious work rate, Liverpool pressed for the comfort of a second goal. Virgil van Dijk shot over when picked out by an Andy Robertson corner. Salah swept a first time shot wide from Díaz’s layoff. But a second remained elusive and West Ham carried a persistent threat in the form of Lucas Paquetá, Bowen and Antonio.