Moyes molding Hammers into unlikely title contenders

LONDON－The sound of West Ham fans singing club anthem I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles could still be heard around the bars of the London Stadium an hour after beating Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp's Reds had not only been prevented from going a club-record 26th match unbeaten, they were also dislodged from third place in the English Premier League standings thanks to a 3-2 victory for the Hammers on Sunday.

There hasn't been much to celebrate at West Ham, especially in the five years since moving into the stadium that was the centerpiece of the 2012 Olympics.

Reconfigured around a running track, it is still an imperfect venue for soccer. But the fan dissent and disorder is fading into the past as manager David Moyes has the club dreaming of finishing in the top four－and maybe even having a shot at the title.

"This season reminds me of the Boleyn Ground," West Ham forward Michail Antonio said of the club's former stadium, also known as Upton Park. "The atmosphere inside, everything to do with West Ham right now is unbelievable."

The Hammers, whose highest top-tier league finish was third in 1986, are looking like title contenders two years after Moyes took charge of a team a point above the relegation zone. Building on a sixth-place finish last season－missing out on the Champions League spots by two points－West Ham has opened a top-flight campaign by winning seven of 11 games for only the second time in its history.

There was a helping hand from Alisson Becker. The Liverpool goalkeeper flapped in the air to allow Pablo Fornals' inswinging corner to go through his hands in the fourth minute.

After Trent Alexander-Arnold equalized at the end of the first half, Jarrod Bowen ran at the Liverpool defense before slipping the ball to Fornals whose shot was helped into the net by Alisson's weak touch. Another assist came from Bowen in the 74th when a corner was headed in by Kurt Zouma through Alisson's raised hands.

Although Divock Origi pulled one back, scoring on the turn, Liverpool couldn't find another goal to avoid a first loss in any competition since being knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid in April. It's even further back－into February－since the 2020 champion lost in the Premier League.

There's now only a three-point gap between West Ham and leader Chelsea, while defending champion Manchester City sits second, only ahead on goal difference.

Moyes is providing a reminder of the managerial credentials that earned him the job as Alex Ferguson's successor at Manchester United where he lasted less than a year before being fired in 2014.

Now West Ham is six points higher than United, which is struggling under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

"I want us to challenge the teams in the top four, whoever that may be," Moyes said. "I want us to be competitive. I hope before now people were thinking West Ham's a tough game. Today's opposition have very little weaknesses. I want to give the players the credit they deserve."

Gunners firing

Arsenal moved up to fifth after Emile Smith Rowe clinched a 1-0 victory over Watford. The Gunners have now gone 10 matches unbeaten in all competitions after opening the Premier League with three losses. Watford finished with 10 men after Juraj Kucka was shown a second yellow card in the 89th minute as Claudio Ranieri's side remained two points above the drop zone.

Agencies via Xinhua