Liverpool 4-1 West Ham: Key stats from the game

Liverpool made it two home wins in a matter of days with another thumping victory at Anfield, this time beating West Ham United 4-1 in the Premier League on Saturday.

Fresh from seeing off Norwich in a Luis Suarez-inspired 5-1 rout in midweek, the Reds came into the game in great confidence and form, though the game could well be remembered more for a quartet of own goals than anything else. Guy Demel put through his own net when he stumbled onto the ball two yards out after a Suarez shot was saved, before James Collins could only clear Mamadou Sakho’s effort against the bar and in just after half-time.

Martin Skrtel then put through his own net to bring the Hammers back into the game, before Suarez took over in the last 10 minutes, scoring one and seeing another shot deflected in off Joey O’Brien for 4-1. Liverpool have now won seven of their eight home games this season.

Key Stats

Liverpool dominated possession from very early on in the game and, by and large, the match continued in the same vein for the entire 90 minutes. Shorn of any real striking options, the Hammers were immediately looking to sit back in numbers, repel any pressure and look to counter-attack when possible.

The Reds’ 60% possession showcases their overall dominance, with an 87% pass completion rate equally impressive.

A massive 34 shots during the match is perhaps a little unreflective of West Ham’s defence, which was actually strong and well-marshalled for long spells, as Liverpool continually hit efforts from long range in the first half. Even so, they had 10 shots on target during the game, keeping Jussi Jaaskelainen busy. West Ham mustered just two shots on target all game and completed just 69% of their passes—a pretty poor outfield display which lacked any real urgency or intent to attack until they got back into the game at 2-1.

Man of the Match

Mamadou Sakho was awarded the Man of the Match for his display, due to being credited with the Reds’ second goal and his sterling defensive performance.

Sakho scored 95 overall, having made a very impressive 13 clearances during the game, winning both of his attempted tackles and making three interceptions as he stopped West Ham on the counter.

On the ball he was extremely proficient at recycling possession and was always calm when pressed by West Ham’s attack. He made 35 passes over the course of the game and completed all but one of them, finishing with an excellent 97% completion rate.

A goal, six headed duels won from 12 and an all-round impressive performance made him a welcome addition to the Reds’ back-line.

Performance Score

The Performance Score was extremely close between these two teams up until the opening goal, with Liverpool just marginally ahead at times due to their impressive possession retention. After half an hour it was 62-45 in the home team’s favour, with the shots starting to mount up and pressure building on West Ham.

Demel’s own goal before the break widened the gap, though, and that was to be the last time West Ham were close to Liverpool’s score. At the break it was 117-59 and on the increase—which only accelerated when Sakho scored two minutes after the restart.

West Ham somehow managed a goal out of nothing midway through the half after Liverpool had subjected them to intense pressure, but a Performance Score of 345-40 on 70 minutes reflected the home team’s dominance.

A late flurry by the Reds secured the three points on the day and widened the gap, sending West Ham into minus figures. The final Performance Score was Liverpool 463, West Ham -92.

Key Observations

Liverpool’s ability to recycle the ball constantly and press high up the field was in no small part down to three players on the field: Sakho at the back, Allen in a deep midfield role and Coutinho central in an attacking midfield role. All three were quick to step out of their line and close down the opposition since West Ham had few numbers forward.

Allen had been criticised for some earlier performances this season but was excellent against West Ham, recording a 91% pass rate, winning both of his tackles, making two key passes and making two clearances.

Coutinho continued his recuperation with another fine display and, as shown by his Heat Map, was again happy to pick the ball up all over the pitch, even dropping into a true central midfield role on many occasions to get involved. He set the tempo for the Liverpool attack, which was at times relentless. The Brazilian created five chances today, two more than the whole Hammers team (3).

A late red card for Kevin Nolan did nothing to help West Ham and despite Collins’ excellent defending at times, they deserved little from the match.