Declan Rice gives his verdict after loss against Liverpool
It almost felt like the match was slipping away from the Reds and heading towards a draw at a point in the second half. Gaffer Jurgen Klopp‘s decision to bring on fresh legs early in the second half sort of backfired, as Liverpool fell prey to numerous counters from West Ham. Eventually, the Reds won 1-0, with Darwin Nunez‘s goal in the first half making the difference.
Alongside left-back Aaron Creswell, Declan Rice was probably the visitor’s best player. The midfielder initiated the come-back charge from the Hammers, but the Reds’ keeper Alisson Becker made sure that the clean sheet remained intact. Time and time again, the Brazilian is proving his worth at the club.
Speaking of the loss, Rice, the Irons’ captain, who is also subject to a move to the Red of Merseyside, told the press that he felt “sick” as even with so much pressure in the second half, West Ham had to walk away with nothing.
Speaking to the BBC, here is what Declan had to say about the missed opportunity against Liverpool:
“I feel sick, I honestly feel sick. We know it is tough place to come, you have to show grit, heart and desire.”
“To show the courage we did in the second half, dominating the ball and creating chances, I’m proud of everyone. I’m just gutted we couldn’t get something from the game like we should have.”
In the 10 minutes that he played, James Milner also made sure that David Moyes’s side did not breach the goal line. In the 86th minute, West Ham appeared destined to score, but Milner denied Tomas Soucek with a last-ditch block.
A hard-fought, well-earned win under pressure for the Reds. It was extremely refreshing to see Darwin score his first goal at Anfield for Liverpool. The striker, last season, scored for Benfica at the Reds’ home ground.
The only negative aspect for Liverpool is that they seemingly got complacent in the second half. Or the substitutes were not ready to appear so soon in the second 45. Alisson was much more active in the second half but thankfully, he was up to the task – and so were our defenders.
More Liverpool News
- Jurgen Klopp believes it was the correct decision to rule out Phil Foden’s goal
- Luis Figo talks about his potential transfer to Liverpool and how the club botched the chance to sign him
- Manchester City star Bernardo Silva slams referee Anthony Taylor for Phil Foden’s disallowed goal vs Liverpool
A tough few weeks follow for the Reds with numerous fixtures in a tight span of time with three games within a week in this phase. Player fatigue and injury issues need to be taken care of attentively during this phase. Post this, the international break for the World Cup.
