Liverpool vs West Ham - 2018/19 season opener

COYFI 

Wilshere to boss the midfield!

LFC XI; Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Keita, Mane, Salah, Firmino

West Ham XI: Fabianski, Fredericks, Balbuena, Rice, Ogbonna, Masuaku, Noble, Wilshere, Anderson, Arnautovic, Antonio

Good morning...

nothing like having to get up at 5:30am on a sunday... but it's football, innit

so.... Adrian gets dropped... Noble doesn't...

Masuaku and Arnie are the only other survivors besides Nobes... so this really is a big change from last season...

ooh... big diving punch clearance from Fabianski...

Liverpool look very fluid and sharp... I guess it doesn't hurt to have this as our first game (the early start notwithstanding)

There's no real surprise if we don't win and the new kids have everything to play for...

7 minutes gone...

my bad... Ogbonna and Rice are still in there...

Salah almost slides the ball through the defense but we're on top of it and Fabianski covers.

Liverpool are pretty dominant so far...

Anderson looks very lively for us... be good to see if he can maintain that pace and commitment for an entire game. He's also seemingly inherited the Kayoute wrist splint... awwww... Chekiou...

ooh... some nice defending between Masuaku and Anderson to deny Salah...

it's a bight, lively game so far.

sweet little inside pass from Anderson to Arnie that goes out for a corner... yes, Anderson is pretty much involved in everything so far.

Corner is just too high for the blokes on the far post and Liverpool clear.

good reaction save as Liverpool were almost one on one on goal...

oh shit... and there it is....

was just reading son the BBC about hw worried they were at our defense trying to play high to catch Liverpool offside and how long that tactic would work...

as I read that the ball fizzed across the 6 yard box with three Pool players lunging for it...

then pretty much the next move... a decisive pass out to the left... and the ball whips in for Salah to poke not the empty net.

Now we really get to see what this team is made of.

great save by Fabianski from a Liverpool free kick...

great through ball to Arnie who pulls it down but is dragged too wide and hit shot goes across the goal... but we get a corner out of it but Pool save the header...

oh shoot... I forgot Antonio... as he finally does something to make it clear that he's playing... maybe this isn't a totally different team to last year... just feels like it

god pressure wins us a throw...

and Arnie almost gets a clean shot on goal...

we're down... but not anywhere close to out at this point...

Fabianski's doing pretty well between the sticks... a nice point blank save from Salah there...

I am done already

oh shit... that's no way to do it and no way to end the first half...

everyone switches off as a long high looping ball drops at the far post... Fabianski half heartedly got to get it but thee's a Liverpool player who knocks it back across goal where two others are waiting unopposed to slot it into the empty net.

About as much of a giveaway as you could have at any level of the game... pretty piss poor given how stoically we've tried to keep them out.

That might be game over.

Snodgrass replaces Rice as the 2nd half gets underway...

all the press at half time is predictably dire from our standpoint...

ooh shit.... that was close....

Antonio clanks a volley over form 2 yards out.... ugh... that would have turned the game a bit...

oh well... any good work gets undone immediately - three passes and Liverpool score.

Mane with his 2nd.

He was completely offside, but without the beauty of VAR, it'll stand and we're heading for the usual 4 goal drubbing we always seem to let Liverpool have.

ooh, nice... the Lino flags that Liverpool attack for offside but not the actual goal they scored...

here's the offside goal...

Anderson gets a rest (didn't think he could keep that up all day) he's been our best player by a mile.

Chicharito comes on as his replacement...

getting out of this at 3-0 would technically be an improvement over the last three meetings...

Liverpool freekick on the edge of the area...

two players down blocking the ball...

Wilshere getting treatment - but he'll survive...

Arnie trudging off... not much of a chance for him to do anything... but we get a chance to see what Yarmolenko's all about.. because what player doesn't want to come on a 0-3 with 25 minutes remaining, to show what they're worth...