Premier League 2025-26: Isak breaks Premier League drought as Liverpool finds crucial victory
Liverpool’s record signing Alexander Isak scored his first Premier League goal for the Reds as the under-pressure champion snapped a woeful run of form with a much-needed 2-0 win at West Ham United on Sunday.
Liverpool had endured its worst spell in over 70 years, losing nine of the previous 12 games, and manager Arne Slot took drastic measures, leaving Mohamed Salah out of his starting line-up for the first time in the Premier League.
Salah’s replacement Florian Wirtz looked sharp, though he squandered Liverpool’s best chance of the first half with his tame effort from close range allowing Alphonse Areola to save.
Isak, who had looked short of form and fitness, spurned two opportunities before the break, drawing a fine reaction stop from Areola midway through the half.
But the Sweden striker slotted home a Cody Gakpo pull-back on the hour mark to give the Reds the lead it marginally deserved and rarely looked like giving up.
Liverpool’s cause was helped by Lucas Paqueta who was bizarrely booked twice for dissent within 60 seconds with less than 10 minutes to play, before Gakpo added a second in the 92nd minute to seal the three points.
Liverpool’s victory, only its second in eight league games, moved it up to eighth with 21 points from 13 matches, while West Ham is 17th with 11 points, level with 18th-placed Leeds United.
Aston Villa’s Kamara scores stunner to sink Wolves
A superb strike from Boubacar Kamara earned Aston Villa a 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday and moved the host up to third in the Premier League standings.
The visitor had the better of the first-half chances and Jorgen Strand Larsen thought he had put his side ahead but was denied by the offside flag, before a sensational Emiliano Martinez save kept the scores level just before the break.
It took until the second half for Villa to really get going, with Wolves missing several more chances before Kamara gave the home crowd something to shout about, arrowing a thunderous shot into the top corner in the 67th minute.
Villa stood firm to see out a fifth successive win in all competitions and move third in the standings, one point behind second-placed Manchester City. Wolves remained in deep trouble, bottom on two points and nine points from safety.
Published on Nov 30, 2025
