Arne Slot sees his Liverpool point proven as Reds dramatically transform West Ham clash

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And, for more than one reason, Liverpool must now heed the lessons of a strange afternoon at Anfield if they are to maintain their challenge for Champions League qualification.What could have been a difficult encounter was transformed by the Reds once again addressing the failing their head coach believes had been holding them back during much of the dark autumn days of their Premier League title defence.And it allowed Slot’s side to further crank up the pressure on Manchester United, Chelsea and a faltering Aston Villa in the battle for a top-four finish that would guarantee a place at Europe’s top table is retained.The scoreline suggests a rare comfortable victory but this was not a vintage Liverpool display. Far from it.But that the result was never really in doubt was a consequence of the Reds’ growing ability to profit from set-pieces, a shortcoming that had previously driven Slot to distraction as his team lurched from one disappointment to the next.Having been the joint-worst at scoring from dead balls in the Premier League at the turn of the year, now no team has had more joy this calendar year from such situations than the Reds.The three they netted before half-time succeeded in keeping an at times dangerous West Ham United at arm’s length throughout, the spirited display of the visitors belying their lowly position in the table.It helped that the first from Hugo Ekitike came after just five minutes, sparing Anfield another slog of the home team, missing the creativity of injured Florian Wirtz, labouring to break down a packed rearguard.That’s not to say nerves weren’t occasionally frayed by a twitchy home crowd.

And having merited more reward so often earlier in the season, now the balance is perhaps being corrected for Liverpool.It compelled Slot to hand more minutes to teenagers Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni, both of whom could have scored during their respective late cameos.The Reds boss had challenged his forwards to rediscover their scoring touch amid focus on Mohamed Salah’s barren run in the Premier League.And while the Egyptian’s goal drought in the competition has now stretched to 10 games, his fellow forwards both delivered, Ekitike his first in five games while Gakpo scored for only the third time since netting in the 2-0 win at West Ham at the end of November.There was also the positive of Joe Gomez coming through 77 minutes after becoming the latest to answer the call at right-back, while Jeremie Frimpong’s return to action following a month out saw him maintain his knack of being a threat in the opposing area.If last weekend’s dismal first half showing at Forest was typical of Liverpool’s propensity to start games slowly, they were swiftly out of the blocks here. And that early intent led to only the second goal the Reds had scored inside the opening half-hour of a Premier League game since September.It owed much to the persistence of Ryan Gravenberch who, after Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner had been cleared, returned the ball on the second attempt into the path of Ekitike whose early finish was helped in off Konstantinos Mavropanos.Rather than settle Liverpool, however, the opener instead galvanised the visitors who were a threat on the counter as the Reds coughed up possession in midfield far too cheaply.But two more set-pieces moved the home side clear.

The first, on 24 minutes, was a routine affair with Virgil van Dijk showing good strength to hold his ground and glance in another Szoboszlai delivery inside the six-yard box.The second, two minutes before the interval, saw Salah’s deep delivery hooked back into the danger zone by Ekitike for Mac Allister to thrash in a fine volley from 15 yards.If the scoreline greatly flattered Liverpool, the sense of unease around Anfield was reawakened by the Hammers pulling a goal back four minutes after the interval when Tomas Soucek ghosted in unmarked to convert El Hadji Malick Diouf’s driven low cross after the Reds failed to clear properly.It helped that West Ham were largely more bark than bite, and Gakpo, who had earlier missed a sitter, made the game safe when his shot deflected in off Aaron Wan-Bissaka with 20 minutes remaining.Taty Castellanos pulled one back when heading in a corner at the far post and the Hammers finished the scoring on 82 minutes, although it was an unwanted effort as Axel Disasi turned a low cross from substitute Frimpong into his own net.The first of seven defining games in 22 days, this was job done for Liverpool, a fourth straight in response to the demoralising defeat to Manchester City earlier in the month.Now, though, the challenges will only become more difficult. All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page