Hammers defeated at Anfield

Liverpool 4-1 West Ham United
Barclays Premier League

Luis Suarez took his goal tally for the week to six with a double which sent the Hammers to a 4-1 defeat at Liverpool on Saturday.

Sam Allardyce's men held out until the 42nd minute, but had no answer once Guy Demel's unfortunate own goal had given the home side the lead.

Mamadou Sakho scored soon after half time to double the lead, and although Martin Skrtel scored at the other end to briefly give the Hammers hope, Suarez's late double, coupled with Kevin Nolan's red card, took the game away from the Londoners.

Suarez, fresh from scoring four goals against Norwich in the week, showed an early sign of his intent when he clipped a shot over the top from 20 yards with nine minutes gone.

The Hammers took the play to the other end immediately and Mohamed Diame was so close to sliding Modibo Maiga in, but his pass was just in front of the striker.

With 21 minutes on the clock Maiga went even closer when he climbed to meet a Matt Jarvis cross and headed towards goal, but Simon Mignolet showed good reactions to tip the ball over the bar.

Liverpool gradually began to dominate possession as the half wore on and both Suarez and Philippe Coutinho were off target with shots from range.

The hosts may have thought their best chance of the opening period had passed them by on 41 minutes when Raheem Sterling prodded wide when through on goal after out sprinting James Tomkins.

However, they took the lead a minute later when the Hammers were guilty of giving the ball away in their defensive third and Suarez pounced to force a save from Jaaskelainen, with the ball bouncing off the unfortunate Demel and into the net.

It was to get worse for the visitors just two minutes after the restart when Steven Gerrard delivered a free-kick from the right and Mamadou Sakho headed across goal, with Skrtel just beating James Collins to force the ball over the line.

Liverpool would go on to pin the Hammers back for much of the next 20 minutes as they searched for a third and Sterling twice went close around the hour, first slipping as he shot following a Jordan Henderson pull back, then forcing a wonderful save from Jaaskelainen after latching onto Joe Allen's low cross.

The Hammers were in danger of sinking without trace, but but were handed a lifeline midway through the half when Skrtel inexplicably diverted the ball padt Mignolet after Matt Jarvis headed Guy Demel's deep cross back across goal.

It perhaps needed something dramatic to stem the tide and Liverpool were rattled for a while, with Maiga poking wide at the far post after the home side struggled to get a corner clear.

But Brendan Rodgers' men gathered themselves again and made the points safe ten minutes from time when Suarez arrived at the far post with perfect timing to meet Glen Johnson's teasing cross with an unstoppable header.

There was still time for Nolan to be sent for an early bath after catching Henderson on the calf before Suarez added insult to injury by finding the net for a fourth, with the help of a wicked deflection off Joey O'Brien.

Liverpool: Mignolet; Johnson, Skrtel, Sakho, Flanagan (Kelly 78); Gerrard (Lucas 56), Allen; Henderson, Coutinho, Sterling (Moses 72); Suarez
Subs: Jones, Aspas, Cissokho, Luis Alberto

Goals: Demel og 42, Sakho 47, Suarez 80, Suarez 84

West Ham United: Jaaskelainen; Demel, Collins, Tomkins (O'Brien 56), McCartney; Diame, Noble, Nolan; Downing (J.Cole 46), Maiga, Jarvis (Taylor 84)
Subs: Adrian, Collison, Diarra, C.Cole

Goal; Skrtel og 66

Booked: Demel, Collins, J.Cole

Sent off: Nolan

Referee: Michael Oliver