Liverpool were not pretty against West Ham on Sunday but they got the job done to take another step towards Premier League title glory.
The Reds headed into the day bolstered by Arsenal’s draw against Brentford on Saturday, with the pressure eased considerably as a result.
Clearly ready to enjoy their ascent towards Premier League champion status, Liverpool started the game well, Luis Diaz putting them ahead inside 15 minutes.
For a little while, Liverpool were better than they have been for a little while, popping the ball about and hemming West Ham in their own half.
But after the break the nerves seemed to kick in and Liverpool looked a shadow of their first-half selves.
Despite it all, the Reds eventually saw out a 2-1, Virgil van Dijk grabbing a last-gasp winner. And although he could count his team unlucky to lose, West Ham boss Graham Potter was full of praise for Liverpool after the game.
Graham Potter praises ‘dangerous’ Liverpool
With just six points now needed to claim the Premier League trophy, there’s a case to be made that performances no longer matter for Liverpool this season. Just get the win by hook or by crook.
According to Potter, though, the Reds were actually good on Sunday, whatever fans may think.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, the West Ham manager praised how dangerous Liverpool can be on transition.
“The performance was strong from our perspective,” Potter said. “We created some opportunities, and we pushed a good, top team back.”
“Defensively, I thought we were quite solid, as solid as you can be with Liverpool. They’re so dangerous, and their transition is so fast, but we managed it quite well.
“And like I said, in the second half, we created some really good opportunities.”
Liverpool can play so much better
It has felt like a while since we have seen Liverpool well and truly at their free-flowing best.
But during the opening half hour or so on Sunday, there were glimpses that this team can still emerge during the last part of the season.
Perhaps nerves played a part or even fatigue, but all the good Liverpool did in the opening third of the game was then almost undone by an insipid performance for the last hour.
Potter is right, Liverpool are dangerous and can be incredibly quick in turning defence into attack. But we haven’t seen enough of that lately.
However the Reds are playing, they are going to end the campaign as champions of England and that should never be sniffed at. This team can play so much better, though, and hopefully we see a return of that next season.
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