Liverpool began their defence of the Carabao Cup in emphatic fashion with a 5-1 victory over West Ham at Anfield, overturning an early deficit to storm into the fourth round of the competition.
Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo each scored twice in the commanding win, as the Reds overcame a frustrating start to secure their spot against Brighton in the next round.
West Ham stunned the holders by taking the lead just 12 minutes into the match. A corner kick caused confusion in the Liverpool box, and in an unfortunate moment for the Reds, Wataru Endo’s attempted clearance ricocheted off teammate Jarell Quansah and rolled over the line. The early goal shocked the home crowd, giving Julen Lopetegui’s men a brief taste of control.
Liverpool, however, responded swiftly. Just four minutes after going behind, new signing Federico Chiesa marked his first start for the club with a crucial contribution.
The Italian winger’s acrobatic volley into the ground bounced up perfectly for Jota, who headed the ball home to level the score at 1-1. The equaliser revitalised the Reds, who began to impose their attacking rhythm on the game.
Jota struck again early in the second half, this time with a composed low finish in front of the Kop. Curtis Jones provided the assist with a perfectly weighted through ball, and the Portuguese forward calmly slotted the ball past West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to make it 2-1.
The visitors had moments of frustration, particularly when they were denied a penalty despite the ball appearing to strike Joe Gomez’s arm inside the box.
Without a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in place until the semi-finals, referee decisions could not be reviewed, leading to protests from West Ham players and manager Julen Lopetegui.
The Spaniard’s frustrations boiled over as he was booked for arguing with the officials. He later revealed that he had suffered a minor calf injury from stamping on the ground in anger during the match.
West Ham’s best chance to equalise came when Max Kilman missed a golden opportunity to score from six yards out.
Soon after, Liverpool made the Hammers pay for their missed chances. Substitute Mohamed Salah extended the lead to 3-1 after Fabianski parried Alexis Mac Allister’s shot into the Egyptian’s path.
West Ham’s night worsened when Edson Alvarez was sent off for a second booking, leaving the visitors down to 10 men.
Liverpool capitalised on the man advantage, with Cody Gakpo scoring two late goals to pile on the misery for the London side. Gakpo’s strikes sealed West Ham’s exit from the competition at Liverpool’s hands for the second consecutive season.
Lopetegui’s side has now lost four of their seven games under his management, adding pressure on the former Sevilla boss. The night marked a dominant display from Liverpool, who will now face Brighton in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup in late October.