Liverpool cruised to a 5-1 victory over West Ham in their Carabao Cup third-round clash at Anfield.
The Reds went behind early after Jarell Quansah scored an own goal, but there was never any need to panic.
Diogo Jota got a brace for the hosts, with Mohammed Salah and Cody Gakpo also getting on the scoresheet.
Edson Alvarez was sent off in the second half and it capped off a miserable night for the Hammers.
Read on for the full report.
How it happened
West Ham took the lead in the 21st minute when a scrappy corner ended with Quansah inadvertently turning the ball into his own net.
The early goal shocked the Reds, but they quickly regained their composure.
21′ – Goal. West Ham take the lead.
[0-1] #WHULIV
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 25, 2024
Jota brought them level just four minutes later with a well-placed header after latching onto Federico Chiesa’s acrobatic effort.
The Portuguese forward, who started and finished the move, continued to pose a threat throughout the match and soon scored again.
As the first half wore on, Liverpool began to dominate possession, keeping West Ham pinned in their own half.
Despite a few brief counter-attacks, including a disallowed goal from Danny Ings, the visitors struggled to generate clear chances.
Lukasz Fabianski was called into action a few times but managed to keep the score level at half-time.
The second half saw Liverpool come out with renewed energy, and it didn’t take long for them to seize control of the match.
JOTAAAAAA!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/KMsm4RSOaN
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 25, 2024
In the 49th minute, Jota completed his brace with a curling finish after a fantastic assist from Curtis Jones.
West Ham, despite introducing fresh legs in Michail Antonio and Lucas Paqueta, couldn’t find a foothold in the game.
West Ham’s frustrations were compounded in the 76th minute when Alvarez received a second yellow card for a reckless challenge on Mohamed Salah, reducing the Hammers to 10 men.
Liverpool quickly capitalised on the advantage, with Salah making it 3-1 just two minutes later, smashing home after Fabianski had initially saved Alexis Mac Allister’s shot.
Gakpo then took centre stage. In the 90th minute, he linked up with Darwin Nunez before firing a low shot into the corner of the net to make it 4-1.
Moments later, he added a fifth, using his strength to fend off Mohammed Kudus before seeing his effort deflect off Jean-Clair Todibo and trickle into the net.
In the end, Liverpool’s relentless pressure and clinical finishing were too much for the visitors to handle.
