Jarrod Bowen scored his fourth goal of the Premier League season but West Ham United found themselves on the wrong end of a 3-1 draw at Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.
Bowen’s goal, a beautiful header, brought his team back level at half-time by canceling out Mohamed Salah’s opening penalty, but Liverpool scored twice again in the second half.
Darwin Núñez’s volley gave the Reds the lead for a second time on the hour mark, before Diogo Jota’s late goal sealed the Reds’ victory.
The defeat – West Ham’s first this season – leaves David Moyes’ men in seventh place in the Premier League with ten points from their first six games.
West Ham started positively and two crosses into Liverpool’s penalty area in the first eight minutes created opportunities to strike first.
First of all, Michail Antonio recovered the ball well on the left and brought back Lucas Paquetá, whose cross was met with a header by Tomáš Souček.
The ball looked destined for the bottom left corner, but Alisson made a superb save.
Then Souček was the passer on the other side when he served Antonio, but the number 9’s header went wide.
Liverpool took time to escape the traps but had the opportunity to take the lead from the penalty spot after 16 minutes.
The move began on the left with Luis Díaz, whose pass into the box was deflected into the path of Salah, who was brought down by Nayef Aguerd as he returned inside.
The Egypt international did the rest, placing his penalty in the center while Alphonse Areola dived down the right.
With the goal behind them, Liverpool settled in and came close to doubling their lead when Alexis Mac Allister nodded a pass from Areola to Dīaz, who, with the Hammers tense, beat Salah on the outside.
He shot at the first shot, but hindered by an unnecessary shot, the ball flew away from the goal.
However, the visitors woke up before half-time and Bowen’s good form continued with three minutes left in the first half.
His shot started with a beautiful high pass forward by Lucas Paquetá, who saw Bowen’s arrow into space.
The number 20 nodded to Antonio, who passed the ball past Vladimír Coufal.
He touched the ball and passed it to Bowen, who crossed for Virgil van Dijk and bravely headed home at the far post.
With this goal, he set a new club record at the start of a Premier League season: he scored in four consecutive matches.
Moments later, Curtis Jones had the ball in the net but was offside as Areola Núñez made a save and the teams leveled at the break.
Liverpool had their first chance of the second half when Salah made a clandestine pass to Núñez, who could have done better than shoot beyond the right post.
At the other end, Bowen headed James Ward-Prowse’s free-kick past Alisson, but it would be the home team who would deliver the next blow as the match reached the hour mark.
Mac Allister was the scorer, making a perfect pass for Núñez to see the ball drop over his shoulder and volley past a defenseless Areola.
The Hammers introduced Mohammed Kudus and Pablo Fornals from the bench in search of a way back into the game and the latter saved Alisson with a shot from outside the area.
But Liverpool won with five minutes remaining when Jota headed the ball home from close range after Virgil van Dijk nodded across goal from Andy Robertson’s corner.
Liverpool: Alisson, Gomez, van Dijk ©, Matip, Robertson, Mac Allister (Endō 88), Jones (Gravenberch 77), Szoboszlai, Díaz (Gakpo 81), Salah, Núñez (Diogo Jota 81)
Available: Kelleher (PO), Tsimikas, Quansah, Konaté, Elliott
Goals: Salah 16 (penalty), Núñez 60, Diogo Jota.
