David Moyes was concerned for members of his family after AZ Alkmaar fans attempted to attack a section of West Ham’s support following their Europa Conference League semi-final win in the Netherlands.

Pablo Fornals’ injury-time winner prompted a gang of black-shirted, hooded AZ ultras to attempt to storm into the area reserved for friends and family behind the dugout.

Players including Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma, Aaron Cresswell and Flynn Downes climbed over the advertising hoardings in a bid to stop the trouble.

Moyes, who’s 87-year-old father David Snr was at the match, said: “I can’t explain what happened and why it happened.

“I can only only say the players were involved because it was the family section and most of their family and friends were in there. That was probably the reason for the reaction.

“Was I worried? Yeah, my family were there and I had friends in that section. You’re hoping they would try and get themselves away from it.

“I didn’t recognise it because I’d gone onto the pitch. Security wanted to take me inside, but I had to make sure my players weren’t involved.

“What we don’t want to do is in any way blight the night because it certainly wasn’t West Ham supporters looking for trouble. Hopefully they’ll look into it.”

Hammers goalkeeper Alphonse Areola added: “When families or friends are coming to the stadium we don’t want to see things like that. They want to enjoy the event and we want to enjoy it with them as well. We were worried about them.”

During last week’s first leg at the London Stadium, members of AZ players’ families were involved in a confrontation with West Ham fans.

AZ boss Pascal Jansen said: “What happened last week was very unfortunate and then you get the same feeling as what happened tonight.

“I feel a little bit ashamed it happened in our stadium but you have to control your emotions.”

The incident overshadowed West Ham reaching a first European final in 47 years and moving to within one match of a first trophy since the FA Cup in 1980.

A year earlier West Ham had lost the plot at the same stage of the Europa League, crashing out at Eintracht Frankfurt after Cresswell was sent off and Moyes booted a ball at a ball boy.

But this time West Ham held on to their composure, and no ball kids were harmed, as they completed a 3-1 aggregate win and booked a meeting with Fiorentina in Prague on June 7.

It was no mean feat despite the less-than illustrious opposition. AZ have a phenomenal home record in Europe, unbeaten in their previous 25 matches, and had only lost here once to an English team – Moyes’ Everton in 2007 which ended a run of 32 games without defeat.

So West Ham’s 2-1 lead from the first leg always looked slim, and none more so than when AZ dangerman Jesper Karlsson had a shot deflected over with only one minute on the clock.

But West Ham held their nerve were rewarded for a disciplined display when substitute Fornals raced through to score the winner at the death.

“I’m delighted to get to a European final,” added Moyes. “We got close last year. Maybe you shouldn’t be too surprised. We’ve won 13 and drawn one in this competition and now we have one more to go to see if we can win it. We’ve done a really good job in Europe this season and we’re thrilled.

“The dressing room? Raucous is the word I’d use. I don’t want to give too much away but it was great, it’s something that as players and managers you don’t get too often in your career so we’re going to enjoy it.”

David Moyes was concerned for members of his family after AZ Alkmaar fans attempted to attack a section of West Ham’s support following their Europa Conference League semi-final win in the Netherlands.

Pablo Fornals’ injury-time winner prompted a gang of black-shirted, hooded AZ ultras to attempt to storm into the area reserved for friends and family behind the dugout.

Players including Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma, Aaron Cresswell and Flynn Downes climbed over the advertising hoardings in a bid to stop the trouble.

Moyes, who’s 87-year-old father David Snr was at the match, said: “I can’t explain what happened and why it happened.

“I can only only say the players were involved because it was the family section and most of their family and friends were in there. That was probably the reason for the reaction.

“Was I worried? Yeah, my family were there and I had friends in that section. You’re hoping they would try and get themselves away from it.

“I didn’t recognise it because I’d gone onto the pitch. Security wanted to take me inside, but I had to make sure my players weren’t involved.

“What we don’t want to do is in any way blight the night because it certainly wasn’t West Ham supporters looking for trouble. Hopefully they’ll look into it.”

Hammers goalkeeper Alphonse Areola added: “When families or friends are coming to the stadium we don’t want to see things like that. They want to enjoy the event and we want to enjoy it with them as well. We were worried about them.”

During last week’s first leg at the London Stadium, members of AZ players’ families were involved in a confrontation with West Ham fans.

AZ boss Pascal Jansen said: “What happened last week was very unfortunate and then you get the same feeling as what happened tonight.

“I feel a little bit ashamed it happened in our stadium but you have to control your emotions.”

The incident overshadowed West Ham reaching a first European final in 47 years and moving to within one match of a first trophy since the FA Cup in 1980.

A year earlier West Ham had lost the plot at the same stage of the Europa League, crashing out at Eintracht Frankfurt after Cresswell was sent off and Moyes booted a ball at a ball boy.

But this time West Ham held on to their composure, and no ball kids were harmed, as they completed a 3-1 aggregate win and booked a meeting with Fiorentina in Prague on June 7.

It was no mean feat despite the less-than illustrious opposition. AZ have a phenomenal home record in Europe, unbeaten in their previous 25 matches, and had only lost here once to an English team – Moyes’ Everton in 2007 which ended a run of 32 games without defeat.

So West Ham’s 2-1 lead from the first leg always looked slim, and none more so than when AZ dangerman Jesper Karlsson had a shot deflected over with only one minute on the clock.

But West Ham held their nerve were rewarded for a disciplined display when substitute Fornals raced through to score the winner at the death.

“I’m delighted to get to a European final,” added Moyes. “We got close last year. Maybe you shouldn’t be too surprised. We’ve won 13 and drawn one in this competition and now we have one more to go to see if we can win it. We’ve done a really good job in Europe this season and we’re thrilled.

“The dressing room? Raucous is the word I’d use. I don’t want to give too much away but it was great, it’s something that as players and managers you don’t get too often in your career so we’re going to enjoy it.”

West Ham are one game from ending their 43-year trophy drought after they kept their heads to sink AZ Alkmaar 1-0 and reach the final of the Europa Conference League.

Substitute Pablo Fornals scored a stoppage-time winner to prompt ugly scenes at the final whistle, with West Ham players and coaching staff trying to stop AZ ultras from attacking away fans behind the dug-out.

It was a shameful end to a battling performance from the Hammers as they secured a 3-1 victory on aggregate.

A year earlier West Ham had lost the plot at the same stage of the Europa League, crashing out at Eintracht Frankfurt after Aaron Cresswell was sent off and David Moyes booted a ball at a ball boy.

But this time West Ham held on to their composure, and no ball kids were harmed, as they booked a first European final in 47 years, and the chance of some first silverware since the 1980 FA Cup, in Prague on June 7.

It was no mean feat despite the less-than illustrious opposition. AZ have a phenomenal home record in Europe, unbeaten in their previous 25 matches, and had only lost here once to an English team – Moyes’ Everton in 2007 which ended a run of 32 games without defeat.

Since then Manchester United, Arsenal, Valencia and Lazio have all tried, and failed, to win at the AFAS stadium, a ground that is such a fortress it even has a moat surrounding it.

So West Ham’s 2-1 lead from the first leg always looked slim, and none more so than when AZ dangerman Jesper Karlsson had a shot deflected over with only one minute on the clock.

But West Ham, cheered on in the away end by former striker Andy Carroll held their nerve and allowed AZ to keep possession and play in front of them, while looking to pounce on the break.

Thilo Kehrer began to get some joy down the right and when his cross was headed away from Michail Antonio it fell to Jarrod Bowen, who lashed his shot wide.

Lucas Paqueta twice tried to send Antonio through on goal, the first after a 40-yard run up the pitch, but twice the pass was too long.

Yet the Brazilian was slowly exerting his influence on the match and when he collected the ball from Antonio, he cut inside on his left foot and his curling shot from the edge of the box just clipped the far post.

West Ham hearts were in mouths before the interval, however, when a low cross from Milos Kerkez rolled menacingly across the six-yard box before it was half-cleared and the follow-up from Vangelis Pavlidis was deflected wide.

Hammers goalkeeper Alphonse Areola had little to do in the first half, but he was tested early in the second and held a drive from Sven Mijnans before tipping a Pavlidis shot over the top and saving from Pantelis Hatzidiakos.

Likewise home keeper Mathew Ryan, who then had to paw away a 20-yard effort from Declan Rice.

West Ham had fallen foul of some of Europe’s dark arts last season, but here they were holding their own; Tomas Soucek and Kehrer were both booked for timewasting at throw-ins.

Nayef Aguerd sliced a chance to put the tie to bed wide as the clock ticked down, but in stoppage time Fornals raced clear of a tiring AZ defence and slotted the ball past Ryan in front of the delirious 900-odd travelling supporters.

Moyes, Rice and others then had to leap over advertising hoardings and try to prevent the hooligans from attacking the West Ham friends and family area behind the dug-out.

It was not a nice ending, but when the dust settles Rice, destined to leave West Ham this summer, will know he now has the chance to join Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds as the only captains to lift a major trophy for the club, and what a parting gift that would be.

David Moyes was the first manager to inflict a home defeat in Europe on AZ Alkmaar, and he wants to repeat the trick on Thursday night with West Ham.

Moyes brought a proud 32-match record, spanning three decades, to an end when his Everton side beat Louis van Gaal’s men 3-2 in the UEFA Cup in 2007.

Since then Manchester United, Arsenal, Valencia and Lazio have all tried, and failed, to win at the AFAS stadium.

Almost 16 years later, Moyes brings West Ham to the small city north of Amsterdam bidding to take them to the Europa League Conference final.

“Their record is very good. But I have been here and won before,” said the Hammers boss.

“I remember it well. I have to try to do that again tomorrow night. That’s the job.

“I remember it because I have so much respect for Louis van Gaal and he was the coach at that time. I was still a very young coach learning my way.

“It was my dad who reminded me about the victory, he was here then and he’ll be here tomorrow as well.”

West Ham lead 2-1 from the first leg so know a draw would move them a step closer to a first trophy since 1980.

They have briefly flirted with glory since, notably at the ‘Steven Gerrard’ FA Cup final which they lost on penalties to Liverpool.

“Whether or not it’s our biggest game since the 2006 FA Cup final is probably a question for people who have been at West Ham longer than me,” added Moyes.

“But for this group of players it’s a huge game – we want to reach a cup final but we have a really difficult opponent and if we’re going to get there we’ll have to earn it.

“There are no ‘gimmes’ in football and any team in the semi-final of a competition like this has to be a good side.

“I’ve no doubt we will have to withstand pressure at times, but it’s as big a game for them as it is for us.”

To add to the mystique surrounding AZ’s home record, there is a moat which surrounds their fortress-like ground.

“If you look at our record at home in Europe so far, you can hopefully see it that way. This is our home, we must protect it,” said their London-born coach Pascal Jansen.

“I spoke only yesterday about West Ham’s away record in the Premier League and their results away in Europe, which are stronger, but those statistics are all in the past now – it’s all history.

“Talking about them will not make any difference. We are on the verge of reaching a European final, which would be very, very special, but we have to make it happen.”

West Ham will not entertain any bids for Declan Rice until the season is over, the PA news agency understands.

Reports emerged on Monday that Arsenal want to open talks with the Hammers over a £90million move for the England midfielder.

West Ham are understood to be resigned to losing their captain this summer and are braced for a bidding war, with Chelsea and Manchester United also in the mix.

But the club, and Rice, are focused solely on ending the season on a positive note, both domestically and in Europe.

The Hammers are all but safe from relegation and face AZ Alkmaar in the second leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final in the Netherlands on Thursday, leading 2-1 from the first leg.

Rice, 24, knows his final act in a West Ham shirt could be lifting a European trophy in Prague on June 7, sealing his place in club folklore.

He would become only the third West Ham captain to collect a trophy, along with Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds, who lifted their last piece of silverware, the FA Cup, in 1980.

Goals from Said Benrahma and Michail Antonio kept West Ham’s dreams of a first trophy in 43 years alive after a 2-1 victory in the first leg of the Europa Conference League semi-final against AZ Alkmaar.

The Hammers were big favourites to beat the Dutch dark horses, but were put on the back foot at a sold-out London Stadium when goalkeeper Alphonse Areola gifted AZ the lead before half-time.

But another goalkeeping error from Australia international Mathew Ryan gave West Ham a penalty which Benrahma converted.

Antonio then prodded home from a corner after a goalmouth scramble to give the Hammers a crucial lead going into next Thursday’s second leg in the Netherlands.

There was a sense of optimism before kick-off with West Ham almost safe from relegation and captain Declan Rice confidently predicted ‘the good times are back on their way’ in his programme notes, even though it remains unlikely he will be here to enjoy them for much longer.

Still, a European final in Prague on June 7, against Fiorentina or Basel, would be a fitting way for the England midfielder to sign off before a big-money summer move.

But AZ, a progressive club based around the moneyball model also used by Brentford, are a slick, attacking young side who had beaten Lazio and Anderlecht to reach the last four.

They were watched from the directors’ box by Billy Beane, the real-life inspiration for Brad Pitt’s character in the baseball movie Moneyball, who owns a stake in them.

Ominously, AZ goalkeeper Ryan was unbeaten in his five previous matches against West Ham during his spell at Brighton, and he set about trying to maintain that record when he got down well to tip Benrahma’s curler behind.

West Ham were given a painful lesson in last season’s Europa League semi-final, conceding in the first minute of the first leg and losing Aaron Cresswell to a red card in the second as they crashed out to Eintracht Frankfurt.

They got an early warning when former Southampton midfielder Jordy Clasie fizzed a low shot just past the post.

And history repeated itself when West Ham allowed AZ to take a shock lead five minutes before half-time, Areola letting Tijjani Reijnders’ shot in at his near post.

It was not a gaffe on the scale of the one West Ham benefitted from in their win over Manchester United on Sunday, when David De Gea let Benrahma’s tame shot roll in, but it was still not a good look for the Hammers’ cup keeper.

West Ham protested that there had been a foul on Lucas Paqueta in the build-up – Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler even put the whistle to his lips before opting to play on – but the goal stood.

However, the hosts were thrown a lifeline in the 67th minute when Ryan missed his punch at a corner and caught Jarrod Bowen square in the face.

Meler, who had infuriated the home crowd all match, pointed to the penalty spot and Benrahma stepped up to bury a perfect spot-kick just inside the post.

Eight minutes later West Ham went ahead, Antonio stabbing home the rebound after Nayef Aguerd’s header was cleared off the line to give them a slim advantage and, if they improve next week, every chance of moving a step closer to a first European trophy since 1965.

Manchester City forward Erling Haaland reflected on a “special night” after his strike against West Ham earned him the record of scoring the most goals in a single Premier League season.

Haaland claimed the achievement in the 70th minute when he raced through on goal from Jack Grealish’s pass and chipped Lukasz Fabianski to reach 35 league goals this term.

It moved the Norwegian beyond Andy Cole and Alan Shearer, who had previously held the record for their efforts in the 1993-94 and 1994-1995 seasons respectively.

“A special night and special moment. Yeah I’m really happy and proud,” Haaland told Sky Sports.

“Of course I knew about it. Of course but we try to create the chances to score goals. It was not easy.

“They came here to try to defend for 90 minutes and we struggle a bit in the first half but second half, Nath (Ake) scored, I scored and the last one Phil (Foden) of course scored so it was an important win.”

An early penalty at Fulham on Sunday saw Haaland equal the 34-goal tally achieved by Cole and Shearer, but he was forced to wait a few days before he moved in front outright.

His City team-mates gave the summer arrival a guard of honour at full-time following his achievement in a 3-0 win that moved Pep Guardiola’s side back to the Premier League summit.

The next individual target in Haaland’s sights is Dixie Dean’s feat of 63 goals for Everton in the 1927-28 campaign.

But Haaland, on 51 goals for the campaign, insisted: “No, I don’t think of this now. I will sleep on this game and wake up tomorrow and I think of trying to get three points here against Leeds.

“It will not be easy with a new manager and everything, but we cannot keep thinking about these records. My head would become crazy, I would become crazy in my head so I don’t think of this.

“I will go home now and play some video games, eat something and then sleep. That’s what I’ll do and tomorrow we have to start thinking about Leeds. That’s my life.”

Erling Haaland set a new Premier League goalscoring record as title favourites Manchester City reclaimed top spot with a comfortable 3-0 win over West Ham.

The prolific Norwegian raced through for league goal number 35 of the campaign – surpassing the previous best mark held by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer – on 70 minutes as City eased to victory at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

His sweet left-footed chip over Lukasz Fabianksi came after Nathan Ake had headed City in front on 50 minutes and before Phil Foden wrapped up victory with a deflected long-range volley.

The win took the treble-chasing champions a point above Arsenal at the summit and, with a game in hand, they seem to be cruising towards a fifth title in six years.

The victory came 25 years to the day after City were relegated to the third tier of English football in one of the lowest points of the club’s history.

The contrast with the team now is remarkable, although City – perhaps with next week’s trip to Real Madrid in mind – were far from their energetic best.

Again they were without the dynamism of Kevin De Bruyne through injury and the atmosphere was far more subdued than for last week’s seemingly pivotal win over Arsenal.

That lack of spark transmitted itself to the field in a slow start and West Ham may wonder what might have been had a sickness bug not robbed them of key players including Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek.

Yet with Haaland, City always posed a major threat and his strike, his 51st overall this season, was yet another demonstration of his awesome firepower.

Neither side created a clear-cut chance in the opening 30 minutes and West Ham threatened first when Jarrod Bowen got to the byline. Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, standing in for the rested Ederson, blocked at the near post.

City picked up the pace in response with Jack Grealish cutting inside and lashing a shot against the outside of the post from a tight angle.

Haaland then combined with Rodri to send the Spaniard through on goal but his low shot struck the base of the post and rolled across goal.

The breakthrough came five minutes after the restart as Riyad Mahrez clipped a free-kick to the back post and Ake stole in to head past Lukasz Fabianski.

Haaland appealed for a penalty after going down under a Thilo Kehrer challenge but nothing was given.

The striker was not to be denied, however, as he was released by the hard-working Grealish and calmly lobbed over Fabianski.

With the job done, City eased towards the final whistle and Foden had the final word with a well-struck volley from distance that flew in off Emerson Palmieri.

It was City’s 1,000th goal in all competitions under Guardiola and wrapped up an excellent night’s work.

City celebrated Haaland’s achievement by giving him a guard of honour as after the final whistle.

Sevilla great Freddie Kanoute fancies his former side's chances for Europa League glory as they aim to atone for their "very bad" start to the season.

Kanoute remains Sevilla's highest-scoring non-Spanish player in history after netting 136 goals in 290 matches, lifting two UEFA Cups, a UEFA Super Cup and two Copa del Rey trophies during his time there.

The former striker has watched on as his old club struggled this term, dismissing coaches Julen Lopetegui – who is now at Wolves – in October and Jorge Sampaoli in March.

Sevilla have finally settled under the stewardship of Jose Luis Mendilibar, the LaLiga side reaching the Europa League semi-finals where they will face Juventus in a two-legged affair across this month.

Mendilibar's team also sit 11th in the Spanish top flight and Kanoute remains relieved to see an upturn in form for Sevilla, who overcame Manchester United in the Europa League quarter-final last month.

Kanoute, speaking to Stats Perform at LaLiga x Bloomsbury Football League event, said: "There are no other words, very bad at the beginning, they were struggling a lot, a couple of changes of coaches, which always unsettles the team.

"In the last few weeks, they've been improving, winning some important games and, at least they're not in the relegation battle anymore.

"I think they are ending the season quite well and it also reflects what they're doing in the Europa League, so hopefully they're going to have a great end of the season."

Kanoute played in the Premier League for West Ham and then Tottenham before his move in 2005 to Sevilla's Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

The former Mali international scored 43 goals in 144 Premier League appearances but Kanoute believes there is little difference between two of Europe's top divisions now.

"My record says that I've scored more goals in LaLiga, it's not necessarily harder in the Premier League," he added. "I think it depends on your style. It depends on the kind of football you're playing.

"It depends on your understanding of the game, but I would say there are fewer and fewer differences between the style because football now is so global and you have so much influence from foreign coaches even here in the Premier League.

"I would say personally, where I enjoyed my football the most was in La Liga because that's where I could win some silverware, but apart from that, it depends on each individual."

Sevilla great Freddie Kanoute fancies his former side's chances for Europa League glory to atone for their "very bad" start to the season.

Kanoute remains Sevilla's highest-scoring non-Spanish player in history after netting 136 goals in 290 matches, lifting two UEFA Cups, a UEFA Super Cup and two Copa del Rey trophies during his time there.

The former striker has watched on as his old club struggled this term, dismissing coaches Julen Lopetegui – who is now at Wolves – in October and Jorge Sampaoli in March.

Sevilla have finally settled under the stewardship of Jose Luis Mendilibar, the LaLiga side reaching the Europa League semi-finals where they will face Juventus in a two-legged affair across this month.

Mendilibar's team also sit 11th in the Spanish top flight and Kanoute remains relieved to see an upturn in form for Sevilla, who overcame Manchester United in the Europa League quarter-final last month.

Kanoute, speaking to Stats Perform at LaLiga x Bloomsbury Football League event, said: "There are no other words, very bad at the beginning, they were struggling a lot, a couple of changes of coaches, which always unsettles the team.

"In the last few weeks, they've been improving, winning some important games and, at least they're not in the relegation battle anymore.

"I think they are ending the season quite well and it also reflects what they're doing in the Europa League, so hopefully they're going to have a great end of the season."

Kanoute played in the Premier League for West Ham and then Tottenham before his move in 2005 to Sevilla's Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

The former Mali international scored 43 goals in 144 Premier League appearances but Kanoute believes there is little difference between two of Europe's top divisions now.

"My record says that I've scored more goals in LaLiga, it's not necessarily harder in the Premier League," he added. "I think it depends on your style. It depends on the kind of football you're playing.

"It depends on your understanding of the game, but I would say there are fewer and fewer differences between the style because football now is so global and you have so much influence from foreign coaches even here in the Premier League.

"I would say personally, where I enjoyed my football the most was in La Liga because that's where I could win some silverware, but apart from that, it depends on each individual."

Chelsea are reportedly investigating a potential transfer for Sadio Mane after the forward's highly publicised bust-up with Bayern Munich team-mate Leroy Sane.

Mane, 31, won the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool before joining Bayern in a £27million (€32m) transfer in June.

His first season in Germany has resulted in 10 goals and five assists in his 30 combined appearances in the Bundesliga and Champions League, making 22 starts.

While he has been far from a disappointment, his future at the club is now up in the air after a widely reported incident where he punched his team-mate after a 3-0 Champions League defeat against Manchester City.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA TO OFFER MANE A RETURN TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE

According to Football Insider, Sadio Mane "is now believed to be on the radar of Chelsea", and the Stamford Bridge club are now "ready to consider a shock move".

The report states Bayern will only be looking to recoup the majority of the fee they paid for the Senegalese star, and would provide a far cheaper alternative to Napoli's 24-year-old sensation Victor Osimhen.

It also adds that Mane's former club Liverpool have no interest in bringing him back to Anfield.

ROUND-UP

– The Telegraph is reporting that West Ham's 24-year-old midfielder Declan Rice is Arsenal's top priority in the next transfer window.

– Aston Villa are planning a bid for 27-year-old Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who also has interest from Manchester United, per Football Insider.

– According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan would like to secure 30-year-old Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata as a replacement for injury-prone veteran Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

– Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel wants to reunite with 28-year-old midfielder Mateo Kovacic at Bayern Munich, per Sport1.

Jurgen Klopp wants Liverpool to continue to "show our real face" after they secured a third win in a row to move up to sixth in the Premier League.

Liverpool came from behind to beat West Ham 2-1 at London Stadium on Wednesday thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo and Joel Matip, cancelling out Lucas Paqueta's early opener.

West Ham boss David Moyes was left infuriated after a handball appeal against Thiago Alcantara in the penalty area late on was waved away by referee Chris Kavanagh, as well as by the VAR.

"I liked the performance a lot," Klopp said at his post-match press conference. "First half, I think we were exceptional. Controlled the game from the beginning pretty much, made one mistake and bam – 1-0 down. Great goal, I have to say – what a screamer – but [we] stayed calm, kept playing, scored our screamer as well and controlled the game.

"Second half I liked as well. We had to really dig in deep then because of the physicality of West Ham, they always have a chance to come back as long as you don't kill the game – and we didn't. [We] had massive chances after set-pieces, I have no clue how we didn't take them – I didn't understand it but then [we] scored a wonderful goal from a set-piece.

"I heard now about the handball [but] we were on the other side of that. I thought he just fell on the ball but I can understand Moysey sees that probably completely different.

"In the end, if you look at the game, I think we are the deserved winner and that's, for me, very important. If we got a point, I'm still happy with the game, not with the result – [but] now I'm happy with both."

The win took Liverpool within six points of the top four, albeit having played two more games than fourth-placed Manchester United and one more than Newcastle United in third.

On the race for the Champions League spots, Klopp said: "I can't see the race yet, because we are not in position for a race. The only thing we can do is win football games, if that puts pressure on other teams that's not in our hands because we don't play them [United and Newcastle].

"I want us to finish the season as good as somehow possible. I want us to take something out of this season for next year, if that is European competition, great, if not, we have to accept it as well and go from there.

"I want us, at least for a few weeks, [to] show our real face – and not the nice one, the ugly one, the nice one, the ugly one. It's really tough to do that. So now we did it for kind of three games – three and a half, the second half against Arsenal was brilliant as well.

"We played here plenty of times, it's always tough. Result-wise, it looked better from time to time but the goals we scored were then counter-attacks, stuff like that, quick reacting, all these kind of things. Tonight we controlled the game in a way we never did before against West Ham and I really liked that."

Klopp had earlier told BT Sport how pleased he was again with Trent Alexander-Arnold's performance in his new hybrid role between right-back and midfield, with the 24-year-old claiming an assist for Gakpo's goal, and making more passes in the opposition half than anyone else on the pitch (62).

The Liverpool manager refused to entertain the idea that Alexander-Arnold's new role had led to West Ham's chances down their right side, and replied to a question about one specific chance that ended with Virgil van Dijk narrowly denying Michail Antonio in the first half: "That had nothing to do with the role of Trent.

"We had three players on the other side in a challenge, so we just don't win the ball. That means we move to the ball side, that is a risk you take, you should win the ball then.

"Three v one we don't win the ball, then the other side is open... it has nothing to do with Trent Alexander-Arnold."

Liverpool came from behind to secure a third win in a row as they beat West Ham 2-1 at the London Stadium on Wednesday.

Lucas Paqueta's fierce strike gave West Ham an early lead, before Cody Gakpo equalised from distance and Joel Matip headed in a second-half winner.

The win took Liverpool up to sixth in the Premier League, ahead of Tottenham on goal difference before the north London side host Manchester United on Thursday.

David Moyes' men remain five points away from the relegation zone, but their loss here could give rivals hope of dragging them back into the conversation.

West Ham had the lead in the 12th minute when Paqueta came in off the left before playing a one-two with Michail Antonio and firing inside Alisson's near post from just outside the penalty area.

It did not take long for Liverpool to get level though as Gakpo hit a shot from 25-yards low to Lukasz Fabianski's right and in off the post.

Klopp's men should have been ahead in the 26th minute when the ball fell kindly to Diogo Jota in the area, but the former Wolves man sliced his effort over the bar, while he and Virgil van Dijk also saw headers go just wide.

The Hammers also had two promising moments before half-time when Van Dijk prodded the ball away from Antonio at the far post, before the striker then headed wide from the resulting corner.

Jarrod Bowen scored a lovely goal cutting in off the right 10 minutes into the second half only to see it disallowed by the VAR for offside.

Liverpool were not denied though when Matip's bullet header in the 67th minute from an Andrew Robertson corner put them ahead, and Klopp's side held on for the three points.

Jurgen Klopp was willing David Moyes to survive at the depth of West Ham's early-season crisis because the Liverpool manager dreaded becoming the old man of the Premier League.

The Hammers took just four points from seven games at the outset of this campaign, but Moyes guided his team to 10 points from the next five to buy himself some time.

There have been turbulent times since, including a run where his players took just one point from a possible 21, but West Ham look like surviving for another season in the top flight after pulling clear of the relegation zone.

On Wednesday, they host Liverpool, who have won 10 of their last 12 Premier League games against West Ham.

The exceptions both came at the London Stadium, with a 1-1 draw in February 2019 and a 3-2 victory for West Ham in November 2021.

When the season began, Moyes was the oldest Premier League boss, and he turned 60 on Tuesday.

Klopp, at 55, is still some way short of being a veteran manager, but he was wary of the possibility of all his Premier League colleagues being younger men.

Managerial situations at other clubs rarely interest him, but this was different.

"In this specific one I was really in it," he said. "Because if West Ham would have sacked David Moyes, I would have been the oldest manager in the Premier League and I wanted to avoid that.

"Yes, David has to stay. David is a top colleague. They have a good team, and they show now their quality again."

Klopp said he had enjoyed having a post-match beer with Moyes in the past, and was pleased he managed to ride out the storm.

"He's a really good person as far as I know," Klopp said, "and I like that he always finds a way to get a team going. It might not have worked out years ago for once at Man United, but that was the most difficult time to join Man United in the history of football, coming after Sir Alex Ferguson."

Moyes, who failed to last a full season when appointed by the Red Devils in 2013, is no longer the Premier League's oldest boss, with 75-year-old Roy Hodgson's mid-season return to Crystal Palace changing that.

Julen Lopetegui, appointed by Wolves in November, is also a year Klopp's senior.

Liverpool head to London on the back of wins against relegation candidates Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, results that have helped out West Ham.

This has been a season of torment for the Reds, however, with fifth place looking to be the best they might achieve.

Klopp said his team "have to still prove ourselves" but reasoned there had been "a lot of things to like" in the last two games, and in the second half of the Anfield draw against Arsenal in their previous outing.

He sees West Ham as a threat to Liverpool's ongoing four-match unbeaten run, saying: "It's a super dangerous and difficult game for us, definitely."

After losing three consecutive home league games in November and December, West Ham have lost just one of their last seven at the London Stadium (W3 D3), scoring at least once in each match.

"We have to make the next step," Klopp said, "keeping the standard of the last two games defensively and then going from there. Being uncomfortable to play against, that must be our target."

Just as Premier League managers toy with their options for crucial run-in games, fantasy bosses are weighing up who should slot into their teams this weekend.

Some will be looking to consolidate lofty positions, but many will be eyeing a gamble in a late attempt to shuffle up the standings.

It comes down to analysing form, whether recent or over a longer course of time.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform selects four players you might consider for the latest set of matches.
 

Jose Sa (Leicester City v Wolves)

In a midlands battle between hosts in the relegation mire and visitors who are creeping clear of trouble, Wolves may need goalkeeper Jose Sa to be at his sharpest.

Only three teams have recorded more Premier League shutouts than Wolves in 2023 (5), while Sa is the eighth different goalkeeper to have recorded at least 20 clean sheets since the start of last season.

He is targeting a third successive clean sheet this weekend, and since the start of last season, only Alisson (14.2) and Bernd Leno (9.9) have prevented more goals than Sa (6.4), based on Opta's xG model.

Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace v Everton)

We've seen an April shower of goals from Crystal Palace this month, and now lowly Everton are the visitors to Selhurst Park.

Since the start of April, only Manchester City (11) have scored more goals in the Premier League than Palace (9), with Eberechi Eze netting three of those.

With seven goals and three assists this season, he has already equalled his best tally for goal involvements in the Premier League season (also 10 in 2020-21), and under Roy Hodgson's leadership he is clearly thriving again.

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool v Nottingham Forest)

Setting penalties to one side, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah has been showing some serious form of late, hitting a double last time out at Leeds United.

Only Ollie Watkins (14) and Erling Haaland (13) have been involved in more Premier League goals in 2023 than the Liverpool forward, with Salah totting up 11 involvements (8 goals, 3 assists), nine of which have come since the beginning of March.

In his last 10 Premier League games against teams that have come up from the Championship, as Forest did at the start of this campaign, Salah has been involved in nine goals (6 goals, 3 assists).

Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth v West Ham)

When Dominic Solanke gets hot, the opposition soon know about it.

He has become just the fifth different player for Bournemouth to record at least five goals and five assists in a Premier League season, achieving that by scoring once and providing two assists last time out against Tottenham.

The 25-year-old former Liverpool player had a stunning 2021-22 campaign in the Championship with the Cherries, and while he has not consistently hit the same heights in the top flight, the Tottenham game was the third of the Premier League season in which he has both scored and assisted. Nobody in the league has done so on more occasions, heading into this weekend's round of games.