Phil Thompson grades Liverpool display v West Ham, reveals why it was incredible
By Will Butcher
Phil Thompson has graded Liverpool’s performance against West Ham as an “A+” after they ran riot at the London Stadium.
He claimed it was an “incredible” performance because of the sheer pressure on Liverpool to deliver.
Goals from Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi and a brace from Philippe Coutinho saw Jurgen Klopp’s side earn a comfortable 4-0 win against the Londoners.
Former Liverpool defender Thompson revealed on Sky Sports’ website that the reason behind his “A+” was because the Merseyside giants were under an enormous amount of pressure.
Thompson, who also took over as caretaker manager back in 2001, believes Liverpool coped with the expectation of maintaining their top-four hopes by claiming three points on Sunday.
“It was an incredible performance because the players, in both the defence and the attack, were under immense pressure,” Thompson said.
“Keep a clean sheet, try and score a goal and the first goal was so important to the side.
“It was like going back to the start of the season, so you would have to give an ‘A+’ given it was away from home and under immense pressure.”
Sturridge gave Liverpool the lead on his first start since January, as he was put through on goal by Coutinho before rounding goalkeeper Darren Randolph to slide home into an empty net.
Coutinho doubled his side’s lead, as he capitalised on Georginio Wijnaldum’s wicked volley that hit the bar, picking up the loose ball and dancing his way past opponents before firing home.
Controversially, Coutinho doubled his tally as the Reds countered following a penalty claim for West Ham with Wijnaldum adjudged to have handled in his own box.
Liverpool went up the other end and Coutinho smashed home from close range after being played through by Origi, before the Belgium international got his name on the score sheet.
Klopp’s side bolstered their chances of finishing in the top four, and now sit in third with one game to play after keeping their 11th clean sheet of the season – their third in a row.
In other Liverpool news, Leon Osman has revealed how Klopp can turn Sturridge back into a prolific Premier League goal machine.
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