West Ham United have ended Liverpool's unbeaten start to the Premier League season by winning their first game at Anfield since 1963.
Manuel Lanzini, Mark Noble and Diafra Sakho found the back of the net to give the Hammers a 3-0 triumph on Merseyside this afternoon.
Adding to the drama, Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho was sent off for a second yellow card shortly after the restart, while Noble was handed a straight red from referee Kevin Friend later in the half.
Below, Sports Mole has dissected the game that occurred at Anfield.
Match statistics
LIVERPOOL
Shots: 13
On target: 1
Possession: 63%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 17
WEST HAM UNITED
Shots: 12
On target: 5
Possession: 37%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 11
Was the result fair?
Not many people would have tipped West Ham to snatch all three points at Anfield this afternoon, and while Liverpool put on a poor display, it would be unfair not to give the visitors the praise that they deserve. Once again, on away soil, Slaven Bilic's men got their tactics spot on as they frustrated Liverpool by denying them space and time on the ball.
Lanzini's goal inside the first three minutes stunned the Anfield crowd, and the poor clearance from Martin Skrtel prior to the goal set the tone for the rest of the match where Liverpool's defence were concerned. The Reds struggled to find answers to West Ham's stubborn shape, and Noble caused further damage by striking just before the half-hour mark.
After Coutinho was sent off early in the second half, Liverpool had a mountain to climb, and even when Noble was sent packing, the home side rarely threatened. It was down to Sakho to wrap up proceedings for the visitors.
Liverpool's performance
Brendan Rodgers's side have been praised for their defensive displays in the last three games, but this afternoon, the back line reverted to old ways. Skrtel improved as the game went on, but his poor headed clearance led to the first goal and his partner Dejan Lovren looked all over the place throughout the match.
In the lead-up to the second goal, the Croatian lost possession in his own half and he squandered a great chance at the near post to pull back a goal for his side. Overall though, the team struggled to show attacking intent as West Ham were constantly on top of their opponents when off the ball.
Rodgers changed formation at half time to a back three, with Nathaniel Clyne becoming a wing-back, but even then, the team could not find space or create many opportunities, which is evident given that they had just one shot on target.
It was a frustrating game for Christian Benteke as he did not get enough service to cause trouble, and with the Reds' star player Coutinho getting sent off in the 53rd minute, there seemed to be no way back for the hosts.
West Ham United's performance
As mentioned above, the team executed Bilic's tactics perfectly. After taking an early lead, the visitors were happy to flood their own half and try to punish Liverpool on the counter attack. The Reds may have been poor, but West Ham did their job in frustrating their opponents by restricting space.
There were questions whether the team could continue defending in that manner in the second half, but there were no tired legs as the back line of James Tomkins, Winston Reid, Angelo Ogbonna and Aaron Cresswell kept Liverpool quiet and were able to take advantage of their opponents' sloppiness.
After suffering back-to-back defeats, West Ham were expected to pick up another loss, but none of the players looked affected from their recent results, and Lanzini in particular gave the Hammers plenty of energy and desire to attack when on the ball.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Winston Reid: There were numerous contenders for this title among the West Ham team, but given how compact and well disciplined the team were, Winston Reid is a deserving man of the match. Benteke rarely got a sniff at goal as the defender tracked him constantly and never looked troubled when called upon. He worked well with the rest of his teammates and organised the backline perfectly.
Biggest gaffe
Unfortunately for Dejan Lovren, the defender's entire performance is worthy of this category. To start with, the centre-back lost possession on Liverpool's byline before West Ham scored their second goal. The 26-year-old was under pressure from Lanzini and had the option to knock it out for a throw-in or pass it back to goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, but he tried to hold onto it and succumbed to Lanzini. Throughout the game, Lovren looked shaky and far from convincing when called into action. He also had a chance to score at the near post, but missed.
Referee performance
It was a busy afternoon for Kevin Friend as he brandished six yellow cards and two reds at Anfield. Coutinho was dismissed early in the second half for a second bookable offence. The Brazilian lunged in for a tackle and he missed the ball, but he did not get too much on the player either. It was one of those decisions that could have gone either way in terms of a caution, but it would not be surprising if West Ham contest Noble's straight red.
The captain was given his marching orders for going to ground in a bid to win the ball off Danny Ings on the edge of the penalty area. Friend deemed the challenge dangerous, but Noble managed to get a foot on the ball before the follow-through on Ings. The West Ham players were furious with Friend, who did not have the best of games at Anfield this afternoon. He certainly was not liked by the Liverpool fans, who were outraged every time a free kick was given against their team.
What next?
LIVERPOOL: After the international break, Liverpool face a difficult challenge taking on arch rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on September 12.
WEST HAM UNITED: The Hammers will host Newcastle United at Upton Park on September 14.
Danielle Joynson
