Jota, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah all scored as Liverpool beat West Ham 5-1 in the third round of the League Cup.

*Goals: Jota 25′, 49′, Salah 74′, Gakpo 90′, 90’+3 – Quansah (own goal) 21′.*Red card: Alvarez 76′ (West Ham)

Manager Arne Slot made nine changes from the 3-0 win over Bournemouth in the Premier League last weekend, with Caohmin Kelleher and Darwin Nunez retaining their starting positions. Curtis Jones, Caoimhin Kelleher, Jarrell Quansah and Conor Bradley were in the starting line-up and all came through the club’s youth system.

The big chaos caused Liverpool to start the game poorly, although they had more possession than West Ham. In the 18th minute, Danny Ings put the ball into the net of his former team, but the goal was disallowed for offside. However, he and his teammates did not have to regret it for too long. Three minutes later, from a chaotic situation in the penalty area, Japanese midfielder Endo Wataru cleared the ball off Jarrell Quansah and into the net. West Ham’s opening goal was counted as an own goal by Quansah.

Quansah (right) looks dazed after accidentally scoring an own goal in the match against West Ham in the fifth round of the English League Cup. Photo: AP.

However, Liverpool needed just over three minutes to equalise. Cody Gakpo broke free down the left flank and crossed to the far post for new signing Federico Chiesa to volley with his right foot. The ball appeared to go wide, but Diogo Jota headed it home from five metres.

Early in the second half, it was Curtis Jones’ turn to assist Jota to finish diagonally past Lukasz Fabianski in a one-on-one situation, putting Liverpool ahead 2-1.

In the 74th minute, Mac Allister’s close-range shot failed to beat the West Ham goalkeeper, before substitute Salah fired the rebound into the visitors’ net. More than a minute later, Edson Alvarez was a bit slow in his tackle and tackled Salah, earning a second yellow card, forcing West Ham to play with one less man.

Salah (center) celebrates a goal in the match against West Ham. Photo: AFP.

With a two-goal lead and a numerical advantage, Liverpool dominated and scored two more goals in the final five minutes thanks to Gakpo. In the 90th minute, the Dutch striker dribbled from the left wing, cut into the middle and shot hard into the near corner. In the third minute of added time, he completed his double with a shot that hit a West Ham player and changed direction.

This is Liverpool’s biggest win under new coach Arne Slot. Meanwhile, West Ham continue to disappoint. In the Premier League, the team under Julen Lopetegui has lost three matches and is 14th after five rounds, despite spending more than $170 million in the summer transfer window of 2024.

In round 4 taking place the week starting October 28, Liverpool will visit Brighton.

Line-up

Liverpool : Kelleher, Bradley, Quansah, Gomez, Tsmikas (Robertson 82), Endo (Morton 82), Jones, Gakpo, Chiesa (Salah 59), Nunez, Jota (Mac Allister 59).

West Ham: Fabianski, Coufal, Todibo, Kilman, Cresswell, Soler (Irving 78), Alvarez, Soucek (Paqueta 59), Bowen (Kudus 78), Ings (Antonio 60), Summerville.