Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed his relief after record signing Alexander Isak broke his Premier League duck, helping to fire the stuttering champions to a badly-needed 2-0 win over West Ham United.
The Swedish striker, a £125 million summer arrival from Newcastle, had only managed one Carabao Cup goal so far, but his well-taken finish late in the game, followed by a Cody Gakpo strike in stoppage time, secured three vital points for a team that had lost nine of its last twelve matches.
Slot revealed the goal was a significant moment for both the club and the player. “It’s very important for us as a team that we went 1-0 up, but I think it was also important for him,” the Reds’ coach said. “I don’t think there was much more than 10 minutes in him to go, so then to score just before you come off was important for us, but also for him.”
The breakthrough came after a major tactical gamble from Slot, who made the surprise decision to drop star forward Mohamed Salah from the starting lineup. It was the first time the Egyptian had been left out of a league start since a notorious touchline spat with former manager Jurgen Klopp at the same venue in April 2024.
Defending his choice, Slot explained, “Mo has had an unbelievable career here… but we have four games in 10 days. Then you have to decide once in a while to make a certain line-up.”
While Liverpool were worthy winners, they were aided by a self-destructive West Ham performance, which was capped by a ludicrous red card for Lucas Paqueta. The Brazilian was shown two quick yellow cards for dissent, leaving his team to see out the match with ten men.
The defeat cast a pall over the London Stadium on a somber day for the club, following the announcement of the passing of West Ham great Billy Bonds. A disappointed Manager Nuno Espirito Santo stated, “We felt that we wanted to… honour the memory of Billy Bonds, and it was not to be.”
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