Nuno Espirito Santo makes 'absurd' claim after West Ham suffers 5-2 defeat vs Liverpool

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Liverpool IconLiverpool FC NewsFeaturesWest Ham United FCThe Hammers were soundly beaten at Anfield, but the Premier League encounter could have been a very different outcome had Liverpool's set-piece routines not proved so decisiveNuno Espirito Santo said he took lots of positives from the 5-2 defeat to LiverpoolNuno Espirito Santo has said that despite suffering a three-goal loss at Anfield on Sunday, he felt there were many positives for West Ham United to take.The relegation-threatened side lost 5-2, with Liverpool making the most of its newfound set-piece prowess. But there were long spells in open play, certainly in the early stages of the second half, when West Ham carried the greater threat.READ MORE: Anre Slot acknowledges 'nervous' Anfield energy despite Liverpool 3-goal West Ham winREAD MORE: Arne Slot reveals importance of Joe Gomez in improving Liverpool recordArne Slot admitted there was a nervous energy inside Anfield during those periods, and Espirito Santo was oddly encouraged by West Ham’s performance."It's difficult to explain.

But you go off at half-time and you have your players in front of you and you say: 'Boys you are playing good, but we are losing 3-0'.Espirito Santo was pleased with elements of West Ham's performance at Liverpool(Image: AFP or licensors)"We create a lot of situations and we combine well, but we really made mistakes on our set-pieces. We scored early and we created problems for Liverpool.

Things that can change the game."Being in front of you guys [the media] and saying that is a good performance, maybe sounds really silly from myself, but I saw a team that didn't give up, believed that it had a chance in the game, but we go home with a poor result."West Ham was undone by Set-pieces at Anfield(Image: 2026 Liverpool FC)West Ham’s deficiencies at set-pieces ultimately cost the side, a frustration compounded by Mateus Fernandes’ admission that a specific plan had been formulated to combat Van Dijk’s aerial threat.Espirito Santo admitted that is a worrying development, one his side must address if it is to avoid relegation."It's frustrating as a coaching staff," he added. "It's something that we've been really putting a lot of effort and time into to make it right."Recently, there was improvement.