Liverpool’s Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring his team’s fourth goal during the EFL Cup quarter-final match between Liverpool FC and West Ham United at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, north-west England, on December 20, 2023. (Photo by Oli SCARFF/AFP)
Liverpool thrashed West Ham 5-1 on Wednesday to set up a League Cup semi-final against Fulham, easing the disappointment of a Premier League draw against Manchester United at the weekend.
Curtis Jones scored twice, while Dominik Soboslai, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah also scored for Jurgen Klopp’s trophyless team last season.
No team has won more League Cups than Liverpool, who lifted the trophy for the ninth time in 2021/22.
The Reds fired 34 shots against United in Sunday’s Premier League clash without finding the back of the net, failing to win at home for the first time this season much to their bitter disappointment.
Manager Jurgen Klopp said he was delighted with his team’s “happy football” as they found the back of the net against West Ham.
“We were bold in our positioning, our second game was exceptional,” he said.
“It was a really good performance from start to finish.
“It is very difficult for all of us, there are many games and the boys have already played a lot of football.”
A much-changed home team, with Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench and Alisson Becker fully rested, launched wave after wave of attacks as West Ham struggled to control the opposition.
In the 14th minute, Harvey Elliott shot over the bar and Soboslay shot wide, but the Hungarian midfielder gave Liverpool a deserved lead just before the half-hour mark.
It came after Saeed Benrahma carelessly lost the ball in midfield, wasting a rare opportunity for West Ham.
Liverpool dominant
Jarell Kwansa, on the right side of Liverpool’s attack, passed the ball to Soboslai, who shot powerfully from outside the area past the goalkeeper, who went into the far corner, leaving goalkeeper Alphonse Areola no chance.
The match continued in the same pattern, with West Ham forced to feed off the remains, a familiar feeling for a team that has only won once at Anfield since 1963.
The home team could have doubled their lead in the dying moments of the first half, but Gakpo headed in with minimal effort following a superb pass from Elliott.
In the first 45 minutes, Liverpool made 11 shots to West Ham’s goal.
The London team also had plenty of stars on the bench, with the impressive Lucas Paquette and James Ward-Prowse absent from the starting lineup.
The second half unfolded much like the first, with Liverpool going for it and David Moyes’ men looking toothless.
Darwin Núñez, who started the game without a goal in his last 10 games for Liverpool, took a hit after turning in the area, but Areola was equal to it.
However, in the 56th minute, Jones struck back at Liverpool, slotting the ball through Areola’s legs and towards the near post.
Moyes launched Paquet, but Klopp responded by bringing in Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahim Konate.
Liverpool made it 3-0 when Gakpo headed to Areola’s right post from the edge of the area after Konate’s advance.
Jarrod Bowen took one, cut inside Quans and produced a good turn around Caoimhin Kelleher, but worse was to come for the hapless visitors.
Salah scored a breakaway goal from a pass from Alexander-Arnold, while Jones capped a good night with his second after breaking through the Hammers defence.
Liverpool, who host Premier League leaders Arsenal on Saturday, with a chance to overtake the London team, will face Fulham in the first leg of a two-legged League Cup semi-final this week which starts on January 8th.
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Middlesbrough will play Chelsea in the other match on 8/1.
2023-12-21 16:01:53
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