Michail Antonio reveals Hammers’ plan focused on unsettling one Liverpool star: ‘We saw that they’ve struggled’

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LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 07: Kurt Zouma of West Ham United scores their side's third goal past Alisson Becker of Liverpool during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Liverpool at London Stadium on November 07, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Michail Antonio has explained that West Ham’s plan of attack involved putting Alisson Becker under pressure.

The Brazilian international was guilty of fumbling in a bid to meet the threat posed by a corner in the opening five minutes of the Reds’ meeting with the London-based outfit, with pressure from Angelo Ogbonna leading to the Hammers’ opener.

“The whole plan was to stick it on the goalkeeper and just challenge basically,” the 31-year-old hitman told Sky Sports (via the Mirror).

“We saw that they’ve struggled with the ball coming in and all we have to do is keep the ball away from Virgil and it worked out for us today.

“We have to give it to the staff. They have a look at the weaknesses and strengths of what each team come up against and for different games we cover different strategies.

“Majority of the time it’s between gaffer (David Moyes), Paul Neville and Kevin Nolan.”

David Moyes and his coaching staff’s plan of action paid dividends as Liverpool succumbed to a 3-2 defeat to their opponents; a result that saw the Merseysiders drop to fourth in the table, four points behind league leaders Chelsea.

READ MORE: Ex-official criticises VAR use in Liverpool clash as one West Ham star ‘lucky’ to have remained on the pitch

With VAR remaining somewhat inconsistent in the level of protection afforded to players on the pitch, we can entirely understand Jurgen Klopp’s annoyance post-game.

To give credit where credit’s due, however, the Londoners took advantage of the limited protection for ‘keepers well to put their stamp on the game and keep hold of all the points on offer.

With a 25-game unbeaten run coming to an end, however, it may provide the impetus necessary for the club to make a statement against top-six outfit Arsenal upon our return to domestic action.

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