Roeder full of praise for Reds

West Ham went into the game looking to continue their excellent recent away form, but failed to get into a game that saw Michael grab a brace to put Liverpool seven points clear of second place Arsenal.

And the Hammers boss was complimentary about the pressure Liverpool exerted on his side, and their upper hand in the possession stakes.

He said: "Liverpool were fast out of the blocks. They put us under pressure straight away, had lots of possession and we found it difficult to make the passes we like to do.

"We restricted them to just a few chances but when Owen skipped away from a few tackles you know he rarely misses.

"Liverpool have had a great start to the season and they will be tough to pull back but Gerard will play it down, play it cool and that is the right way to handle it."