Isak goal sets up much-needed Liverpool win against West Ham. Man United beats Palace

By Canadian Press on November 30, 2025.

Alexander Isak scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool to set up a much-needed win for the defending champion at West Ham on Sunday.

On a day when Mohamed Salah was dropped to the bench, British record signing Isak opened the scoring at the London Stadium as Arne Slot’s team secured a 2-0 victory. Cody Gakpo got the second for Liverpool, which went into the match on a run of six losses in its last seven league games.

Isak, a $170 million signing from Newcastle in the summer, had not scored in his five league games for his new club and only had one goal in 10 games in all. But in the absence of Salah, the Sweden international converted with a first-time effort in the box after 60 minutes to open his Premier League account for the season.

Joshua Zirkzee ended a scoring drought of his own with his first league goal in almost a year to spark a comeback 2-1 win for Manchester United at Crystal Palace.

Aston Villa beat last-placed Wolverhampton 1-0 and Brighton won 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.

Zirkzee on target

Zirkzee hadn’t scored in England’s top flight since a double against Everton on Dec. 1 last year, but ended that streak with a stunning strike at Selhurst Park.

A moment of individual brilliance fired United back into the game in the 54th after Jean-Philippe Mateta put Palace ahead from the penalty spot in the first half.

Collecting the ball in the box, Zirkzee spun and scored from a tight angle for only his eighth goal since joining United from Bologna last year and his first this season.

“Scoring is important but it’s not just the goals,” United coach Ruben Amorim said. “They give confidence but Joshua has also improved a lot in how he holds the ball. That should give him a lot of confidence.”

Mason Mount struck the winner from the edge of the box in the 63rd as United ended Palace’s 12-game unbeaten home run in the league.

Mateta had given Palace the lead with a twice-taken penalty in the 36th. The France international was adjudged to have double-kicked his original spot kick and was directed to retake as per the rule clarification that came in after Julian Alvarez’s accidental double touch in a shootout against Real Madrid last season helped to eliminate Atletico Madrid from the Champions League.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

James Robson, The Associated Press

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