West Ham rise to third after ending Liverpools 25-match unbeaten run

Updated November 8, 2021 â€" 7.21amfirst published at 3.16am

West Ham United manager David Moyes has waited 11 long years for a Premier League victory against Liverpool and few would begrudge his joyous celebrations after it finally arrived in a memorable 3-2 win for his side on Sunday (Monday AEDT).

Moyes had not tasted victory against the Anfield club in his last 14 league meetings as manager of Everton, Manchester United, Sunderland and West Ham, losing 10 and drawing four.

West Ham players celebrate after their opening goal.Credit:AP

But he finally cracked the code and there was no doubting West Ham deserved it as an own goal by Liverpool keeper Alisson and strikes by Pablo Fornals and Kurt Zouma after the break sent West Ham above Juergen Klopp’s side into third place on the table.

“It’s been hard to beat Liverpool over my career, they’ve been a very good side, so I was very pleased to get it today,” said Moyes, who is in his second spell as West Ham manager after saving them from relegation in his first.

“Even when it went to 3-1 it was never comfortable, Liverpool were very good and we had to work hard to keep them out. What the supporters really want to see is a winning team and they’re beginning to see a team that’s winning a lot more now. It was a terrific effort from the players and we even could have scored a couple more.”

West Ham have won four successive league games for their best points haul after 11 games since 1981.

“I’m hugely proud (to have turned West Ham around),” Moyes said. “The way the players have gone about it, you talk about me turning it around, these players were close to relegation. Now we’re pushing for Europe.”

West Ham’s win ended Liverpool’s joint club record 25-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Klopp complained about West Ham’s opening goal after four minutes, insisting that Alisson had been impeded by Angelo Ogbonna while trying to catch the ball. But in reality his side were not at their best, especially in the second half, as they were outmuscled by West Ham.

“What can Alisson do? That is why the goalie is protected,” Klopp said. “If a player goes up in the air with his arm, it is an important part of the body for the goalkeeper. “People will say I am making excuses but I am calm. You need normal decisions from a referee and he did not do that.”

Arsenal close in on top four

Arsenal closed in on the Premier League top four after a second-half goal from Emile Smith-Rowe gave them a 1-0 home win over Watford in manager Mikael Arteta’s 100th game in charge at the club.

Smith-Rowe netted Arsenal’s 100th league goal under Arteta as he drilled in a low shot from 18 metres after striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had missed a first half penalty for the home side, who also had two goals ruled out for offside.

Bukayo Saka’s early effort was disallowed and Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster smothered Aubameyang’s 35th-minute spot kick before he also kept out a close-range Gabriel header with a superb reflex save. But Foster was powerless in the 56th minute when Arsenal defender Ben White surged forward after winning possession in midfield and teed up Smith-Rowe, who found the back of the net with a first-time shot.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goal for Arsenal was disallowed.Credit:PA

Aubameyang had a 73rd-minute goal chalked off and Joshua King missed Watford’s solitary chance in the 86th before the visitors had Juraj Kucka sent off for a second yellow card after he fouled Arsenal’s left back Nuno Tavares.

Everton and Spurs in scrappy draw

Antonio Conte’s first Premier League game in charge of Tottenham Hotspur ended in a scrappy 0-0 draw at Everton as a crucial VAR intervention helped them scrape a point.

The pivotal moment in a game of few clear chances came just past the hour mark when referee Chris Kavanagh awarded a penalty against Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris for a foul on Richarlison, but changed his mind after checking the pitchside monitor.

Tottenham substitute Giovani Lo Celso almost won it for Spurs late on with a shot against the post, but a draw was just about a fair result for the two out-of-form sides.

Tottenham’s Tanguy Ndombele is challenged by Seamus Coleman and Anthony Gordon of Everton.Credit:Getty Images

Everton ended a feisty match with 10 men after Mason Holgate was sent off in stoppage time for a wild tackle on Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojgberg.

Conte will take some satisfaction from Tottenham’s first league clean sheet for more than two months as the Londoners drew for the first time this season.

Nothing between Leeds and Leicester

Leeds United winger Raphinha’s superb free kick was cancelled out by Leicester City forward Harvey Barnes in an entertaining 1-1 draw at Elland Road.

Brazilian Raphinha fired Leeds ahead in the 26th minute of a breathless opening half with a vicious low free kick that beat a diving Kasper Schmeichel and crept into the bottom left corner before Leicester hit back in style two minutes later.

Leeds United’s Jack Harrison shoots.Credit:PA

Barnes darted into the penalty area and unleashed a curling right-footed effort from a tight angle that gave Illan Meslier no chance in the Leeds goal to equalise and silence the raucous home crowd.

Leeds spurned a great chance to go ahead shortly after the break, as an unmarked Jack Harrison failed to keep his effort from going over crossbar from point-blank range following a flick on from fellow midfielder Kalvin Phillips.

The hosts continued to dominate possession and Rodrigo was next to go close as the Spanish forward lashed his volley into the side netting after meeting Stuart Dallas’s probing cross from the right.

Leicester’s Ademola Lookman tapped in from close range in the 67th minute but the effort was disallowed after the intervention of the Video Assistant Referee as the forward was deemed to be offside when Jamie Vardy headed the ball to him.

Reuters

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