Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo each scored twice as Liverpool began their Carabao Cup title defense with a dominant comeback, defeating West Ham 5-1 at Anfield.
West Ham initially shocked the holders by taking the lead after a corner, with Wataru Endo’s attempted clearance ricocheting off teammate Jarell Quansah and rolling into the net.
However, their lead lasted only four minutes, as Federico Chiesa, making his first start for Liverpool, set up Jota’s equalizer with an acrobatic volley that bounced for the Portuguese forward to head home.
Jota scored his second early in the second half with a composed low finish after a precise pass from Curtis Jones, moments after West Ham had a penalty appeal denied when Joe Gomez appeared to handle the ball inside the box. With no VAR until the semi-finals, the decision stood.
West Ham, under manager Julen Lopetegui, have now lost four of their seven matches. Lopetegui admitted he sustained a minor calf injury in frustration during the match.
The Spaniard was also booked for arguing with officials, and Max Kilman squandered a golden chance to level the game at 2-2 from close range.
Liverpool extended their lead when substitute Mohamed Salah capitalized on Lukasz Fabianski’s save from Alexis Mac Allister to make it 3-1. West Ham’s woes deepened as Edson Álvarez was sent off for a second yellow card, and Cody Gakpo sealed their fate with two late goals, eliminating the Hammers from the competition for the second consecutive season.
Liverpool will face Brighton in the fourth round, scheduled for the week beginning October 28.
Happy night under Anfield lights for Slot
This was Liverpool’s first Carabao Cup match since their triumph over Chelsea in the final at Wembley in February. It also marked Arne Slot’s first midweek fixture under the Anfield floodlights, which ended on a high note for the Dutch manager, securing his most emphatic win since taking charge.
As the game progressed, Liverpool grew stronger, while West Ham faded. Any chance of a comeback for the visitors was extinguished when Edson Álvarez was shown a red card just two minutes after Mohamed Salah made it 3-1.
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui expressed clear frustration with the officiating throughout the game.
In particular, he was displeased when Danny Ings had a goal disallowed in the 18th minute for offside and called for a VAR check, only to be reminded that the system isn’t available until the semi-finals, further adding to West Ham’s frustrations.
It was a difficult night for West Ham, who now turn their attention to the Premier League as they visit Brentford on Saturday, hoping to avoid a third straight defeat. In contrast, Liverpool have now won six of their seven league and cup matches under Slot.
Player of the Match: Diogo Jota (#20).