Liverpool 5-1 West Ham United: Reds Player Ratings as strong second half leads to big win | Carabao Cup 2024-25

A flurry of goals late in the game ensured that Liverpool comfortably moved past West Ham United into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, September 25. The Reds secured a 5-1 win over the Hammers at Anfield.

Heading into the game, Arne Slot named a heavily rotated side from the one that won 3-0 against Bournemouth. Federico Chiesa, Cody Gakpo, and Wataru Endo were among players to earn starts while Darwin Nunez retained his place leading the frontline.

West Ham, meanwhile, were coming off a difficult 3-0 loss to Chelsea. Julen Lopetegui made a bunch of changes as well, bringing in Jean-Clair Todibo and Vladimir Coufal in defense with Danny Ings coming in to lead the attack.

Both teams began well as Liverpool dominated possession, but looked a little vulnerable off the ball. They paid the price for their carelessness as the visitors took the lead through an own goal from Jarell Quansah. An attempted clearance from Endo hit the central defender and went in, making it 1-0 in the 21st minute.

However, the lead did not last long as Diogo Jota equalised just four minutes later. The Portugal international was in the right place to guide home a header from close range to level the scores.

The Reds then began to exert their control over the affair but went into the break 1-1.

They began the second half in perfect fashion as Jota doubled his tally in the 49th minute. A great run from Curtis Jones saw him exchange passes with Cody Gakpo before setting Jota up for a cool finish to see his side take the lead.

Mohamed Salah then came off the bench and made it 3-1 in the 74th minute. The Egyptian was on hand to score a rebound after Alexis Mac Allister's initial attempt was saved.

It was further misery for the Hammers as Edson Alvarez was sent off minutes later for a second yellow. The midfielder put in a heavy challenge on Salah and received his marching orders.

Late on, Gakpo scored twice in quick succession. The first one was a sharp effort, cutting in from the left and finding the bottom corner while the second had a stroke of luck, deflecting on the way home to make it 5-1.

Liverpool secured the win with some good finishing while West Ham's poor start to the season continued. Here are the player ratings for the Reds:

Liverpool Player Ratings

Caoimhin Kelleher - 6.5/10

Kelleher continues to prove his worth as a reliable No. 2 option. The Irishman made three saves and looked comfortable overall.

Conor Bradley - 7/10

He was defensively solid and looked good going forward as well, finishing with two chances created and two passes into the final third.

Jarell Quansah - 5.5/10

Quansah scored an unfortunate own goal and didn't look too comfortable against the physicality of Michail Antonio.

Joe Gomez - 6/10

A rare start for the defender saw him perform decently, completing 88% (91/103) of his passes and winning four duels.

Kostas Tsimikas - 6/10

Tsimikas contributed well going forward, but had some nervy moments dealing with Jarrod Bowen.

Wataru Endo - 6/10

The Japan international has fallen down the pecking order under Arne Slot and did not do much to merit further playing time.

Curtis Jones - 7.5/10

His ball-carrying from midfield and creative ability was impressive as he bagged a skillful assist for Jota's second of the night.

Federico Chiesa - 6.5/10

A decent hour-long outing for the Italian who continues to find fitness for Liverpool. His attempted volley eventually ended up being an assist to Jota's first goal.

Diogo Jota - 8/10

Initially used as a striker in the Premier League, Jota was deployed in a deeper role in this game and still showed his worth. He bagged two goals, taking his tally this season to three.

Cody Gakpo - 8/10

A strong performance from the Dutchman, who has struggled for game time in the league. He was lively down the left flank all game and got two well-deserved goals.

Darwin Nunez - 6.5/10

He linked up well with his teammates and collected an assist, but still had some questionable moments.

Substitutes

Mohamed Salah - 7/10

Salah showed his class immediately after coming on, getting on the scoresheet while also drawing the foul that led to Edson Alvarez's sending off.

Alexis Mac Allister - 6.5/10

Brought on for more stability in midfield and did well in his half-hour cameo.

Andrew Robertson and Tyler Morton - N/A

The pair came on too late and did not play enough minutes to merit a rating.