Liverpool turned Anfield into a goal-fest, hammering West Ham 5-2 in a wild Premier League clash that showcased their set-piece mastery while exposing lingering defensive jitters.
Arne Slot’s side stormed into a commanding 3-0 lead by halftime, piling pressure on rivals Chelsea and Manchester United in the race for Champions League spots, while dealing another blow to the Hammers’ survival fight.
Hugo Ekitike stole the show for the Reds. The summer signing snapped a four-game goal drought with a clinical opener after just five minutes, latching onto Ryan Gravenberch’s clever square from a corner and firing low past Mads Hermansen via a deflection.
Virgil van Dijk rose highest to head in Dominik Szoboszlai’s inswinging delivery for 2-0, before Ekitike turned provider again—flicking on Mohamed Salah’s corner for Alexis Mac Allister to smash home a volley and make it three before the break.
Liverpool’s three first-half goals all came from corners, underlining their dramatic improvement from set-piece struggles earlier in the season.
West Ham refused to roll over. Tomas Soucek pounced early in the second half on sloppy defending from Ibrahima Konate to tap in and halve the deficit, injecting real tension into the contest.
Cody Gakpo restored the three-goal cushion on 70 minutes, rifling home after more wizardry from Ekitike, who danced past defenders before sliding the ball into his path—though a deflection off Aaron Wan-Bissaka helped it nestle in.
Valentín Castellanos (Taty) pulled one back for the visitors with a sharp finish at the back post from a corner, briefly raising hopes of a dramatic comeback.
But any lingering drama ended when substitute Jeremie Frimpong’s low cross was turned into his own net by Axel Disasi, sealing the 5-2 scoreline and finally snuffing out West Ham’s resistance.
Ekitike was the star—scoring once and assisting twice in a man-of-the-match display that answered Slot’s recent call-out for more goals from the Frenchman. While Salah remains out of form, others stepped up in ruthless fashion.
The victory moves Liverpool up to fifth, boosting their top-four push, but the defensive lapses that allowed West Ham back into it highlight work still needed if they’re to mount a serious challenge.
For the Hammers, still mired in the relegation zone, it was another case of brave resistance undone by clinical finishing—and set-piece frailty—at Anfield, where they’ve won just once in their last 59 visits.
