Liverpool returned to winning form in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory against West Ham at the London Stadium. Alexander Isak scored his first league goal for the club in the second half, followed by a late strike from Cody Gakpo. The match was influenced by a red card to West Ham's Lucas Paqueta.
Liverpool ended a dip in Premier League form by defeating West Ham 2-0 on November 30, 2025, at the London Stadium. The game was tense in the first half, with Liverpool dominating possession but struggling to create clear chances. Florian Wirtz, Alexis Mac Allister, and Virgil van Dijk forced saves from West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, while Cody Gakpo posed the biggest threat in Liverpool's attack. West Ham relied on transitions through Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson, but Liverpool's Alisson faced minimal danger before the break.
The second half shifted after the 60th minute. Gakpo played a key role in the opener, pulling the ball back into the box after interplay with Wirtz on the left wing. Isak arrived to side-foot a composed finish into the bottom corner, marking his first Premier League goal since his £125 million transfer from Newcastle United in the summer. Manager Arne Slot praised the strike's timing, noting Isak had limited minutes left: “It’s very important for us as a team that we went 1-0 up, but I think it was also important for him because I think it was his third or fourth chance of this game. 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.” Isak was substituted shortly after for Hugo Ekitike.
West Ham's challenge intensified when Lucas Paqueta received a second yellow card for dissent soon after the goal, disrupting their midfield. This left them vulnerable, and in stoppage time, Gakpo sealed the win by chesting down a cross and firing past Areola on a counterattack. Notably, Mohamed Salah was omitted from the starting lineup for the first time in a league game since April 2024, a decision Slot justified amid a packed schedule: “We have four games in 10 days with only 14 to 15 outfield players available for us.” Liverpool's victory provides momentum ahead of midweek fixtures against Sunderland and Leeds.
