Liverpool corner. Their first. James Milner takes it but Dejan Lovren is penalised for a foul. He practically tore the shirt off his marker's back.

Emre Can with a dream of a first touch to bring down a long pass on the right sets up Lucas for a low cross that is aimed for Christian Benteke but cleared by West Ham. The home side are blowing hard but that Hammers house is still standing.

The classic away-day display early on from West Ham? The average positions graphic below (West Ham on the right) shows the Hammers have been mostly defending. They still lead though...  

Image source, Opta

End to end. Emre Can finds Nathaniel Clyne on the right but a combination of two West Ham defenders, setting Manuel Lanzini on a charge which ends with a shot just past the post from the edge of the box. He looks a useful player, this kid. Very positive.

More jangling nerves for the home side at Anfield. West Ham are really testing this new-found defensive solidity. Martin Skrtel gets underneath an Aaron Cresswell cross to concede a corner and then Christian Benteke rises highest to head clear from the resulting delivery. He was fouled in the process.

Jason Roberts on Final Score:  "Joe Gomez has got to do better. That's the difference between a goal and keeping a clean sheet - making sure Lanzini doesn't get across him there."  

Oh, so close for Roberto Firmino! He turns one way, then the next before unleashing a shot from 25 yards that Darren Randolph is nowhere near but is very relieved see hit the post and go wide. So near to a home debut goal for the Brazilian.

Soon after, Christian Benteke goes down in the box under a challenge from Winston Reid but the referee just carries on running. No penalty.

Image source, Reuters

Anfield is shell-shocked. This wasn't in the script. The home side try to get their way back into the game but Philippe Coutinho's shot is sliced high and wide, followed soon after by mocking cheers from the away end.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is already scribbling furiously in his notebook.

What a start for West Ham as Manuel Lanzini opens the scoring at Anfield - as shown below.  

Image source, Opta

Emre Can has space to cross from the right but James Tomkins does well to chest back to Darren Randolph, in for the suspended Adrian in the Hammers' goal.

And we are under way.

That West Ham bench really is young. The front row looks like it's populated by a boy band.

The teams are out. Kick-off in a tick...

Martin Fisher
Match of the Day commentator

"Just three games in to the new season and already there's a cautious optimism sweeping around Anfield and an anxious pessimism enveloping the east-end.

"Yet to concede, Liverpool look hard to beat with a solid defence providing the platform for their flair players to prosper. Significantly, all the new signings have settled in quickly this time.

"West Ham's opening weekend win at Arsenal already resembles a false dawn. Home defeats by Leicester and Bournemouth have brought them crashing back to earth.

"There's not much depth to the squad and already there are signs of unrest. It could be a long season."

Image source, AFP

So what about West Ham then? Well, it is clear that they have some work to do before the window closes. The release of Kevin Nolan and the presence of four inexperienced teenagers on their bench today is a testimony to that.

They were very well organised at Arsenal on the opening day but were often shambolic against Bournemouth last week, conceding four to the newly-promoted Cherries.

Which version of the Hammers will we see today? A lot will depend on how Noble, Obiang and Kouyate cope with the midfield three of the home side and whether they can keep Philippe Coutinho quiet.

Some players get plenty of plaudits, but some sit under the radar, mainly impressing the people who matter. Emre Can is somewhat in the latter camp. He goes about his business with minimum fuss and this has been recognised this week through a call-up for Germany - his first.

“Emre had a good development at Liverpool and is a versatile player. We like his presence on the pitch and his dynamism,” said Germany coach Joachim Low said. “Now we want to get to know him a bit better.”  

Brendan Rodgers has been full of praise for one of those Liverpool defenders who has helped them keep three clean sheets this season; Dejan Lovren.

The Croatia centre-back was hammered last season for a string of poor displays following his arrival from Southampton. But he is now starting to look something like a £20m player. 

"He’s much more patient in his game now, he’s got the stability of playing," said Rodgers. "He’s in the team and he’s in because he had a good pre-season so he’s in good condition. He’s focused but he’s also a bit more relaxed in his position.”

Key to Liverpool's positive start to the season has been their solid defence. Both of their victories have come by a single goal, while the Reds back four had to be on the ball to keep Arsenal at bay at the Emirates (although they also needed a bit of held from the officials!). 

A fourth consecutive clean sheet today will equal the club’s record from the start of a league campaign, achieved a decade ago.