Liverpool cruise past West Ham to go 19 points clear and ensure they have beaten every Premier League team

Unbeaten league game No 41, and when Jurgen Klopp comes one day to record this historic season in his memoirs, what will he remember of this rearranged Wednesday evening in east London against an ­opposition that seemed to assume that the outcome was inevitable?

Last time out in the league Liverpool were obliged to fight for the win until the end at Molineux, and yet for this game – first scheduled for December when Klopp’s players were at the Club World Cup – West Ham United might as well have sent them the three points in the post. Arguably the best attempt on the away goal came from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s header that struck a post in the second half when the right-back seemed momentarily bemused by the rebound from an Alisson Becker save.

Otherwise this was the most familiar of outcomes on Liverpool’s trail of destruction in the Premier League, a 15th consecutive win in a 41-game unbeaten run that opens up a 19-point gap on second-placed Manchester City. It is the same number of points by which City themselves won the first of their two league titles under Pep Guardiola in 2018, and on this night above all it was possible to imagine that the rest had simply given up.

There was a goal from the penalty spot from Mohamed Salah in the first half and a splendid finish from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the second half, when Liverpool had broken the length of their pitch having successfully defended a West Ham corner. There were some fine saves from Alisson in the second half when West Ham had nothing to lose, although there was the distinct impression that this was a game that never quite began for the home team.

Having now beaten every one of the league’s other 19 teams, Klopp’s players have the knack of tuning into what it will take to beat any team on any given day, whether that is the two goals they needed last week at Wolverhampton Wanderers or the much less required for West Ham. At some point they may well suffer a misjudgment, but they are now nine games from beating Arsenal’s 49-game unbeaten run.

There was a late cameo from teenager Curtis Jones, and the natural eagerness to impress of the young Liverpudlian gave Klopp the extra energy he was looking for.

Fabinho came on for another 20 minutes. At Molineux in the club’s under-23s game against Wolves on the same night, another teenager, Harvey Elliott, scored with an ­overhead kick. These are golden days indeed for Liverpool.

The Liverpool manager said that the performance had not been on a par with those his team had summoned recently to beat the likes of Manchester United and Wolves and could not understand why 71 per cent possession equated to only five attempts on goal. He said that West Ham’s best moments had been gifted to them by Liverpool, a wayward Georginio Wijnaldum pass, and that “slapstick” header from Alexander-Arnold.

“These boys,” he said, “I would give them my kids to look after, I trust them so much … they still make ridiculous mistakes. It’s about staying concentrated when you are constantly in charge.”

Klopp’s children, as he pointed out, are now older than most of his players, but the point stood. It is hard to keep on top all the time when the likes of West Ham are so far behind they can barely be ­discerned back in 17th place.

It felt as if there were bigger problems for West Ham than being beaten by the team who beat everyone. When Manuel Lanzini was substituted in the second half there were cheers from the home fans who could muster the enthusiasm that the Argentine was being removed. They barely had the energy to boo their team off at the end, so many of them having already left.

There was some chanting about sacking the board in the second half, but the stadium seems to have drained even that rebellious spirit.

David Moyes was positive nonetheless, conceding that Lanzini was off his best but that he was “desperate” for him to get back to the form of the Scot’s first spell in charge of West Ham. He could see improvements in his team that the regulars at the London Stadium might be less willing to discern, although he had to admit that there were basic mistakes. He had asked his team to keep the ball away from Virgil van Dijk at set-pieces and yet it was the Dutchman who won the header from the corner that set in motion the counter-attack that led to Liverpool’s second goal.

At right-back, Moyes gave a ­debut to the 19-year-old Jeremy Ngakia, a regular this season for the club’s under-23s, to give Pablo ­Zabaleta a breather. There was a pre-match introduction for Tomas Soucek, the Czech international midfielder signed from Slavia Prague whom Moyes was cautiously hopeful will be able to offer his team something this season.

Liverpool finally broke through when Salah lashed an unstoppable penalty past Lukasz Fabianski with 10 minutes of the first half remaining. The award of it had been ­reviewed by the video assistant ­referee Andre Marriner, who cannot have failed to notice that Divock Origi drew two separate fouls from Ngakia and then, for good measure, Issa Diop before he went down.

West Ham were better in the second half and there were four shots on target, including a header from Declan Rice that Alisson saved well. Before that, Liverpool scored a second after a wonderful move, the final assist struck by Salah with the outside of his left foot. Lanzini was the last man with any chance of trying to stop Oxlade-Chamberlain as he went through, whereupon the Argentine bounced off like a man unsuccessfully trying to board a departing bus.

9:37PM

FT: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Liverpool, Liverpool top of the league - and there they will stay until alphabetical order kicks in come June.

West Ham at least protected their goal difference, which may have been one of the primary targets of the evening.

9:35PM

90 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Three minutes added time.

9:34PM

89 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Fans streaming out of the London Stadium now, and Liverpool are just killing time and playing with their food. This game was over as contest when Oxlade-Chamberlain scored.

9:29PM

84 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Klopp still barking out instructions on the touchline, and Rice tests Alisson again - this time with a header from a wide free kick. Not for the first match, Liverpool have ridden their luck at times defensively. Brilliant header from Rice, that had the goalkeeper at full stretch.

9:27PM

81 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Poetry in motion sing the Liverpool fans, and while the performance may not have been that rhythmic tonight it has been more than good enough to vanquish West Ham.

9:23PM

78 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Salah's turn to hit the post. A break down the left and Keita picked Salah out, loitering with intent at the edge of the box. Took it first time with the instep of his left foot, but not quite enough curl on it.

9:21PM

76 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Naby Keita about to be introduced for Liverpool. They are cruising through this game now, and could have had a third buy Wijnaldum's touch let him down when he would have been through.

9:18PM

73 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Liverpool re-assert themselves again and Alexander-Arnold stands up a cross for Salah who heads just wide.

9:16PM

71 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Oh my word, Liverpool have got away with one there. Lost the ball in their own half and Rice drives towards the edge of the box and tested Alisson who parried out. Alexander-Arnold tries to turn behind for a corner and skewed against his own post!

9:13PM

68 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Big cheers from the West Ham fans as Moyes replaces Lanzini with Pablo Fornals. The locals have been crying out to see more of the Spanish midfielder. Origi off for Liverpool, replaced Fabinho.

9:11PM

66 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Excellent stop from Fabianski again, this time from Origi who shot across goal from the left channel at the end of another counter-attack from Liverpool.

9:09PM

64 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Really good from the Liverpool defence to push up the pitch in unison and play Lanzini and Haller offside.

9:07PM

62 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Liverpool have settled this down after that squall of West Ham pressure. Henderson pops up in a more advanced midfield position, and feed Firmino who turns exquisitely near the bar-line but he blasts the ball across the face of goal.

9:05PM

60 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Oxlade-Chamberlain is enjoying how stretched this game is starting to get, but Robertson's cross is dealt with.

9:02PM

58 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Alexander-Arnold tripped Lanzini and gifted West Ham a set-piece. Ogbonna met it and should have done better from not much more than six yards. His header went wide.

8:59PM

56 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Wonderful reactions from Alisson to palm Snodgrass' shot around the post.

8:59PM

Oxlade-Chamberlain the scorer

8:58PM

54 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 2

Just as West Ham started to build up a head of steam, they were hit with that sucker punch.

8:57PM

GOOOOOAAAAAL! Liverpool are two up

What a break. Noble and Masuaku fail to deal with a simple clearance out of the penalty area and Salah pounces on the halfway line. Has the presence of mind to get his head up and feed Oxlade-Chamberlain with an outside of the foot pass. Clean through, he steadies himself and slots past Fabianski. Brilliant counter-attacking.

8:56PM

52 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 1

Better from West Ham, they have a corner after Van Dijk hacks a clearance behind. He rises to clear the delivery though, and Liverpool are on the counter.....

8:54PM

50 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 1

Ooooh, that was a chance for Lanzini. Finally, West Ham committed bodies forward and Rice's cross from the right was behind both Liverpool centre-backs but perfect for Lanzini but he scoffed his volley. Down the other end, it's a brilliant fingertip save by Fabianski after Firmino's shot on the turn.

8:53PM

49 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 1

Firmino drops off the front to collect the ball in a lovely pocket of space, and start a Liverpool attack. For once Alexander-Arnold's corner delivery lets him down and West Ham can breathe again.

8:51PM

47 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 1

Exactly the same shape from West Ham, but they need to show more authority and confidence when they do have a brief spell of possession. Liverpool quickly pounce on a second ball in the West Ham half to settle into their first spell of possession.

8:49PM

Teams are back out for the second half

Will West Ham try to do anything different?

8:43PM

West Ham have not offered much

One shot on goal, zero on target and just 14 passes completed in the attacking third in that first half.

8:34PM

HT: West Ham 0 Liverpool 1

45 minutes of containment from West Ham, and apart from one incident that led to a penalty, it nearly worked. They need to be braver in the second half.

8:31PM

45 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 1

Two minutes of stoppage time to play.

8:30PM

44 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 1

Salah took two shots into the wall, and then tried to dribble his way through only to be robbed of the ball. Third time unlucky.

8:30PM

43 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 1

Noble lunges towards the ball and gets a good piece of it, but he had his studs up and Origi makes the most of slight contact with his shin. Booking for Noble who is not happy. Liverpool have a free kick, right of centre, 25 yards out.

8:28PM

41 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 1

Tame shot wide by Oxlade-Chamberlain after good work by Henderson to regain possession in midfield.

8:25PM

38 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 1

That was sound approach play by West Ham, but Alisson takes Snodgrass's inswinging cross with ease. Top goalkeeping, it was actually a decent delivery.

8:23PM

36 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 1

West Ham have to roll the dice a little more now, but Noble kills an attack stone dead with a ridiculous shot from distance on the volley. Liverpool will be happy to see West Ham commit more bodies forward.

8:22PM

Salah the scorer (again)

8:21PM

GOAL! Salah sends Fabianski the wrong way

Liverpool have not done too much so, far by they now lead in the 35th minute.

8:20PM

PENALTY LIVERPOOL!

Great vision and composure from Firmino to find a square pass for Origi in a crowded space on the six-yard line. Diop plants his leg across Origi as he was about to shoot. Nailed on pen.

That was wonderful skill from Firmino initially, to pluck Alexander-Arnold's cross out from the sky.

8:19PM

32 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 0

Liverpool need faster switches of play against this West Ham back five to try and isolate the wing-backs. It's not easy because unlike against a 3-5-2, West Ham are very much a 5-4-1 and so have two players covering the flanks.

8:16PM

29 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 0

Oxlade-Chamberlain has a word with Robertson, seems unhappy that the Scot did not start his run earlier. We have not seen much of Salah in this half, who is the main threat in behind without Mane.

Robertson looks in fine fettle tonight, he whips another wicked ball across the six-yard box but no Liverpool touch.

8:13PM

26 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 0

Liverpool back on the ball again, Henderson is dropping between the two centre-halves to try and start moves. West Ham tick another few minutes off the clock though.

8:10PM

23 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 0

Moyes' teams have a reputation for shutting up shop and being hard to break down, and West Ham are doing exactly so far.

Hearts in mouths there though, as Liverpool pick the lock to send Robertson bearing down on Fabianski from a tight angle...he dinks it over the goalkeeper and Ogbonna got back to clear. It was going wide anayway.

8:07PM

21 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 0

Oxlade-Chamberlain with teasing pass from the left towards the back post that Masuaku heads behind for a corner. It drops for Wijnaldum but he cannot engineer the shot. Brilliant work from Robertson to stop his Scotland team-mate on the counter-attack.

8:05PM

18 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 0

The game has settled into a sedate tempo which suits the home team. Liverpool not over-extending themselves in search of the first goal - the luxury of a 16 point lead. West Ham are starting to enjoy more controlled possession.

8:02PM

16 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 0

West Ham burst into life, and it starts from Rice being brave and getting on the ball in midfield. Ngakia then feeds a ball in behind that has Haller stretching the Liverpool back four, but Gomez just about did enough. Much better.

8:00PM

14 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 0

Ogbonna gives away a needless corner when he had time to bring the ball down or shepherd it out. An ugly, skewed volley behind, but to his credit he clears the resulting delivery.

7:58PM

11 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 0

Alisson has to come out of his penalty area to sweep up a long ball played in Haller's direction. Hacked out for a throw-in. Then Ngakia cedes possession back to Liverpool - a really nervous start by the West Ham defender.

That concession almost proves costly as Salah breaks behind but Diop sees him out at the cost of a corner. Oxlade-Chamberlain tries to work a short one, but makes a mess of it.

7:55PM

8 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 0

Overwhelming Liverpool possession so far, but in fairness to the hosts most of it has been in front their midfield.

Then Liverpool quicken the tempo to release Robertson down the left, cross headed clear, then Snodgrass is penalised for a foul on Wijnaldum. Fabianski claims.

7:52PM

6  minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 0

Comfortable so far for Liverpool. West Ham are sitting off and trying to hold a shape deep, which is sensible, but players can take that instruction too literally. There needs to be an aggressive attempt to win the ball at some stage. Origi this time trying to find space down the right but Ogbonna does well to see him out.

7:50PM

4 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 0

Nearly a clever through ball after quick feet from Oxlade-Chamberlain but the ball runs through to his former team-mate Fabianksi. 'Too good for Manchester United, but Wolves ran them close' says the commentator...a real ouch moment if you are a United fan.

Liverpool probing down the left channel where Origi is in Mane's usual slot. He ran off the blinside of Ngakia who lost him, but his ball across the six-yard box was gathered by Fabianski.

7:48PM

2 minutes: West Ham 0 Liverpool 0

A nervous moment early on for Ngakia who mis-judged a ball into the box but Wijnaldum could not get it under his spell. A 5-4-1 from Moyes in the early stages with Lanzini on the left flank and Haller on his own through the middle.

7:46PM

KICK OFF!

West Ham get us started as bubbles fall from the east London sky.

7:42PM

Players in the tunnel now

Not long until kick-off.

7:41PM

Moyes speaks

7:28PM

Virgil van Dijk has been speaking to TV

7:27PM

Looks like West Ham have gone with a back five this evening

Manchester United had a modicum of success against Liverpool this season with a back five. The thinking is the wing-backs can push high and engage with Robertson and Alexander-Arnold to try and show Liverpool inside to a midfield that can lack in creativity. The potential flaw in the system is if Liverpool go direct and isolate members of their front three against the centre-backs one against one.

6:53PM

Liverpool will be in white tonight

6:48PM

Liverpool team: As expected, Origi in for Mane

6:46PM

West Ham team and subs: Fabianski back

6:44PM

West Ham's latest signing

Midfielder signed from Slavia Prague.

6:31PM

Will Liverpool's procession continue or will a former Everton man haunt them?

Could a former Everton manager be the man to mastermind the end of Liverpool's 40-game unbeaten run in the Premier League?

Stranger things have happened, but Moyes has problems of his own to deal with after the news of West Ham's eye-catching financial losses and widespread supporter discontent.

West Ham have teetered on the brink of a crisis since moving to the soulless London Stadium in 2016, but are now just four points above the relegation zone with Liverpool, Man City and Liverpool again to come in three of their next four games.

In better news, West Ham are monitoring the fitness of first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski as he returns from injury, who was a pivotal player for them last season.

Liverpool will move 19 points clear of City with victory, surely an unassailable lead in their quest to end a 30-year wait for the league title. The leaders will have to be without Sadio Mane who has suffered a small muscle tear.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: "West Ham fights for staying in the league and that's what it looks like. It will be a big fight, they will fight with all they have.

"It will be a rather defensive line-up [from West Ham]. If it's four in the back or five in the back, I don't know, but we have to be ready for a big fight. They want to strike back, they have a tough programme coming up, everybody knows that. They have no points to waste, no time to waste.

West Ham manager David Moyes mused: "It's a challenge we have to attempt to relish. Trying to be the first team to beat Liverpool is something we must try to do."

"There are very little [weaknesses] in a team that wins the Champions League."

Full team news on the way shortly.