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Liverpool 5 – 1 West Ham


Liverpool 5 – 1 West Ham

Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo scored twice each as Carabao Cup winners Liverpool came from behind to beat West Ham 5-1 and book a fourth-round away tie against Brighton.

Arne Slot's much-changed side fell behind when Jarell Quansah fired into his own net from a West Ham corner in the first half, but Jota led a devastating Liverpool response.

The 27-year-old headed home a missed shot from debutant Federico Chiesa with an acrobatic move to equalise immediately. He then put the Reds ahead with a cool finish straight after half-time following good work from Curtis Jones.

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Watch Diogo Jota's close-range equaliser for Liverpool

Player Ratings

Liverpool: Kelleher (7), Bradley (7), Quansah (6), Gomez (7), Tsmikas (6), Endo (7), Jones (8), Gakpo (8), Chiesa (6), Nunez (7), Jota (9).

Submarines: Mac Allister (7), Salah (8), Morton (6), Robertson (6).

West Ham: Fabianski (6), Coufal (5), Todibo (5), Kilman (6), Cresswell (6), Soler (5), Alvarez (4), Soucek (5), Bowen (6), Ings (5), Summerville (5).

Submarines: Antonio (7), Paqueta (6), Irving (6), Kudus (6).

Player of the game: Diogo Jota

West Ham briefly threatened to equalise after the introduction of Michail Antonio, after two penalty appeals for handball were turned down. However, Mohamed Salah scored the third goal, hammering home a rebound after fellow substitute Alexis Mac Allister's shot was blocked. The visitors were then reduced to ten men after Edson Alvarez was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Salah.

The Hammers' evening then went from bad to worse when Cody Gakpo scored a quick double in the final minutes of the game to turn the result into a crushing defeat. It continued a dismal week for Julen Lopetegui after West Ham lost 3-0 at home to Chelsea on Saturday.

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Liverpool extended their lead through Mohamed Salah

Liverpool, on the other hand, celebrated their sixth win in seven games under their new coach and advanced to the next round of a competition they have won twice in the last three years.

Analysis: Jota underlines his value for slot

Nick Wright from Sky Sports:

Jota started as a substitute in Liverpool's 3-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday, coming on for the first time in slot for Darwin Nunez, but given that performance he will not be out of the team for long.

The Portuguese international scored his goals brilliantly: his first was a classic tap-in attempt as he rose above Max Kilman – no mean feat given his modest stature – to head in Chiesa's close-range shot; his second was a typically cool finish from a Jones pass.

Liverpool's Diogo Jota celebrates after scoring his team's first goal in the Carabao Cup match against West Ham
Picture:
Jota celebrates after scoring his team's first goal

His impact was particularly impressive coming from an unfamiliar position. While Nunez operated as Liverpool's No.9 and Gakpo and Chiesa played on the wings, Jota played as No.10 and relished the opportunity to drop back into midfield, as he did in the build-up to his equaliser.

Salah's goal off the bench and Gakpo's last-minute brace underlined Liverpool's attacking strength on a night when Luis Diaz, their two-goal scorer against Bournemouth, was not needed at all. However, Jota's early exit suggests he will be back in the team on Saturday against Wolves.

He plays a crucial role in the slot era.

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