Key Highlights
- Liverpool barged straight through it.⸻The Starting ElevenLiverpool XI• GK – Alisson Becker• RB – Joe Gomez• CB – Ibrahima Konaté• CB – Virgil van Dijk (c)• LB – Milos Kerkez• CM – Alexis Mac Allister• CM – Ryan Gravenberch• RW – Mohamed Salah• AM – Dominik Szoboszlai• LW – Cody Gakpo• CF – Hugo EkitikeSubstitutes UsedJeremie Frimpong → Florian Wirtz (76’)Rio Ngumoha → Joe Gomez (76’)Trey Nyoni → Ryan Gravenberch (86’)⸻GoalsLiverpool 1–0 West Ham – Hugo Ekitike (Ryan Gravenberch) – 5’Liverpool 2–0 West Ham – Virgil van Dijk (Dominik Szoboszlai) – 26’AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLiverpool 3–0 West Ham – Alexis Mac Allister (Hugo Ekitike) – 43’Liverpool 3–1 West Ham – Tomáš Souček (Malick Diouf) – 49’Liverpool 4–1 West Ham – Cody Gakpo (Hugo Ekitike) – 70’Liverpool 4–2 West Ham – Valentín Castellanos (Jarrod Bowen) – 75’Liverpool 5–2 West Ham – Jeremie Frimpong (Cody Gakpo) – 83’Photo: IMAGO⸻Match Statistics• Possession – Liverpool 49% | West Ham 51%• xG – Liverpool 1.75 | West Ham 1.84• Total Shots – Liverpool 18 | West Ham 11• Shots on Target – Liverpool 7 | West Ham 4• Fouls – Liverpool 12 | West Ham 11• Corners – Liverpool 10 | West Ham 5First HalfThe opening half was ruthless without being dominant.
- Liverpool did not suffocate West Ham with possession — in fact, they ceded more of the ball overall — but they were devastating from dead-ball situations. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThree first-half goals, all stemming from corners, mark a remarkable turnaround for a side that looked utterly blunt from set pieces in the opening months of the season.
- The delivery was aggressive, the movement coordinated, and the intent clear.
- Ekitike’s early strike settled nerves, Van Dijk powered home with captain’s authority, and Mac Allister’s clinical finish just before the break effectively ended the contest. There were still moments of looseness in open play.
- West Ham found pockets, tested transitions, and were not overwhelmed territorially.