Alexander Isak scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool as the Reds returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory at 10-man West Ham United on Sunday.
Sweden striker Isak had registered just one goal, in the EFL Cup, this season and had already been denied by a brilliant Alphonse Areola save in the first half at London Stadium.
But Isak, signed from Newcastle United in the summer transfer window, coolly side-footed home on the hour mark to all but settle a match that produced few chances.
Lucas Paqueta was was sent for two yellow cards in quick succession before Cody Gakpo made sure with an emphatic effort in second-half stoppage time, as Liverpool ended a run of three straight defeats in all competitions, including two in the Premier League, to leave Arne Slot's team eighth in the table.
West Ham did not register a shot on target all game, with Nuno Espirito Santo's side remaining 17th.
How the match unfolded
The best opportunity of the opening period arrived in the 21st minute when Isak drew an outstanding point-blank save from Areola after reacting to Gakpo's knockdown.
Florian Wirtz was also denied by Areola after Aaron Wan-Bissaka made a hash of a long punt forward.
The second half followed a similarly attritional theme until the 60th minute when Gakpo teed up Isak to guide a well-placed effort into the bottom left-hand corner.
Hugo Ekitike linked up well with fellow substitute Curtis Jones before bending wide of the right-hand post as Liverpool sought a nerve-settling second goal.
West Ham's situation worsened when Paqueta, only just back from a ban, was shown two yellow cards for dissent in the space of 54 seconds in the 84th minute.
Jarrod Bowen's fizzed effort that cleared the left-hand post briefly had Liverpool hearts in mouths, but Gakpo smashed in from eight yards after Joe Gomez's cross fell kindly into his path to confirm the three points in the second minute of second-half stoppage time.
Shot-shy Hammers fail to trouble Liverpool
The Hammers – who paid tribute to club legend Billy Bonds before the match following the sad announcement of his death on Sunday – recorded two wins and a draw in their three league games before this encounter, and but for a couple of nervy moments, were once more well-drilled and disciplined in a first half lacking in quality.
Areola came up clutch with a big save to deny Isak midway through the first half, to continue a theme from last weekend's pulsating 2-2 draw with AFC Bournemouth, where the French goalkeeper made 10 saves.
But the issue is that for all their decent work defensively, they never laid a glove on their opponents at the other end – something that will hugely disappoint Nuno given the struggles Liverpool have endured defensively in recent weeks.
When Isak, who now has six goals against West Ham, put the visitors ahead, the game had an almost inevitable feel about it, and the Hammers just could not muster a reply against the defending champions, who were already coasting by the time Gakpo made sure of things.
West Ham will hope they can show more attacking intent in Thursday's trip to face Manchester United, a task made harder by Paqueta's easily avoidable absence.
Relief for Isak and Slot as Liverpool rediscover winning feeling
The Reds were beaten 3-0 by both Manchester City and Nottingham Forest in their last two league matches, and whether by design or just the nature of the game, they were much more solid defensively here.
However, it did mean that Liverpool lost a little something going the other way, a situation perhaps more noticeable given talisman Mohamed Salah was dropped to the bench in the Premier League for the first time with Slot as head coach.
But the game may have been opened up a little earlier had Isak not been thwarted by the agile reflexes of Areola in the West Ham goal.
At that point, you may have forgiven Isak and Slot for fearing the worst, but the tension both men will have been feeling was lifted with a typically accomplished finish in what is his sixth top-flight appearance for the Reds.
Only time will tell whether this goal can be the spark to ignite his Liverpool career and indeed a turning point in the Reds' faltering campaign.
But it is certainly a starting point for Isak, and a foundation for Liverpool to perhaps rebuild from – a theory that will be put to the test when they host Sunderland on Wednesday.
Club reports
West Ham report | Liverpool report
Next PL fixtures
Key facts
West Ham have just 11 points in 13 Premier League matches this season (W3 D2 L8) – only in 2010/11 (nine) and 2017/18 (10) have they had fewer at this stage of a campaign in the competition.
Alexander Isak scored his first Premier League goal in his last eight appearances, ending his joint-longest scoring drought in the competition (also seven matches from April-May 2023).
This was the first time under Arne Slot that Mohamed Salah did not start a Premier League game for Liverpool. It's the first time overall he wasn’t named in the starting XI for the Reds since April 2024, also away against West Ham – ending his run of 53 successive league starts.