Liverpool returned to winning league form with a 2-0 win over West Ham at the London Stadium, securing the points through Alexander Isak’s first Premier League goal for the club and a late finish from Cody Gakpo on a night shaped by a costly red card for Lucas Paqueta.
The first half was tense rather than chaotic, Liverpool controlling periods of possession without cutting West Ham open very often.
Wirtz, Mac Allister and Van Dijk all forced Alphonse Areola into action, while Gakpo continued to carry Liverpool’s most creative threat in the final third.
West Ham relied on moments in transition, with Bowen and Wilson the outlets, but Alisson faced little direct danger before the break.
The game shifted just after the hour. Liverpool built pressure down the left, Gakpo pulled possession back into a crowded box and Isak arrived with a composed side-footed finish into the bottom corner to finally break his Premier League duck.
It was a deserved lead and one that forced West Ham to push higher, creating more space for Liverpool to play.
Their task became harder when Paqueta, booked for dissent, continued to challenge the referee and was shown a second yellow almost immediately.
That moment removed West Ham’s midfield structure and left them chasing for the final 10 minutes, and they paid the price.
Gakpo sealed the result in stoppage time, chesting down a cross and firing past Areola as Liverpool countered into space vacated by a stretched home side.
By then the contest had narrowed to game management, with Slot’s team able to see out the final minutes comfortably.
A much-needed win, a landmark goal for Isak, and a calmer finish than Liverpool have seen in recent weeks.