West Ham 3-2 Liverpool: Player ratings as happy Hammers go third

Another sensational performance from West Ham saw them leapfrog Liverpool into third in the Premier League after a 3-2 win at a raucous London Stadium.

The Hammers were full value for their win, which was handed to them by a comical Alisson own goal, Pablo Fornals and Kurt Zouma.

Liverpool dominated the ball for large periods of the game but were unable to make their possession count, nor were they able to get their most threatening players - Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota - involved as West Ham closed down and condensed all available space.

The hosts made a superb start to the game, taking the lead after just a few minutes. Fornals' in-swinging corner was flapped at by Alisson, and the Brazilian could only tamely punch the ball into his own goal under pressure from Angelo Ogbonna and Michail Antonio. VAR checked the goal but failed to spare his blushes.

Liverpool's response was good and they dominated the remainder of the half, but had to wait until just before the break for their equaliser. Trent Alexander-Arnold was the man to provide it, bending a wonderful free-kick into the top corner after Declan Rice had allegedly fouled Salah.

But the Reds failed to put their foot on the accelerator after the break and were caught out midway through the second half by a West Ham side who always looked dangerous on the counter.

Jarrod Bowen did superbly to burst forward with the ball, and his deft through ball was tucked away by Fornals - though Alisson will feel he should have stopped it. Minutes later, Zouma headed home from another corner, sending the London Stadium into delirium.

Substitute Divock Origi's late goal made the last ten minutes or so tense to say the least, but West Ham held on after Sadio Mane headed a glorious late chance wide.

Here's how both sets of players rated...

West Ham player ratings

1. Goalkeeper & defenders

Lukasz Fabianski (GK) - 6/10 - Had absolutely no chance with either of Liverpool's goals.

Ben Johnson (RB) - 8/10 - Did anybody tell Johnson he was coming up against one of the Premier League's best in Sadio Mane? Doubt it as he wasn't fazed at all.

Kurt Zouma (RCB) - 9/10 - Right side, left side, it doesn't really matter to Zouma. Always in the right position and won almost every header available. Sent the London Stadium literally mad with the third.

Angelo Ogbonna (LCB) - 6/10 - An action packed 20 minutes saw Ogbonna force an error from Alisson, take a blow to the knee and then a game-ending whack to the face. Replaced by Dawson.

Aaron Cresswell (LB) - 7/10 - Might have got away with one early doors, given how strict modern officiating it is. Kept Salah quiet throughout.

2. Midfielders

Declan Rice (CM) - 8/10 - Penalised for fouling Salah, which indirectly led to Liverpool's equaliser, but was everywhere. Immense.

Tomas Soucek (CM) - 7/10 - Cut out a number of pullbacks from Robertson in the first half and although he wasn't involved as much going forward, he was pretty close to his best.

Pablo Fornals (AM) - 9/10 - Chances are if you saw a West Ham player closing down, it was Fornals or Rice. Covers every blade of grass and scored a great second.

3. Forwards

Jarrod Bowen (RW) - 7/10 - Hadn't really been in the game before his superb burst forward, fending off three players, led to Fornals' goal. In front of huge admirer Jurgen Klopp, too. Great corner for Zouma's third.

Michail Antonio (ST) - 6/10 - Made an awful mistake at the end of the first half, forgetting to take the ball with him as he burst through. However, he bullied Liverpool's backline and made Matip's life hell.

Said Benrahma (LW) - 7/10 - A couple of lovely jinks away from trouble showed his qualities on the ball, but Benrahma was similarly guilty of giving it away too easily at times. A danger on the break.

4. Substitutes

Craig Dawson (22') - 7/10 - Involved far earlier than he'd have anticipated because of Ogbonna's injury. Made some crucial blocks and repelled a number of crosses that came into the box.

Vladimir Coufal (84') - N/A - West Ham tried to get Coufal on before Origi's goal as they looked to shut up shop.

Arthur Masuaku (86') - N/A - Late, late sub to shore things up.

Liverpool player ratings

5. Goalkeeper & defenders

Alisson (GK) - 1/10 - Made a feeble attempt to fist away Pablo Fornals' corner and then cried about being fouled, should have stopped the Spaniard's shot and was all at sea for West Ham's third. TAXI!

Trent Alexander-Arnold (RB) - 6/10 - Can be absolutely brilliant one minute and dreadful the next, can't he? Scored a wonderful free-kick, pinged the ball around at will yet he still remains defensively naive.

Joel Matip (RCB) - 3/10 - Can now really understand why Ibrahima Konate was drafted in over the summer but similarly don't understand why he - or Joe Gomez - wasn't playing.

Virgil van Dijk (LCB) - 6/10 - Colossal in the first half but seemingly got fed up of being the only Liverpool defender who can defend in the second.

Andrew Robertson (LB) - 4/10 - Saw plenty of the ball in the first half, stretching the play as he always does. What did he do with it? Nothing.

6. Midfielders

Fabinho (DM) - 5/10 - Recycled possession effectively at the base of midfield but, meh, what did Fabinho have to show for it?

Jordan Henderson (CM) - 5/10 - Liverpool's captain helped the Reds keep the ball but that was about it. Pretty poor.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (CM) - 6/10 - Was pretty bright for the first hour or so, driving forward at West Ham's backline.

7. Forwards

Mohamed Salah (RF) - 3/10 - Inexplicably quiet. Really well marshalled by a combination of Ogbonna, Zouma, Cresswell and Rice.

Diogo Jota (CF) - 4/10 - Tried to get things going for Liverpool and made some intelligent runs off the ball. That said, is nowhere near the level of peak Roberto Firmino yet.

Sadio Mane (LF) - 3/10 - Got lost in the pocket of Ben Johnson early on and never found his way back out.

8. Substitutes

Thiago Alcantara (68') - 6/10 - Came on as soon as Liverpool went 2-1 down but was powerless to stop the tide from turning in West Ham's favour.

Divock Origi (75') - 7/10 - Did more than Jota, Salah and Mane in the space of seven minutes, spinning Dawson brilliantly to fire home.

Takumi Minamino (79') - N/A