Arne Slot prediction comes true as Liverpool panic short-lived - 5 talking points vs West Ham
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This is what we spotted at Anfield.Liverpool's players celebrate Hugo Ekitike's opener against West Ham.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)ANFIELD, LIVERPOOL // Liverpool scored five goals without looking particularly convincing against West Ham, giving itself a major boost in the race for the Champions League spots.Hugo Ekitike and Virgil van Dijk put Liverpool in a commanding position in the first half, with the Reds performing at a much greater intensity than last weekend at Nottingham Forest. Led by Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool was much stronger from the off, and earned itself an advantage that it wasn't going to squander.There were moments of fortune when Liverpool switched off — Alisson Becker and Ryan Gravenberch were both guilty of that — but Arne Slot would equally be quick to note the impact that set-pieces made.Virgil van Dijk made it 2-0 to Liverpool in the first half.
(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)Liverpool's first came after a dead ball, while the second was directly as a result of Szoboszlai swinging in a dangerous cross from a corner and the third from Salah's cross.Since the turn of the year, no Premier League team has scored more from set-pieces than Liverpool. That is exactly how it played out here, with the overall performance from Liverpool still needing work.Joe Gomez proves his worthAt right-back, Arne Slot has Jeremie Frimpong back available — albeit only available off the bench here — and he has tried the likes of Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones there.
When fit, he is as good a solution as any.Joe Gomez jokes with some teammates during a Liverpool training session.(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)Clinical Liverpool in strange gameWithout the injured Florian Wirtz, Liverpool looked completely devoid of anything remotely like creativity against Nottingham Forest last weekend. In future, the Reds might need to ensure they have a similar lead.Liverpool head coach Arne Slot will be looking to guide Liverpool into the top four(Image: 2026 Simon Stacpoole/Offside)Champions League boostWith Chelsea playing a tricky-looking game against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday and Manchester United facing the rare prospect of playing twice in a week, the next couple of games are a chance to make up some ground.Liverpool knew that there was no margin for error.