Liverpool crashed to a third Premier League defeat of the season, after an awful defensive performance at Upton Park. The Reds fell to a 3-1 defeat, having conceded two goals in the opening seven minutes.
Raheem Sterling pulled a goal back on 26 minutes, and despite the Reds dominating possession in the second half, Brendan Rodgers men struggled to create any clear cut chances.Morgan Amalfiltano sealed the three points for the Hammers on 88 minutes, after a mistake from Mamadou Sakho.
Liverpool got off to a horror start, conceding a free kick inside the first minute in a dangerous position. The Reds had struggled to deal with set pieces in their last league game against Aston Villa, and it was the same story once again, as Winston Reid nodded home from six yards having escaped his marker and received a knock down from James Tomkins.
Things were to get worse for the Reds not shortly after, when Diafra Sakho chipped Simon Mignolet from a tight angle with just seven minutes on the clock. Brendan Rodgers reacted by bringing on Mamadou Sakho in place of Javier Manquillo, and reverting to a 3-5-2 formation.
It brought an almost immediate response, when Raheem Sterling followed up Mario Balotelli’s blocked shot with a fine finish to make it 2-1. Simon Mignolet was forced into two decent saves during the remainder of the first half, with Dejan Lovren’s clash of heads with Mamadou Sakho also a cause for concern.
Rodgers introduced Adam Lallana at the break in place of the ineffective Lucas Leiva, and Liverpool set about trying to find their form. Despite plenty of possession, West Ham goalkeeper Adrian was only forced into routine saves from shots from distance from Mario Balotelli and Fabio Borini. Rickie Lambert came on as Brendan Rodgers final throw of the dice, but remarkably the Reds failed to get any sort of crosses into the box, seemingly content to keep possession and try and probe through the middle.
They got what they deserved just two minutes from time, as Mamadou Sakho’s misplaced header fell perfectly for former Red Stewart Downing, who played an inch perfect through ball for substitute Morgan Amalfiltano, who finished past Simon Mignolet to seal a deserved three points for the Hammers.
The result will be a huge cause of concern for Brendan Rodgers, who has now seen his side lose three of their opening five Premier League matches this season.
The defence remains a huge cause for concern, with Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren and Mamadou Sakho never looking comfortable under any sort of pressure. Next weekend’s Merseyside derby at Anfield now takes on added significance, with the Reds desperate to kick start what is looking a disastrous start to the 2014-15 campaign.
