Relentless Reds go 8 points clear at the top of the Premier League
West Ham 0 Liverpool 5, 29th December 2024
WEST HAM 0
LIVERPOOL 5 (Díaz 30, Gakpo 40, Salah 44, Alexander-Arnold 54, Jota 84)
Watching Liverpool’s 5–0 demolition of West Ham in their own East London home last evening I continually penned a single word in my trusty notebook until I feared the ink would run dry — Relentless. Before and indeed after their 5 goals in just 53 minutes of game time (and an even more impressive first 4 goals in just 23 combined minutes), the Reds in their always pleasing alternative all black away kit not only burst the “Hammers” bubbles but stamped all over them, bullied them into their own half of the field and only once allowed the home team the temerity to build an attack on their goal. Mohammed Kudus unluckily hit the post with his long range effort but this was the only shot of real note on Alisson Becker’s goal as his counterpart Alphonse Areola had to repel shot after shot on a goal he defended admirably despite conceding five. Although Liverpool led 3–0 at half-time it could easily have been 5 or even 6–0 with Areola beating away goal bound efforts at his near post from both Mo Salah and Curtis Jones inside the first 15 minutes before brilliantly tipping over a rasping drive from Luis Díaz 7 minutes later. The goals, plural, were coming, and he could nothing to prevent Díaz’s opener on 30 minutes and was as helpless as the defence in front of him as Salah laid a delicious assist for Cody Gakpo before scoring yet another goal in his pursuit of Gordon Hodgson to become the Reds 3rd all-time record goal scorer.
The second half had a feel of a half paced practice match as a struggling West Ham knew the game was up and one fears for the future, once again, for their manager of many clubs, Julen Lopetegui. His game, if not up, is nearing its end already. No such fears for Arne Slot as he pointed out through post-match interview smiles that via his last 6 months at Feyenoord and a faintly ridiculous half year at Liverpool he’s suffered just one defeat. His team have a perfect 6 wins from 6 games in the Champions League and whilst remaining in every competition his team entered in August, the Reds sit proudly at the top of the Premier League with an 8 point cushion on the best of the rest with a +28 Goal Difference and have only “dropped” 9 points all season long on their way to 45 points from a possible 54.
Whilst the subject of contract negotiations bores the piss out of everyone and an injury to Joe Gomez (one of THE star performers of the season so far) blighted yesterday’s magnificent performance, Mo Salah tallies goals and assists like a (Arne) Slot Machine, Luis Díaz and Cody Gakpo are in the form of their young lives, Ryan Gravenberch is even better than last season (some achievement), Curtis Jones is back, back, back and Alexis Mac Allister does what World Cup winners do, pass and move the ball to a teammate. Andy Robertson continues to poke his internet detractors in the eye with his performances, Trent Alexander-Arnold too, and the skipper wants his contract and wants to keep winning and raising silver trophies skyward.
What a time it is to be a Liverpool fan.
Arne’s Afterword
“There’s a lot of fans in every stadium we play. The stadium is always sold out if Liverpool comes. They don’t need much to cheer for if Liverpool comes in because if they already have an attack, or a corner kick, the fans are already cheering, so then you have to kill that momentum as much as you can and not give away anything. I think there was only two, three or four minutes where Curtis Jones lost the ball, Mo lost the ball and then we conceded a corner, which probably wasn’t a corner, where the fans were a bit behind West Ham. For the rest, I think because we were so dominant we could manage West Ham but also the crowd”.
“I think the level you reach during the game always has to do with the team you face as well. West Ham has done really well before we faced them today. They were in a good mood but normally West Ham doesn’t compete for winning the league. I think you have to always take this into account. If you look at how happy you are with a performance; away games are always difficult in the Premier League. Especially here, I think last season it was 2–2, if I remember correctly. It’s not an easy place to go to, so then to perform the way we did is pleasing to see”.
Thanks for reading. I pen my thoughts on every Liverpool game and in recent seasons, with the addition of numerous pieces of retro writing on Reds games of the past, I’ve curated and created the following two self-published books:
"A final word from The Boss" - link to Amazon
"Chasing the Impossible and a Sword of Damocles" - link to Amazon
Whilst you’re here I may as well brag about the release of my two self-published books during December 2024. Both are free to read if you subscribe to Amazon Kindle “Unlimited” or reasonably priced in both paperback and hardback. Go on, treat yourself or a loved one and help out an Indie Author! Buy the books if you’re financially able to.
We HAVE to keep the spirit of reading books alive and well.
Thanks.
"My Ironbridge Summer" - link to Amazon
"still life, with gooseberry" - link to Amazon
Thanks for reading. I hope this message in a bottle in The Matrix finds you well, prospering, and the right way up in an upside down world.