Mohamed Salah remained on the bench as Liverpool relied on summer signings Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz to secure a crucial 2-0 victory over West Ham on Sunday.
The Swedish striker opened his Premier League account for the club following his high-profile move to Anfield, while the German midfielder orchestrated the Reds’ attacking play.
Both sides, reflecting their slow starts to the Premier League season, struggled to ignite the London Stadium early on.
West Ham, guided by Nuno Espirito Santo to soak up pressure and strike on the counter, found themselves pinned back by Liverpool, who failed to fully capitalize on their dominance.
Alphonse Areola produced a superb save from an Isak attempt and blocked a dangerous Joe Gomez cross, but otherwise faced little threat from a tame Liverpool attack in the first half.
Wirtz, impressive in the opening 45 minutes, emerged as the key difference after the interval.
Around the 60-minute mark, he cut inside and, with a deft touch of the outside of his boot, threaded a precise ball to Cody Gakpo, who set up Isak to finish first-time into the bottom-left corner.
Liverpool continued to control possession and neutralize any West Ham advances. Despite leading by just a single goal, the Reds never appeared at risk of dropping points, rendering Salah’s introduction unnecessary.
A controversial red card for Lucas Paqueta extinguished any hope of a West Ham comeback, and Gakpo sealed the win in the 92nd minute with a clinical finish from a Gomez cross, ensuring all three points for the visitors.
