Game is over and the final score is West Ham 0-5 Liverpool. Here is the match report.
Eredivisie 2024/2025
0-5
Match report
Yet we leave 2024 with Klopp's old team in incredible form, better than any of us could have imagined when Klopp dropped the bomb that he was out of power.
Liverpool now enter 2025 with a lot of swagger. They are eight points clear at the top of the Premier League and are in danger of causing an upset in the second half of the season.
Yes, the big problem for Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and even second-placed Nottingham Forest is that this team under Arne Slot is only just starting to move through the gears and they are getting better and more threatening by the week.
Liverpool picked apart a weak West Ham at the London Stadium and could have taken seven or eight if they really wanted to.
Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and substitute Diogo Jota scored the goals against Julen Lopetegui's poor team.
After a run of four games without defeat, Lopetegui has some credit and you can't judge any team against the current Liverpool side who are currently the best in the country by some distance.
Two of Liverpool's goalscorers played their final games before being free to talk to clubs abroad from January 1.
Salah struck for the 17th time in the Premier League this season, while also providing a pair of assists to take his tally to 13. Alexander-Arnold grabbed his first goal of the season against out-of-contract trio Virgil van Dijk and he won't have many easier games than this at the back this season.
Lukasz Fabianski's injury saw goalkeeper Alphonese Areola make his first start since being dropped in October and threaten to put on a one-man super show to defy the leaders.
But after he was eventually beaten by the in-form Diaz, who seems to relish playing in his more central foul position, things went terribly wrong for Areola and the rest of his team, who could desperately use a new central striker who would arrive the following month as a second-half substitute. Niclas Fullkrug doesn't seem to be the answer.
Liverpool, who lost the injured Joe Gomez before half-time, now face Manchester United on Sunday and that is certainly a match they will not be afraid of.
Yet no one scares Slot's team, not in England, not in Europe, as they are also leading the Champions League.
Initially, Liverpool missed a few chances today. You would have put a fair amount on Salah to score from close range, but he fired a shot too close to Areola, although it was still a decent save.
The Egyptian then made a brilliant pass to create a chance for Curtis Jones, but he too could not get past Areola, who then produced his best save of the half to push Luis Diaz's effort over.
But in the end, Diaz got the goal Liverpool had threatened and after that it all became a bit obvious.
The Colombian tried to slide the ball towards Jones, but the pass came from Vladimir Coufal and bounced back into Diaz's path.
Areola couldn't get close to a drilled shot in the corner.
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, who was barely bothered all match, was saved by his left post as Mohammed Kudus came agonizingly close to an equalizer and from there it was all downhill for West Ham.
Diaz delivered a sublime first touch for Salah, skilfully getting past Dinos Mavropanos but losing control of the ball and the ball bobbled towards Gakpo who had a simple tap-in.
Things only got worse for the locals before half-time, some of whom decided to go home when Areola failed to keep out a shot from Salah. It all started when Carlos Soler was robbed of the ball by Alexis Mac Allister.
Alexander-Arnold, whose previous goal came at Fulham in April, scored with a strike, while Ryan Gravenberch provided the assist, although the 25-yard drive took a heavy deflection off Max Kilman.
With six minutes to go, Salah led a counter-attack and the West Ham defense could not get near him before rolling the ball to Jota, who had replaced the impressive Gakpo, and Areola could only get one hand on the shot.
Competition events
0' The match is about to start!
6' WEST HAM UNITED almost scored after a mistake by Andy Roberston!
7' MO SALAH almost scored, what an opportunity!
8' CODY GAKPO misses a big chance!
16' Another good save from Areola, block from Jones after a good pass from Salah
23' What a current block from Areola!
30' LUIS DIAZ buries the ball in the bottom left corner!!! West Ham 0-1 Liverpool
35' Kudus hits the inside of the post from a distance
37' After Konaté, Joe Gomez is also injured
38' MOHAMMED KUDUS hits the post!
40' CODY GAKPO PLACES IT IN!! West Ham 0-2 Liverpool
44' O SALAH ALWAYS SCORES! 20 goals for the season now! West Ham 0-3 Liverpool
47' MO SALAH misses the chance to make it 4-0!
50' Salah makes another fantastic save from Areola
54' TRENT ALEXANDER ARNOLD WITH A WORLD CLASS GOAL! West Ham 0-4 Liverpool
57' Endo and Jota for Gravenberch and Gakpo
60' Summerville on for Bowen for West Ham
61' Salah misses the chance again
66' Salah curls narrowly wide as West Ham want a penalty for Quansah at Summerville
71' Areola with another strong save, this time to deny Jota
76' KUDUS hits the crossbar!
76' Salah is close to another goal again, but this time he hits too high
82' Highlight of West Ham vs Liverpool
Setups
West Ham XI: Areola, Vladimír Coufal, Emerson, Bowen, Soler, Mavropanos, Paqueta, Alvarez, Wan-Bissaka, Kilman, Mohammed Kudus
Subs: Cresswell, Ings, Wes Foderingham, Füllkrug, Andy Irving, Todibo, Crysencio Summerville, Luis Guilherme, Oliver Scarles
Liverpool XI: Alisson, Salah, Van Dijk, Robertson, Joe Gomez, Alexander-Arnold, Cody Gakpo, Mac Allister, Luis Díaz, Curtis Jones, Gravenberch
Subs: W. Endo, Tsimikas, Jota, Kelleher, Darwin Núñez, Elliott, Jarell Quansah, James McConnell, Jayden Danns
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