Proud Englander Joe Hart should have enjoyed today's game against Liverpool. Kick-off was preceded by a standard bit of poppy-worship: David Gold took time out from the manufacture of dildos to solemnly hold a wreath as a mournful trumpeter punctuating a minute's silence with a plaintive...harrumph.
But it soon went awry for Hart: he conceded four goals, two of which bounced off him before being prodded home by Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in either half.
This continues Hart's hideous record against Liverpool. The fourth goal scored here - Salah's second - was the 33rd goal he has conceded against Liverpool in 18 league games.
This is not necessarily an aberration, however. Hart's form since being ousted by Pep Guardiola at City is utterly dreadful, and a continued vindication of Guardiola's decision. (Even if he was briefly replaced by Claudio Bravo).
Since joining Torino last season, Hart has conceded 85 goals in his last 47 league games.
By my maths, Joe Hart has conceded 85 goals in his last 47 league games for Torino & #WHUFC pic.twitter.com/wRlvZax8mT
— Adam Digby (@Adz77) November 4, 2017
So unimpressive was he at Torino, the club's president remarked that "we didn't expect so mistakes". That dreadful form has now carried on into West Ham, although it is partly mitigated by the fact that he has a pretty terrible team playing ahead of him. He was impressive against Crystal Palace last weekend as the rest of his teammates fell apart around him, but given that West Ham paid a fairly generous loan fee for Hart - £4.5 million - they must have been expecting better performances than these.
It was a thoroughly miserable night for West Ham, and their final indignity arrived with five minutes to go. With the game over, Klopp used them as a vessel to rebuild Dejan Lovren's smithereened confidence. The club are a rabble and Slaven Bilic may not be in a job on the other side of this international break, but whoever the next manager happens to be, they will need improvements on the field straight away.
Especially from Joe Hart.
