Curtis Jones’ double and strikes from Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah eased Liverpool into a record 19th League Cup semi-final with a 5-1 win over West Ham.
The Reds will face Fulham in the two-legged semi-finals of the competition to be played on January 8 and 22nd, 2024.
After Sunday’s disappointing goalless draw against Manchester United, the first time Jurgen Klopp’s side had failed to win at home this season, ended a run of 34 successive matches with a goal the Hammers provided less stubborn resistance.
West Ham manager David Moyes departed after a 21st unsuccessful attempt to win at Anfield as his club’s woeful record at the ground extended to one win in the last 56.
Both teams made six changes from the weekend; Liverpool left Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench with Alisson Becker rested completely while West Ham changed three of Sunday’s back four.
But their defence was not necessarily as much of an issue as their midfield which was bypassed with alarming ease and regularity.
Harvey Elliott, deputising for Salah on the right wing, was the player most adept at finding space in between the lines and even against the Hammers’ five-man midfield Liverpool were still able to find the gaps easily to pick him out.
As a result, the 20-year-old had a couple of early attempts and with their pressing game back on point, with Gakpo preferred as the central forward and Darwin Nunez pushed out to the left, the hosts dominated.
Young centre-back Jarell Quansah’s positivity in winning a 50-50 with Said Benrahma as West Ham threatened a two-on-two on the counter-attack led to the opener.
? Another stunner from the @LFC midfielder in this competition!#EFL | #CarabaoCup
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) December 20, 2023
None of Szoboszlai’s previous three goals were straightforward – two from distance and one a neat control and whip over the goalkeeper – but his 28th-minute 25-yard strike was the purest of the lot.
The ball barely rotated as it flew through the air no more than a yard off the ground to nestle in the side-netting inside Alphonse Areola’s right-hand post.
After a month of indifferent performances, the Hungary captain looked to be rediscovering the form which lit up the early weeks of his Anfield career, although West Ham’s passivity made life a lot easier for him and the rest of his team-mates.
? Salah on the scoresheet!#EFL | #CarabaoCup
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) December 20, 2023
Gakpo planted a header wide and Nunez forced a good save either side of half-time before Jones latched onto a give-and-go with the Uruguay international and, with no other option, threaded the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs from the narrowest of angles for Liverpool’s 500th goal in all iterations of the competition.
Any doubt over the result was extinguished by Gakpo after he fired low inside Areola’s right-hand post from the edge of the area following substitute Ibrahima Konate’s charge forward and Jarrod Bowen’s curling effort around Caoimhin Kelleher was merely a consolation on his 27th birthday.
Salah netted a breakaway goal from Alexander-Arnold’s pass and Jones capped a fine night with his second after dancing through the defence.
By Carl Markham, PA
