Liverpool delivered a ruthless first-half display, scoring three times from set pieces on their way to a chaotic 5-2 victory over relegation-threatened West Ham United.
Despite an energetic showing from the visitors, Arne Slot’s side secured the win at Anfield, drawing level on points with fourth-placed Manchester United in the Premier League standings.
Liverpool struck three times before the break, each goal coming from corners. The opener arrived in the fifth minute when Hugo Ekitike fired home from the second phase following a Dominik Szoboszlai delivery. In the 24th minute, Virgil van Dijk powered in a towering header from another Szoboszlai corner. Two minutes before half-time, Alexis Mac Allister produced the standout finish, cleverly adjusting to guide the ball in with the outside of his boot after Ekitike redirected Mohamed Salah’s corner into his path.
West Ham had posed a threat throughout the first half and reduced the deficit four minutes after the restart, when Tomáš Souček slid in to convert El Hadji Malick Diouf’s cross.
Liverpool then looked vulnerable, but regained control in the 70th minute when Cody Gakpo’s effort deflected in off Aaron Wan-Bissaka after he collected Ekitike’s pass.
Valentín Castellanos headed in Jarrod Bowen’s corner to make it 4-2, and Crysencio Summerville nearly created a tense finish. However, Axel Disasi turned Jeremie Frimpong’s cross into his own net in the 82nd minute to complete the scoring.
Data Debrief: Slot’s set-piece plea heard
Earlier in the campaign, Slot warned that Liverpool’s hopes of a top-four finish would fade without improvement from set pieces, and his team appeared to respond emphatically.
They became only the second side in Premier League history to score three first-half goals from corners, matching Manchester United’s feat in a 4-1 win over Leicester City in September 2016.
Ekitike’s opener made him the first Liverpool player this season to reach 20 goal involvements in all competitions (now 16 goals and six assists). Van Dijk’s strike was his 28th Premier League goal; excluding penalties, only John Terry has scored more as a defender (41).
West Ham can take encouragement from parts of their performance, having produced 11 shots and 1.84 expected goals (xG), compared to Liverpool’s 18 attempts and 1.75 xG.
Nevertheless, Nuno Espírito Santo has now suffered nine Premier League defeats against Liverpool — more than he has against any other opponent.
