West Ham vs Liverpool Report

Scorers: Diaz 30’, Gakpo 40’, Salah 44’, Alexander-Arnold 54’, Jota 84’

Liverpool rounded off the year in stunning fashion with a commanding 5-0 victory over West Ham United at the London Stadium, maintaining their unbeaten streak across all competitions and stretching their lead at the Premier League (PL) summit to eight points.

First Half: Ruthless Reds Take Control

West Ham entered the clash in fine form, unbeaten in their previous four matches, but they were no match for a relentless Liverpool side.

The visitors asserted their dominance from the outset, with Alphonse Areola producing a series of superb saves to deny Mohamed Salah, Curtis Jones, and Luis Díaz in the opening exchanges.

However, West Ham’s resistance broke in the 30th minute when Vladimír Coufal’s interception inadvertently played Díaz through, and the Colombian made no mistake, slotting past Areola at the near post.

The Hammers nearly capitalised on a rare Liverpool defensive lapse after Joe Gomez was forced off injured, with Mohammed Kudus rattling the post from distance.

Yet, Liverpool’s clinical edge showed as Salah weaved past defenders to set up Cody Gakpo, who slotted home to make it 2-0. Salah then capped an electric first-half display with his 20th goal of the season, beating Areola at his near post in the 44th minute to make it 3-0.

Second Half: Liverpool Show No Mercy

Salah continued to torment West Ham, forcing another fine save from Areola just two minutes into the second half. Moments later, Trent Alexander-Arnold extended Liverpool’s lead with a long-range strike that deflected wickedly off Max Kilman, leaving Areola helpless.

With a commanding 4-0 advantage, Liverpool manager Arne Slot made changes, withdrawing key players like Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo to rest them for their upcoming clash against Manchester United.

The substitutes kept up the intensity, and Diogo Jota sealed the rout in the 84th minute, finally beating Areola after an earlier denied effort.

What This Means

• Liverpool: With an eight-point lead at the top of the table, Liverpool are firmly in control of the title race. A blockbuster clash with rivals Manchester United looms next.
• West Ham: Despite a strong run of form prior to this match, Julen Lopetegui’s side were outclassed. They remain in mid-table but will aim to bounce back quickly.

Next Fixtures

• West Ham United: Face Bournemouth in a critical match to regain momentum.
• Liverpool: Host Manchester United in a highly-anticipated encounter as they look to solidify their dominance at the summit.

Liverpool’s relentless form and attacking prowess have made them the team to beat, while West Ham will look to regroup after being thoroughly outplayed.

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West Ham v Liverpool, 2024/25 | Premier League