Freddie's star finally shining for Hammers

Ljungberg, like so many of West Ham's big-name players, has had his season disrupted by injury and, when he returned, failed to make much impact.

There have been signs in recent games, though, that he and West Ham are finally becoming accustomed to each other.

It's not yet a marriage made in heaven as Ljungberg's visible signs of frustration sometimes demonstrate when he makes runs that no-one else in his team sees.

The West Ham fans, too, have not been sure about the former Arsenal star. They've wondered if he is fully committed to the Upton Park cause or just there to earn big money and think fondly about the good old days in North London.

Ljungberg is beginning to win them over, though, and today he is their hero after an impressive all-round performance against Liverpool climaxing in that last-gasp penalty award.

With both sides seemingly resigned to a point apiece, Ljungberg and West Ham team-mate Matthew Etherington found themselves high up the pitch with Liverpool's defence stretched.

Etherington chipped a sweet ball to the Swede, who controlled it and then turned swiftly inside Jamie Carragher.

Liverpool's top defender knew he had been suckered into the challenge but could do nothing to stop himself clipping Ljungberg's standing leg.

Upton Park erupted, Carragher lay prostrate, Rafa Benitez's blood pressure went into the red zone and referee Alan Wiley could do little else but point to the penalty spot.

Young Mark Noble picked the ball up before anyone else could get anywhere near it and duly despatched his kick wide of Jose Reina.

"Matty played the ball but it was a bit behind me so I waited until he came up because we were the only two players up there," explained Ljungberg.

"He checked back and then chipped the ball to me. I took it on the chest and was thinking maybe I should volley it but I decided to chip the ball up and he took my standing foot.

"I was trying to get him to throw himself at me so I could take the ball around him and go for goal but instead he tripped me."

It was the first time West Ham had managed to beat Liverpool in nine seasons and, although they haven't been at their best, it was the Anfield club's first defeat in nine games.

Carragher said: "A player of my experience shouldn't have dived in like that, but overall we didn't play badly." The result leaves Liverpool with no hope of seriously contesting the Premier League title and reinforces the view that all the speculation about the future of its owners and manager has seriously destabilised a great club.

For Ljungberg and West Ham, though, now four points behind Liverpool and with just one defeat in their last seven league games, the only way appears to be up.

"We've looked at the league table and we believe we can move on up, it's so tight," said Ljungberg.

"I think we're getting there. Personally, I've felt really good for the past month and we're starting to play the ball on the floor a bit more which suits me.

"I said from the beginning that Europe is a realistic aim. That's why I joined the club, to build something.

"We've had a lot of injuries but we're still up there. We're so close now and playing really well."

Liverpool, in contrast, look like a team weighed down by worries.

England striker Peter Crouch stayed on the bench, happily for West Ham, while Xabi Alonso and Ryan Babel were shouting at each other like a couple of fish wives, just minutes after the Dutchman had come on as a second-half substitute.

All West Ham had to do was take full advantage and, thanks to Ljungberg, they did just that.