Arne Slot has a new hero at Liverpool after what West Ham star said

Story byArne Slot has a new hero at Liverpool after what West Ham star saidAnfield WatchSun, March 1, 2026 at 8:40 PM UTC·3 min readLiverpool beat West Ham United 5-2 on Saturday afternoon. Going into the clash, nobody knew how things would pan out for either side with some even thinking that the Reds would get beaten by Nuno Espirito Santo's men. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, that evidently wasn't the case as the Anfield outfit managed to add another three points to their tally. The reigning Premier League champions are still a few points outside of the top four spots but, since Arne Slot's men have won all four of their last games across all competitions, the turning point in their campaign could finally be upon us. However, this recent upturn in form wouldn't have been possible if one Liverpool player hadn't taken his performances up a level or two and now, it feels like he could become Slot's new hero. West Ham United failed to stop Virgil van Dijk despite making it their mission to try and stop himLiverpool's Premier League title win wouldn't have been possible if Mohamed Salah didn't break multiple records last season. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Egyptian King was the Reds' star man last season and his 50 + goal contributions were what set the Reds apart from their Premier League rivals. However, since the 2025-26 season first kicked off, things just haven't clicked for the attacker which has meant that other people, such as Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai have had to step up. The last few weeks have been some of the best performances that Van Dijk has put in this season and without him, it's unclear where Liverpool would be. West Ham knew that the Dutchman was in top form with Mateus Fernandes even admitting that the Hammers specifically tried to stop the centre-back having an impact on the game. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Frustrating because we played really well in the first half. We conceded three goals form set pieces.