Liverpool edge past West Ham after Diogo Jota hits late winner

Liverpool moved to the top of the Premier League table with a late goal that secured victory over West Ham United at Anfield.

The visitors took the lead after ten minutes, when Pablo Fornals picked up a loose header from Joe Gomez and half-volleyed the ball into the bottom corner. Liverpool struggled to get any real momentum in the game but were gifted an equaliser just before half time. Arthur Masuaku kicked through the back of Mohamed Salah to concede a penalty, which Salah drilled home.

Liverpool laboured to try and break through West Ham’s obdurate 4-5-1 formation in the second half. They looked to have done it in the 77th minute when Diogo Jota tapped home a rebound, but the goal was cancelled after a VAR review for a foul by Sadio Mane on Lukasz Fabianski. Jota would not be denied eight minutes later however, when a cool finish from a superb Xherdan Shaqiri pass secured all three points.

The victory moves Liverpool above Everton and into first place, while West Ham remain in 13th in the table.

Will Jota take the place of Roberto Firmino in the first team? With twenty minutes to go Firmino was hooked after a strangely anonymous performance. His replacement was a man who looks mustard keen to make his mark at Anfield. Jota registerd an important goal against FC Midtjylland in the Champions League on Tuesday, and had a goal chalked off here before tucking in the winner with five minutes left. Jurgen Klopp has selection headaches further back in his team, but Jota is creating what managers call a nice problem up front.

Nathaniel Phillips (Liverpool). Your Premier League debut is a landmark moment, and Nathaniel Phillips might have worried quite how he’d remember it when Fornals put West Ham ahead. Thereafter Liverpool slowly took over, for which Phillips can take a good portion of the credit; Haller got no change out of him all night and was eventually substituted, and an excellent defensive header from a corner by Phillips in injury time saw Liverpool home.

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson 6, Alexander-Arnold 6, Phillips 7, Gomez 6, Robertson 6; Henderson 6, Wijnaldum 6, Jones 6; Mane 6, Salah 6, Firmino 5

SUBS: Milner 6, Jota 7, Shaqiri 7

West Ham United (5-4-1): Fabianski 5; Coufal 6, Balbuena 6, Ogbonna 6, Cresswell 6, Masuaku 5; Rice 6, Soucek 6, Fornals 7, Bowen 7; Haller 5

SUBS: Yarmolenko 6, Lanzini 6, Benrahma 6

10’ GOAL! Liverpool 0 West Ham United 1 (Fornals 10) Well now! West Ham have settled in the last few minutes, and now they're ahead! Masuaku crosses from the left, and a poor header from Gomez lands straight at the feet of Fornals on the edge of the area. He fakes to shoot to the far corner, before clipping a half-volley into the net of the near post!

40’ PENALTY! Out of nothing, a penalty for Liverpool! Salah brings the ball down in the area on the right and Masuaku kicks through the back of his heel as he swipes at the ball. Silly challenge and a gift for Liverpool.

42’ GOAL! Liverpool 1 (Salah pen. 42) West Ham United 1 Fabianski dives big to his left, and Salah drills the ball low down the middle to bring the scores level.

77’ DISALLOWED GOAL! Jota makes the difference, or does he? He drives hard into the West Ham area and cuts it across to Mane, whose shot is well saved by Fabianksi. Mane slides in for the rebound, and into Fabianski as he does so, and the ball squirms out to Jota who puts the loose ball away from close range. It's reviewed by VAR though, and after a check on the monitor Kevin Friend chalks it off for a foul on Fabianski.

85’ GOAL! Liverpool 2 (Jota 85) West Ham United 1 What a brilliant goal! After pressing for an eternity around the West Ham area, Shaqiri goes direct with a nutmegged pass straight into the middle of the box. It's perfectly timed for Jota, who waltzes onto it and tucks the ball past Fabianski with a classy finish.

Liverpool equalled their club record for an unbeaten league run at Anfield, matching the 63 games achieved by Bob Paisley’s team from 1978-80.