EPL: Liverpool Dominate West Ham 5-0 to Close Out 2024 in Style

Liverpool dominated West Ham United 5-0 to stretch their unbeaten run to 23 matches and establish an eight-point Premier League lead.

The visiting team launched a barrage of attacks, forcing Alphonse Areola to produce a string of impressive saves within the opening exchanges. Areola denied Mohamed Salah, Curtis Jones, and Luis Díaz in quick succession, showcasing his exceptional reflexes and shot-stopping ability.

West Ham United's resilience was eventually breached on the 30-minute mark, albeit in somewhat fortunate circumstances. Vladimír Coufal's interception of a Díaz through ball inadvertently deflected the ball back into the path of the Colombian winger. Díaz seized the opportunity, calmly slotting the ball past Areola at the near post to give his team the lead.

Liverpool capped off 2024 in style, thrashing West Ham United 5-0 at the London Stadium to strengthen their grip on the Premier League summit. This resounding victory extended the Reds' unbeaten streak across all competitions to 23 matches.

The hosts, West Ham, had been riding a four-match unbeaten run under Julen Lopetegui, their best spell under the Spanish manager. However, it quickly became apparent that they were no match for Liverpool's might, as the visitors dominated proceedings from the outset.

The only glimmer of hope for the West Ham faithful after a one-sided opening period was Liverpool's recent vulnerability in away Premier League matches, having conceded at least two goals in each of their last four outings. The hosts nearly capitalized on this weakness when Mohammed Kudus unleashed a powerful long-range shot, only to be denied by the base of the post after Joe Gomez had been forced off injured.

In characteristic ruthless fashion, Liverpool swiftly transitioned from defense to offense and doubled their advantage. Mohamed Salah was the catalyst, showcasing his exceptional skill by turning past Konstantinos Mavropanos before delivering a precise pass to Cody Gakpo, having cleverly nutmegged Max Kilman in the process. Gakpo seized the opportunity, scoring for the second consecutive game to further extend Liverpool's lead.

Mohamed Salah capped off an outstanding first-half display by scoring in the 44th minute, beating Alphonse Areola at his near post to bring his seasonal tally to 20 goals across all competitions. This strike marked the eighth occasion this term that Salah has scored and assisted in the same Premier League match, setting a new competition record. The goal served as a ominous warning to West Ham, given Liverpool's penchant for scoring multiple goals after halftime, having achieved this feat in six of their previous eight league outings.

Salah continued to threaten after the restart, finding himself one-on-one with Areola within two minutes of the second half. However, the West Ham goalkeeper stood firm, denying the Egyptian a second goal. Areola was unable to prevent Liverpool's next goal, though, as Trent Alexander-Arnold unleashed a long-range strike that took a wicked deflection off Max Kilman before finding the back of the net.

Arne Slot had the luxury of substituting key players like Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo, with an eye on Liverpool's upcoming clash against Manchester United. The replacements, however, were of exceptional quality, and Diogo Jota soon made his presence felt. Initially, Jota was denied Liverpool's fifth goal by Alphonse Areola's smart save, but he eventually broke through in the 84th minute, beating the French goalkeeper to add further sheen to Liverpool's dominant display.

The victory marked Liverpool's 15th win in their last 19 head-to-head meetings with West Ham, serving as the perfect tune-up for their highly anticipated showdown with Manchester United next week. In contrast, West Ham will aim to swiftly bounce back from their second defeat in seven home matches, seeking to regain momentum after a humbling loss.