Ben Johnson’s player ratings for The Anfield Wrap after West Ham United 1 Liverpool 2 in the Premier League at the London Stadium…
WELL, let’s see what marvellous surprises are in store for us tonight, eh?
Alisson: 6
Well, that didn’t take long before there was a lovely little slap in the proverbial chops, with a fucking massive big wet fucking trout. Better side, on top, first to everything until we parted like Moses in the bath.
Should he do better? I’m saying he should do better. It’s not often you see Ali get his positioning wrong. Normally he’s frigging chesting that. Great when he came out to sweep up when Ings was in.
Trent: 8
Thought he was fantastic first half. The Reds most likely midfielder/defender to win the ball back. Picking up loads of bits and running the game really. Just need more work on this shape as now and again we are working it well, then look to the right-hand side and there is nothing there.
Got a bit of a cob on when Thiago come on and filled his centre mid spaces up.
Big Joel: 9
Looks refreshed, really. Like he has been in the freezer since the last time he played, when he looked like he was on his lassies. How hasn’t that fucking chance gone in?
Fuckin never mind, ha ha ha what a header. Great movement and a bullet header. Was great throughout.
Virgil: 6
Would like him to have stepped out to that shot rather than setting himself in a weird power stance like fucking Theresa May or some other despicable ghoul announcing another big incompetent bowl of cruelty.
Unreal defending to keep Antonio out at the back stick. Tremendous. Lucky for the disallowed goal, really. Seemed to be running in slow motion backwards. That said, he was fantastic after that. Won everything, first to everything. Like he had woke out of a slumber.
Disney might make a film about it.
Robbo: 7
Ticked over in a manner akin to someone who is playing with the brakes on a little bit, given his new role.
Fabinho: 7
Much better than he was when he was doing that impression of the Dalai Lama for a bit, not the moody impression, the one where he is a 80-year-old fella meditating in centre mid.
Won it now and again, decent on the ball, just lost a yard out of the blocks, that little reflex action that he was so good at to get The Reds out of the shit, just isn’t really there anymore. Just means we can’t quite win it back as easily as we used to.
Henderson: 6
See all of the above. Just lost that bit of ability to get around the ball quickly enough. Facilitates Trent well enough though in that sort of inside-out, right-inverted, centre-mid/wing-back thing he is having to do.
That said, it’s pretty painful watching him in possession facing the touchline trying to turn. I mean, painful to watch, looks painful for him to try and turn his hips.
Curtis: 7
I thought he was good again. Quietly efficient. Held the ball well first half. Worked his plums off without it. Gave it away a few times but the first to press to get it back.
Gakpo: 8
Right well, first off, for clarity’s sake, I didn’t see his goal. I got a cob on with the match and also with the state of the Marksies garlic naan I was having, which was frankly a sloppy mess, not too dissimilar to the fucking Reds defending for the goal: so jibbed the game, went the kitchen and made a couple of toast to salvage the rest of the prawn bhuna. Come back in The Reds had scored and I had prawn curry for me tea. What a 60 seconds.
Good finish, wasn’t it? Well in. Extra point for the curry on toast.
Mo Salah: 7
Lively enough and worked so hard without the ball. Back to his best without it. Not quite with the ball tonight.
Jota: 7
Mad, isn’t he? Played well, could have scored two tonight. Unlucky with both big chances really, the first one comes at him really quickly, the second is just really unlucky.
SUBS
Thiago:
Loved the handball. Loved both handballs. Would have liked him to pick it up and pop it under his jumper.
Nunez:
Looks less like a Liverpool forward at the minute than he has ever done.
Diaz:
Getting there slowly but surely. So good to have him back.
Milner:
Clobbered a few.
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Milner first foul in twenty seconds I was mike’s away in the sweep with 80.
Surprised cody was the one to go off for Luis as he was doing a great bobby job linking midfield to attack then when Darwin came on for Diogo he was in the spaces Luis would normally be. Loved the first half performance and I felt strangely optimistic all night that we’d get the win. So weird how Joel can stink the pitch out last few times he played then plays tonight and it’s like it was all just a bad dream! Virg seems to have added the ballooned clearance 30 feet straight up in the air which I never seen him do for four years. And boy is he slow now. Which isn’t great with hendo and fab in front of him looking like they have to play with their laces tied together from now on. Can’t we get a 3 game extension to the season for being the only top 4 team that pays any notice to financial fair play. Probably
Split time between watching the reds and watching Arsenal watch their Championship dreams smashed and trampled under the boots of KDB and the grinning galloping goal savant. My take away, especially after subs in 2nd half was it seemed our forwards and half the midfield all seemed to be within 8 feet of each other and getting in each other’s way. Maybe it will iron itself out.