Cool heads keep Reds on title course

West Ham 1 Liverpool 2

The coolness of captain Steven Gerrard, who scored two penalties at Upton Park to take his tally to 11 from the spot this season, and the steady hand of manager Brendan Rodgers, who switched from 4-3-3 in the first half to a diamond formation after the break to set up a deserved victory, were the keys to an important win, even if referee Anthony Taylor’s decisions garnered many of the headlines.

Taylor’s miserable afternoon saw him allow a goal from Guy Demel on the stroke of half-time even though Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet had clearly been fouled by Andy Carroll; and then he evened things up in the second half by handing the league leaders a dubious penalty when Jon Flanagan was felled by West Ham goalkeeper Adrian, who appeared to get the ball first.