Liverpool had their clinical nature in the first half to thank for a convincing 5-2 victory over West Ham United at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.
West Ham threatened a comeback, as they continue to fight for their lives near the foot of the Premier League table, but thankfully, the Reds’ lethal instinct in front of goal, and a fortuitous Axel Disasi own-goal, handed Arne Slot’s men a much-needed three points in the race for the Champions League.
It was a chaotic watch, as seven goals hit the back of the nets, with these the five main talking points to take away from the frenetic showdown at Anfield.
Liverpool’s fast start was very impressive
Often accused of looking laboured under Slot, Liverpool were anything but sluggish and tired when entering the field of play against West Ham.
The Reds clearly sensed blood and had a resounding three-goal advantage to shout about after just 43 minutes of action, courtesy of Hugo Ekitike, Virgil Van Dijk, and Alexis Mac Allister powering home in quick succession.
Liverpool’s first-half dominance:
| Stat | Liverpool | West Ham |
| Goals | 3 | 0 |
| Shots | 9 | 3 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 0 |
| Big chances | 3 | 0 |
| Possession | 51% | 49% |
| Corners | 7 | 2 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.69 xG | 0.08 xG |
This, thankfully, gave Slot and Co. a comfortable cushion when West Ham threatened to make the tie interesting.
The Dutchman will hope his team can keep up this deadliness in front of goal, as a top-four position is potentially clinched.
Ekitike is Liverpool’s new hero
In a transfer window that saw Alexander Isak join for a club-record fee, many would have been expecting the expensive Swede to steal the show as Liverpool’s main marksman.
Injury issues have stopped him in his tracks, which has led to Hugo Ekitike transforming into the Reds’ new hero up top, as an early goal against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men bumped his Premier League goal tally for Liverpool up to 11 strikes.
Two assists also came his way, as the Frenchman continues to stick out as Liverpool’s most dangerous focal point in attack.
Mac Allister has life left in his legs
Alexis Mac Allister’s worrying decline at Liverpool would have been a sore topic for many to address at Anfield, once upon a time.
Thankfully, recent matches have seen the Argentine get back to his barnstorming best through the middle, with back-to-back goals now falling into his lap after he scored a delightful first-half effort on Saturday.
Liverpool could still look to target some midfield reinforcements in the summer, but the 27-year-old – who was once on thin ice as a consistent starter under Slot – will surely fancy his chances of remaining put in his manager’s starting plans, regardless of what signings are made down the line.
Salah struggled again, however – time for a change?
During the midst of his Anfield peak, going ten straight games without a goal would have been deemed a tall tale for a player of Mohamed Salah’s explosive ability.
Yet, that’s the current predicament that the ageing Egyptian finds himself wrestling with, as two chances went begging against the Hammers.
Mohamed Salah: Current Drought vs. Peak Performance:
| Stat | Last ten PL games | 2024/25 Season |
| Goals | 0 | 29 |
| Assists | 4 | 18 |
| Goal involvements | 4 | 47 |
| Goals per game | 0.00 | 0.76 |
| G/A per game | 0.40 | 1.24 |
| Shots on target | 5 | 74 |
| Big chances created | 4 | 24 |
He is nowhere near the heights expected of him, with Rio Nguhoma waiting in the wings to replace him down the right channel, as Liverpool begin to think of a reality post-Salah.
Frimpong to start against Wolves?
Salah could well drop out for Liverpool’s Tuesday night affair against Wolverhampton Wanderers, subsequently, as the games continue to come thick and fast.
Alongside Salah, Joe Gomez could also find his right-back spot is taken back up by Jeremie Frimpong, who excelled during a late cameo against West Ham.
Fighting back from injury, Frimpong was far more direct and energetic than Gomez was, just from a short cameo, with a deflected cross from the ex-Bayer Leverkusen man even beating a hapless Mads Hermansen late on.
Could it be time to reinstate the injury-prone full-back to the starting XI?
Slot could well err on the side of caution here, but he looked more than ready for a starting berth, based on the exuberance shown on Saturday.
