Liverpool ran out comfortable winners as the league leaders put five past West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday.
Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota grabbed the goals as Arne Slot’s side saw out the year in impressive fashion.
The win means the Reds move eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table, while the Hammers remain in 13th place, nine points above the drop zone.
Ending 2024 with a win in the capital 😍 #WHULIV pic.twitter.com/rIBrfWon7v
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) December 29, 2024
Going into the game, West Ham had been unbeaten in four matches, including a 1-0 win over Southampton on Boxing Day.
Due to injuries and suspensions, boss Julen Lopetegui made four changes for the visit of Liverpool. And it was one of those, Alphonse Areola, in for the injured Lukasz Fabianski, who was called into action early on when he saved smartly to deny Salah.
But on the half-hour mark, Diaz, the only change to the Liverpool starting eleven, gave the Reds the lead when he drilled the ball into the net from just inside the box.
Liverpool were very nearly pegged back almost immediately after when the lively Mohammed Kudus hit the post with a long-range strike.
But seconds later Slot’s side doubled their advantage when some Salah magic set up Gakpo for a simple tap in.
“Yet more magic from Mo Salah” 🪄
Gakpo is there to finish it off after a brilliant piece of skill from Salah 🎯 pic.twitter.com/K3a9mJDUSx
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 29, 2024
Salah then got in on the action himself, grabbing his 20th goal of the season when his shot squeezed under Areola at his near post.
It completed a commanding half of football from Slot’s side, who went into the break with a comfortable three-goal cushion.
The second-half continued in much the same vein. Areola again saved well from Salah in the first few minutes, but the fourth goal arrived shortly after when Alexander-Arnold’s deflected strike wrong-footed the West Ham keeper.
Liverpool have FOUR!
Trent Alexander-Arnold hits it from distance and it takes a deflection off Max Kilman into the goal 💫 pic.twitter.com/D5jeJeYMhL
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 29, 2024
From there, the Reds played at half-pace. With one eye on the visit of their great rivals Manchester United in a week’s time, Slot rang the changes, giving extra rest to the likes of Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch.
The Hammers offered very little threat, and more than anything seemed resigned to damage limitation.
Kudus again rattled the frame of the goal but the offside flag was raised.
Substitute Diogo Jota then rounded off a fine Liverpool performance when he curled in a fifth with six minutes of the 90 remaining.
It proved to be the icing on what was a hugely comfortable evening’s work for Liverpool, who end 2024 top of the pile and in pole position for the Premier League title.
