Alexander Isak finally opened his English Premier League (EPL) account for Liverpool as the Reds earned a crucial 2-0 victory over West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday, November 30, 2025.
The 26-year-old striker, who joined in a British-record £125m transfer, had endured five league appearances without a goal and had scored only once in 11 outings across all competitions. But he ended that barren spell with a composed finish on the hour mark.
Cody Gakpo added a stoppage-time goal to seal Liverpool’s first win in four games.
Manager Arne Slot admitted the win was vital after a miserable run that saw Liverpool lose nine of their previous 12 matches, including a humbling 4-1 defeat to PSV and back-to-back 3-0 league losses.
“There’s definitely a feeling of relief because if you have lost so many times, then winning is important,” Slot said.
“We hardly conceded a chance and we were able to create chances ourselves. This is a good first step for us. We won and had a clean sheet.”
Isak, who battled injuries and fitness issues after missing pre-season, had not scored a league goal since his Newcastle days in May. Slot described the goal as “significant” for the Swede and the team.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah was dropped to the bench for the third time this season amid poor form; the Egyptian has scored just five times across competitions.
Naija News reports that before kickoff, West Ham held an emotional minute’s applause for late club legend Billy Bonds, who died aged 79.
The hosts started strongly, but Liverpool gradually took control. Isak missed early chances, including a bicycle kick stopped by Alphonse Areola, before finally finding the breakthrough with a low strike from Gakpo’s cut-back.
Slot substituted the striker immediately after the goal, greeting him with a handshake on the touchline.
West Ham’s hopes collapsed in the 84th minute when Lucas Paqueta received two quick yellow cards for dissent against referee Darren England.
Liverpool capitalised in stoppage time as West Ham failed to clear their lines, allowing Gakpo to swivel and fire home from 12 yards to seal the win.
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