Liverpool’s unbeaten streak was extended with a 3-1 victory over West Ham.
Mohamed Salah put the hosts ahead after being tripped in the area by Nayef Aguerd with a well-drilled penalty inside the first 20 minutes.
However, the Londoners equalized just before halftime when Jarrod Bowen headed home a cross from Vladimir Coufal to beat Alisson in The Kop goal.
On the hour, Alexis MacAllister delivered an inch-perfect ball over the top for Darwin Nunez to meet with a first-time finish.
Diogo Jota added a third for Jurgen Klopp’s side in the closing five minutes, side-footing home after Virgil van Dijk assisted on Andy Robertson’s corner.
Anfield’s primary talking points were as follows:
Nunez must keep things simple
Darwin Nunez was having another of those afternoons for a while.
The Uruguay international has struggled to cause West Ham any significant problems in defense in his second Premier League start of the season.
When Nunez fluffed his lines after collecting an inch-perfect pass from Salah early in the second half, Kopites thought he was reverting to type.
The visitors’ worst blunder was allowing him the freedom of their penalty area to make amends for that horrifying miss with a more clinical effort.
Alexis Mac Allister’s expertly weighted ball over the top set up the former Benfica man to do what he does best: prod home a one-touch finish.
Nunez’s profligacy troubles appear to be the result of spending too much time on the ball, with the desire to overthink his final product becoming alarmingly strong.
Keeping things simple is critical to understanding why the 24-year-old was signed for a probable club-record fee just 15 months ago.
The Reds’ revitalization is gaining traction
Jurgen Klopp’s enthusiasm for his Liverpool 2.0 is becoming increasingly justified.
The Anfield supporters may have been concerned by their manager’s exuberance in the aftermath of the loss of numerous once established starters over the summer.
However, they are already being swept along following their latest victory over West Ham.
With a sixth straight win in all competitions and 17 unbeaten Premier League games, the Reds’ resurgence has officially begun.
They had to withstand a storm as the visitors salvaged a hardly deserving equalizer shortly before half-time before the quality gap became apparent.
At this point in the season, little can be gained by Liverpool breathing down Manchester City’s neck, with Sunday’s win bringing them up to second place.
The German’s first trademark fist-pump celebration in front of The Kop was a more dependable indicator of how far along his charges were.
A defense argument
A triumph of this magnitude often draws attention to Liverpool’s ardent forward line, but there is an equally compelling case for the defense.
Despite West Ham’s equalizer, Klopp’s backline performed admirably despite being under-strength due to fitness worries.
Joe Gomez stepped in brilliantly to replace the vacuum created by Trent Alexander-Arnold’s injury, complementing the hosts’ assaults while still performing his fundamental duties.
Playing alongside Joel Matip while Ibrahima Konate recovers from an injury has surely boosted the versatile defender’s confidence.
Alisson, too, was outstanding, making a succession of important saves either side of the half that prevented the Londoners from regaining control of the game.
The Brazilian’s exploits are far too frequently taken for granted, but moments like this one highlight why he was Liverpool’s Player of the Year last season.
Goals can win games, but good foundations are just as crucial.