With around a quarter of this match left, West Ham won a corner on the right. Scenting a set-piece equaliser, claret-and-blue shirts piled into the penalty area. Jarrod Bowen picked his spot, ran in and delivered a curling left-footed cross. Fifteen seconds later, Liverpool scored. Game over, handshakes, thanks for having us.
It was Mohamed Salah who delivered the coup de grace, finishing a scintillating counterattack with his second goal of the game and sealing the points in the process. But really, the story here was of a team shedding its inhibitions, learning the lessons from a rotten first half and resolving to be just a little quicker, a little braver. Six points in three days from two visits to London have shaken Liverpool, and the title race, back to life.
