WSL match report: Liverpool suffer defeat away at West Ham

Viviane Asseyi’s penalty put the home side ahead after just seven minutes of play in Sunday’s clash.

Leila Wandeler doubled that lead on the quarter-hour and the scoreline gap was stretched to three by Laia Codina’s deflected effort on the cusp of half-time.

Asseyi later grabbed her second at Chigwell Construction Stadium with a free-kick finish, while Reds substitute Vivien Endemann pulled one back.

Little had happened before West Ham won a penalty in the sixth minute, Fuka Nagano judged to have tripped Asseyi inside the box.

Asseyi herself stepped up to the kick and confidently side-footed into the right corner of the net as Khiara Keating dived in the other direction.

The Hammers were successfully stopping Liverpool from getting any kind of rhythm going – and they capitalised with a second goal on the quarter-hour.

Wandeler drove through the centre of the pitch with purpose, exchanged passes with Seraina Piubel to her left and, receiving the return in the middle of the area, guided in a low finish.

The Reds had the greater share of possession but true opportunities to score were minimal in contrast to the hosts.

Indeed, it might have been 3-0 on the half-hour. Asseyi, sprung into freedom to the right of Liverpool’s goal, opted for power and her shot crashed away off the crossbar.

Twice in the closing stages of the first half Alice Bergstrom fired in dangerous crosses from the flank, with each narrowly missing Cornelia Kapocs at the back post.

Fortune then favoured West Ham on 44 minutes as Codina’s ambitious hit from 25 yards deflected significantly off Jenna Clark and looped out of the reach of Keating.

Gareth Taylor introduced Endemann from the bench at the outset of the second half, changing shape with the withdrawal of Natalia Ramos.

Bergstrom continued to be a promising out-ball for the Reds, with one excellent solo dribble preceding another delivery that could not find a teammate.

Next, she went straight for goal herself from the angle – but it was straight into the gloves of Constance Picaud-Inconnu.

West Ham, and in particular Asseyi, remained persistently lively, however, and they stretched their advantage to four just past the hour.

She immediately took charge when a free-kick was won to the left of the Liverpool ‘D’ and showed why with a curler into the roof of the net.

Taylor’s charges kept playing and battling and were in the ascendancy for much of the remainder, though their task was by now too tall.

Endemann at least added a mark on the scoresheet for the Reds when she dribbled in from the right-hand side and benefited from a deflection to beat the goalkeeper.

Team

Liverpool: Keating, Kerr, Clark, Fisk, Bernabe (Ward, 90+1), Nagano, Maclean, Ramos (Endemann, 46), Bergstrom (Itamura, 67), Kapocs, Olsson.

Unused subs: Kirby, Parry, Enderby, Höbinger, Agrez, Trueman.

Next up

The Reds return to Anfield next Sunday (November 8) for a WSL clash with Arsenal.

Kick-off will be 12pm GMT and tickets can be booked here.