Liverpool moved back into the top two of the Premier League table courtesy of a 4-1 win over 10-man West Ham United at Anfield this afternoon.

Liverpool took the lead on the stroke of half time when Guy Demel inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, while their second came shortly after the break, with Mamadou Sakho, Martin Skrtel and James Collins all laying a legitimate claim to getting the last touch.

Skrtel's name will definitely be on the scoresheet as he turned the ball into his own net to give West Ham hope, but Luis Suarez soon made it 3-1 with a firm header past Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Kevin Nolan was then shown a straight red card for a foul on Jordan Henderson before Suarez capped off the scoring with shot that took a big deflection off Joey O'Brien.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at a hectic afternoon at Anfield.

Match statistics:

Liverpool:
Shots 32
On target 8
Possession 64%
Corners 8
Fouls 9

West Ham:
Shots 8
On target 1
Possession 36%
Corners 4
Fouls 12

Was the result fair?

Yes. Things were fairly tight in the first half, with Liverpool just about deserving their one-goal lead at the break, but there was only one team in it for the majority of the second half. Liverpool peppered the West Ham goal with shots and could have had six or seven rather than just three more. West Ham did come back into it after Skrtel's own goal, but that was a brief lull from the otherwise relentless Liverpool attacks. It was a very strange game with potentially four own goals, but overall Liverpool certainly deserved their win.

Liverpool's performance

More of the same for Liverpool. Brilliant going forward at times but unable to close out the game for a clean sheet. When the game gets frantic and open, the Reds don't seem to be able to slow it down and protect their lead. This doesn't matter as much against the likes of West Ham and Norwich, but when the big boys come to town they will not be so forgiving. The hosts struggled to break down the defence in the first half and the likes of Suarez didn't get much joy against Collins and co. However, they were rampant in the second period and only Skrtel's own goal could briefly halt them. Goals galore again at Anfield, and Brendan Rodgers will be happy with his side's performance on the whole this afternoon.

West Ham's performance

They gave a very good account of themselves in the first half, frustrating Liverpool and creating a few good chances of their own. Demel's own goal was a huge stroke of misfortune and the second right after half time almost killed them off. They rallied a little when they got back to 2-1, but if Suarez's header didn't end the match as a contest then Kevin Nolan's red card surely did. West Ham will look back at particular moments of the match and draw plenty of positives, but it is another defeat that leaves them only out of the relegation zone on goal difference.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Philippe Coutinho: The Brazilian playmaker was the puppet-master for Liverpool this afternoon, pulling the strings from midfield and creating plenty of chances for his teammates. In a tight first half he looked to be the only player capable of finding a way through the West Ham defence, and he would have a couple of assists to his name but for better finishing. He may not have got his own name on the scoresheet this afternoon, but it was a fine display from the youngster.

Biggest gaffe

In a game that could well have had four own goals, depending on decisions from the dubious goals panel, there is no shortage of gaffes. The biggest has to go to Skrtel for his oggy, however. He was at full stretch when he turned the ball past Simon Mignolet, threatening to allow West Ham back into the game in the process. The other own goals were unavoidable, this one was certainly not.

Referee performance

Michael Oliver had a decent game, keeping control of the match and only producing cards when he had to. The biggest decision was to send Kevin Nolan off and, while some referees may have only given a yellow, Oliver made the right decision. It was late, dangerous and, most frustratingly for Sam Allardyce, needless.

What next?

Liverpool: Liverpool will look to continue their goalscoring form when they face Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane next Sunday.

West Ham: West Ham, meanwhile, face a bottom-of-the-table clash against Sunderland on Saturday.