West Ham United fans to be encouraged despite what happened to Scarles at Anfield
West Ham United can consider themselves desperately unfortunate to have emerged empty-handed from their weekend trip to Liverpool.
The champions-elect picked up another three-point haul to edge them closer to an inevitable Premier League title, but the Hammers could very easily have picked up at least a point.
Graham Potter can take some encouragement after a harsh afternoon at Anfield (13 April) ahead of the final games of the season, having now fallen to 17th in the league table – albeit having been certain to stay up for months.
Ollie Scarles verdict given after Mohamed Salah scrap
One player who has made his breakthrough in the second half of this season is Ollie Scarles, having often been preferred to other full-back options such as Emerson and Vladimir Coufal.
The far more senior but seemingly outgoing Coufal was brought on for 19-year-old Scarles three minutes before the hour mark against Liverpool, with Mohamed Salah having given him an uphill battle throughout the afternoon.
Scarles however is held in considerably high esteem by those at Rush Green, and for a player who made his senior debut aged just 16 under David Moyes, the England Under-20 star is a player the Hammers will be keen to nurture for many years.
| Liverpool | Stat | West Ham |
| 15 | Shots | 11 |
| 6 | Shots on target | 4 |
| 56% | Possession | 44% |
| 498 | Passes | 407 |
| 85% | Pass accuracy | 85% |
TV broadcaster and renowned football analysis expert Ian Darke weighed in on the Scarles and Salah battle, describing the young Hammer as “stylish” and claiming the Salah scrap will set him up well in his development in a Premier League environment.
Darke, speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, added Potter’s men were very unlucky to lose on Merseyside and their reputation has in fact grown in that loss – even if the league standing hasn’t.
“I think if you can grow in reputation a little bit in defeat, that’s probably what West Ham did against Liverpool. It was a really good performance from them and maybe something for the fans to take encouragement from into next season,” he said.
“I think Ollie Scarles had a tough time against Mo Salah which was a bit of a learning curve, but he’s certainly a player in high regard. He’s looked pretty stylish since he got in the team.
“It’s a long road for those kids who sign when they’re eight or nine years old. Every year there’s a decision made on whether they’re let go, and it’s like their own Grand National jumping each barrier to get to the first team. Good luck to him.”
West Ham have made progress even if table doesn’t show it
West Ham may have fallen to 17th in the league, but Potter and the hierarchy are already planning ahead to right many wrongs for next season.
However, the performances have largely looked more promising; the showing at Anfield was chalk and cheese from that of the 5-0 trouncing they suffered at the London Stadium by Liverpool over the Christmas period under Julen Lopetegui.
It’s something Irons fans can cling onto from a massively underwhelming campaign – the hope they are now, on the pitch at least, in safe hands to make steady progress in 2025-26.