Introduction
Liverpool secured a much-needed 2-0 victory over West Ham United at London Stadium on 30 November 2025, ending their troubling run of form in the Premier League. Alexander Isak opened the scoring on the hour mark with his first Premier League goal for the Reds, before Cody Gakpo sealed the points in the 92nd minute. For Liverpool under Arne Slot, this represented a crucial response after a humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat to PSV in midweek had marked their ninth defeat in twelve games. The Hammers, managed by Nuno Espírito Santo, were looking to continue their recent upturn in form but fell short against visitors desperate for three points.
Tactical Analysis
From our analysis of the team selections, we observed Liverpool fielding a 4-3-3 formation with Alisson in goal, Joe Gomez, Van Dijk, Konaté, and Kerkez in defence, with Mac Allister, Gravenberch, and Szoboszlai in midfield, and Wirtz, Isak, and Gakpo in attack. We noticed that Slot made significant changes to his usual setup, with Mohamed Salah notably dropped from the starting eleven in favour of the returning Florian Wirtz.
West Ham's tactical approach under Nuno centred on defensive solidity and direct attacking play. Nuno's tactics are simplistic in nature, maximising the threat of his target man, Callum Wilson, who is scoring freely again. The Hammers deployed a compact defensive shape, looking to frustrate Liverpool and hit them on the counter-attack.
In our view, Liverpool's midfield trio of Mac Allister, Gravenberch, and Szoboszlai provided the platform for their dominance. The shape remained a 4-3-3, sometimes morphing into a 4-2-3-1 in possession, allowing the Reds to control the tempo despite their recent struggles. We noticed that Wirtz's reintroduction brought fresh impetus to Liverpool's attacking play, with his darting runs causing trembles in the West Ham defence.
According to our observations, the key tactical adjustment came in Liverpool's pressing intensity. Liverpool were definitely the better of the two sides and probably deserved to be winning at half-time, with their high press disrupting West Ham's build-up play consistently throughout the match.
Technical Performance
We noticed that Liverpool's attacking movements showed marked improvement from recent performances. The moment Liverpool created a chance down the right side, they almost opened the scoring, with Joe Gomez finding the head of Cody Gakpo, whose deft flick found Alexander Isak searching for his first Premier League goal.
From our analysis, West Ham's defensive organisation remained compact but was frequently exposed by Liverpool's pace and movement in wide areas. Alphonse Areola was forced to make a point-blank save from Isak's controlled effort, highlighting the Hammers' goalkeeper as their standout performer in the opening period.
We observed that Liverpool's passing accuracy and tempo control were significant factors in their dominance. The visitors maintained possession well and created numerous half-chances through patient build-up play, contrasting sharply with their recent erratic performances.
Statistical Analysis
The match statistics support our tactical observations perfectly. Liverpool enjoyed 56% possession compared to West Ham's 44%, reflecting their territorial dominance throughout the contest. We noted that Liverpool registered nine shots to West Ham's five, with all five of Liverpool's efforts on target demonstrating their clinical finishing when opportunities arose.
According to our analysis of the defensive statistics, West Ham won seven corners to Liverpool's two, indicating their reliance on set-piece opportunities to create danger. However, the foul count was relatively even (14-12 in favour of Liverpool), suggesting a competitive but not overly physical encounter. We observed that West Ham received three yellow cards compared to Liverpool's clean disciplinary record, with Lucas Paqueta's sending-off for dissent six minutes from time proving costly for the hosts.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Liverpool Strengths:
- Controlled possession and tempo throughout the match
- Clinical finishing when opportunities arose, particularly from Isak and Gakpo
- Solid defensive organisation, limiting West Ham to few clear chances
- Effective pressing and ball recovery in midfield areas
Liverpool Weaknesses:
- Slow to break down West Ham's defensive block in the first half
- Still showing signs of the defensive fragility that has plagued recent performances
- Limited creative options from the bench when changes were needed
West Ham Strengths:
- Disciplined defensive shape that frustrated Liverpool for long periods
- Areola's excellent goalkeeping kept them in the contest
- Physical presence in midfield areas caused Liverpool problems
West Ham Weaknesses:
- Lack of creativity in the final third, failing to trouble Alisson
- Inability to maintain defensive discipline under sustained pressure
- Poor decision-making in key moments, exemplified by Paqueta's dismissal
Key Moments
The opening period saw several crucial moments that defined the match's trajectory. Isak had the best opportunity of the first half, controlling Gakpo's header only for Areola to somehow make a point-blank save. We noted that Florian Wirtz should have scored shortly before half-time from another Gakpo header, but his shot was too close to Areola.
The decisive moment arrived in the 60th minute when Isak opened his account for Liverpool in the Premier League, producing a brilliant, instinctive finish whilst getting enough power to beat Areola. According to our observations, this goal completely shifted the match's momentum in Liverpool's favour.
Lucas Paqueta's red card for dissent six minutes from time effectively ended West Ham's hopes of an equaliser. In stoppage time, Areola lost his bearings, allowing Gomez to feed Gakpo, who wrapped up the visitors' triumph with a composed finish.
Player Ratings
Liverpool
Alexander Isak - 8/10: Finally got off the mark in the Premier League with his £125 million summer switch from Newcastle paying dividends. We noted his intelligent movement and clinical finishing when the opportunity arose.
Cody Gakpo - 7.5/10: A much-needed goal and display from Gakpo, who alerted the Hammers backline throughout with his penetrating runs and dangerous balls. In our view, his creativity was crucial to Liverpool's victory.
Florian Wirtz - 7/10: By far the best player on the pitch in the opening 45 minutes. We observed his return to the side injected the attacking impetus that had been lacking in recent performances.
Virgil van Dijk - 7/10: Solid defensive display from the captain, marshalling his backline effectively. We noticed his distribution from deep was particularly impressive throughout the contest.
Alphonse Areola - 7.5/10: West Ham's standout performer despite the defeat. Made several crucial saves including a point-blank stop from Isak that kept his side in the match for long periods.
West Ham
Jarrod Bowen - 6/10: Nearly equalised when his effort whistled narrowly wide late on, but we noted his overall impact was limited by Liverpool's defensive organisation.
Callum Wilson - 5.5/10: Isolated for large periods as West Ham struggled to supply their target man. We observed that Liverpool's pressing disrupted the service to the striker effectively.
Lucas Paqueta - 4/10: His red card was a reflection of the "ridiculous" two years he's had to endure, but in our view, his dismissal was avoidable and costly for his team's chances.
Overall Summary
From our tactical perspective, Liverpool deserved this victory based on their superior possession, creativity, and clinical finishing. The full-time whistle sounded as a weight off Arne Slot's shoulders were temporarily lifted after a clinical second-half. We observed that the Reds showed signs of their old authority, controlling the tempo and creating numerous opportunities.
For West Ham, this result highlighted their limitations when facing sustained pressure from quality opposition. Still precarious above the drop zone, they suffered their first defeat since Leeds over a month ago, leaving empty-handed in a game at home they would've targeted against an out-of-form Liverpool.
In our view, Liverpool's lesson from this match should be the importance of maintaining this level of intensity and organisation. The tactical discipline shown, particularly in their pressing and ball retention, must become the standard if they are to climb back into contention for European qualification.
Future Outlook
The result sees Liverpool rise to eighth, two points off the top four after ending a three-match losing run across all competitions. According to our analysis, this victory should provide the psychological boost needed for Slot's side to build momentum in their upcoming fixtures.
We expect Liverpool to maintain this 4-3-3 formation in future matches, with Isak's breakthrough goal likely to secure his place in the starting eleven. The return of Wirtz to the side has clearly strengthened their attacking options, and we anticipate Slot will continue to utilise his creativity.
West Ham sit 17th, above Leeds on goal difference, remaining precarious above the drop zone. From our observations, Nuno must find ways to provide more attacking threat whilst maintaining their defensive organisation. The upcoming fixtures will be crucial for their Premier League survival ambitions, and we believe tactical adjustments in the final third will be essential to their progress.