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With the captain out for a month with a hamstring tear manager
Roy Hodgson called for his players to step up to fill the void and
the Barclays Premier League's bottom side provide the perfect
opposition.
First-half goals from Glen Johnson and Maxi Rodriguez, either
side of a Dirk Kuyt penalty, were enough to wrap up the points in
the first half.
The visiting fans were less than impressed and directed their
anger at manager Avram Grant with chants of 'You're getting sacked
in the morning'.
It is unlikely Liverpool will have an easier game this season
and it was the ideal tonic for them after two poor performances in
a 1-1 draw at Wigan and last Saturday's defeat at Stoke which ended
a six-game unbeaten run.
Raul Meireles looked better in a more accustomed central
position, filling Gerrard's place, while Johnson and Rodriguez also
did well and even the much-criticised Christian Poulsen had his
best game since joining in the summer.
If there was one criticism it was that Hodgson's side eased up
so much after the break they lost all the momentum and rhythm built
up in the first half.
But they never looked in danger of conceding and the clean sheet
was Jose Reina's 134th in all competitions, taking him past Tommy
Lawrence into fourth on the club's all-time list.
West Ham's league record at Anfield is woeful, as they have not
won this fixture for 47 years and scored just four Premier League
goals in 16 attempts.
The writing was on wall early on as David Ngog forced Robert
Green into a low save to his left before Rodriguez and Fernando
Torres both fired wide.
Green's goal was being peppered even if the goalkeeper was not
being properly extended but that changed in the 18th minute when
Raul Meireles' long-range effort was tipped over by the England
international.
Meireles swung over the corner and Johnson chested it down
before drilling a low shot straight down the middle of the goal
with the goalkeeper unsighted by Danny Gabbidon.
It was the first time since the opening weekend of the season a
Liverpool goal had not been scored or created by Torres or
Gerrard.
England full-back Johnson, criticised by manager Roy Hodgson
earlier this month for his poor form, appeared to have got the
message on his comeback from a three-match injury absence.
He was a major force down the right in the first half and his
cross set up Torres but he uncharacteristically fluff his
first-time shot.
But the Spain international contributed to the second goal as it
was his flick into the penalty area which bounced off Matthew Upson
on to the arm of Gabbidon, allowing Kuyt to roll home a 27th-minute
penalty.
Gabbidon was better placed to hook Torres' volley away from an
empty net after Green failed to properly clear a Meireles
free-kick.
The goalkeeper did better in blocking Torres' shot with his legs
but was powerless to stop Paul Konchesky whipping in the rebound to
the unmarked Rodriguez, the smallest man in the penalty area, who
guided the ball inside the far post with his head.
When Victor Obinna blasted a shot from close range into the top
tier of the Anfield Road stand despondent Hammers fans replied with
'That's why we're going down'.
The second half had much less to offer than the first as both
teams knew the game was over and while West Ham continued to fail
to pose a threat Liverpool were content to coast safe in the
knowledge the three points were already wrapped up.
Had it not been for Green the score would have been double as he
tipped Torres' fierce shot onto the crossbar at full stretch and,
in the same move, then turned Poulsen's long-range effort around
his left-hand post.
Substitute Fabio Aurelio, making only his second appearance
since the end of August, also drove just over.
Liverpool missed the chance to claw back another position or two
in the table by failing to improve their goal difference but that
was the least of their worries after some indifferent recent
performances.
For West Ham and Grant the problems continue to mount.
