The Reds headed into Saturday’s match at the London Stadium needing a win after losing the Merseyside derby in midweek. At the end of a chastening day for Liverpool, it was Van Dijk’s body language that caught the attention of Hargreaves, who was analyzing the game for Premier League Productions.

Speaking post-match, Hargreaves was asked about Liverpool’s title chances and bluntly replied: “Done and dusted. You just saw Van Dijk hanging his head there, just annoyed, frustrated.

I know he won’t be keen on farewells and goodbye, but it’s nice to see all the [West Ham] players giving Klopp a hug. Disappointing for Liverpool, they should have won that game today.”

He added, “I think the disappointing results of the last week or two have put them in a frame of mind. It felt before the game when we saw them walking into the stadium, it didn’t feel like they had much belief left.

The performance was a little like that, struggling in the final third to have conviction. Defensively?”

The disappointing performance of the last week or two has clearly affected the team’s mindset, leading to a lack of belief and conviction in their performance. This was evident as they struggled in the final third and defensively.