Who needs five substitutes when two will do? Jürgen Klopp may be championing the return of the five substitutes’ rule but all Liverpool required was the potent introduction of Diogo Jota and Xherdan Shaqiri to complete another comeback victory, move three points clear at the top of the Premier League and equal a club record of 63 league games unbeaten at Anfield.
West Ham had good reason to rue the quality on the champions’ bench. David Moyes’s side defended tenaciously, attacked dangerously – whenever they were able to gain possession from Liverpool that is – and delivered a performance that underlined the progress they are making this season. Yet they still ended up suffering the same fate as 28 of the previous 29 Premier League visitors to Anfield. Defeat.
