Liverpool 5-1 West Ham Player Ratings as Jota and Gakpo shine for the Reds

Liverpool thrashed West Ham 5-1 in the EFL Cup third round, with Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo wreaking havoc on the Hammers by scoring a double apiece.

The Reds found themselves trailing behind after an unfortunate own goal from Jarell Quansah, but they responded quickly with an equaliser from Jota, who capitalised on Federico Chiesa’s ball to head into the nets. 

The Portuguese attacker scored his second of the night, slotting home a precise through ball from Curtis Jones. The game turned into a rout when Mohamed Salah wasted no time by scoring the Reds’ third off the bench before Gakpo scored a double past the Hammers’ hapless defence.

Despite the blip against Nottingham Forest, Arne Slot’s men have responded strongly with back-to-back emphatic wins. Meanwhile, Lopetegui finds himself in deep waters after a lacklustre start to his managerial spell with the Hammers.

Liverpool Player Ratings vs West Ham

Goalkeeper

Caoimhin Kelleher: 6/10 – Had nothing to do with Quansah’s own goal but made a couple of fine saves in the second half.

Defenders

Kostas Tsimikas: 6/10 – Looked a little shaky on a couple of occasions but had an impressive game overall. Won a match-high 7 duels and 3 tackles.

Jarell Quansah: 7/10 The own goal aside – which was completely unfortunate, Quansah produced a brilliant display. Composed and unbreachable in the backline. Had the most touches in the game in addition to 97% pass accuracy and completed seven long balls.

Joe Gomez: 7/10 – A calm presence in the defence and his passing was at his usual best. Won two duels.

Conor Bradley:  7/10 – Bradley put in a top-quality performance, showing he can be the heir to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s throne. Had a passing accuracy of 90, created two chances and made two passes into the final third.

Midfielders

Wataru Endo: 7/10 – The Japanese defensive midfielder seized his opportunity once again, showing his unmatched class. Made a game-high seven recoveries and clocked a pass success percentage of 94 with three passes into the final third.

Curtis Jones: 7/10 – Looked a little rusty at the start but massively grew into the game. Set up Jota’s second strike after initiating an impressive run from the deep. Created a big chance and delivered six passes into the final third

Federico Chiesa:  5/10 – Couldn’t make a big impact and a quiet display in his first start in the Reds shirt. Created two chances and was subbed off at the hour mark 

Attackers

Diogo Jota: 9/10 – A top-class performance from the Portuguese striker. Showed his deadly penalty-box instincts with a brilliant double. Nodded in a smart header for the first and precise finish to the bottom right corner for the second.

Cody Gakpo: 9/10 – The Dutch attacker continues to impress as he delivered yet another stellar display. Scored a double of the highest order and his ball-carrying skills created all sorts of problems for the Hammers’ defence. Has been on fiery form since the Euros and it looks like he can’t be stopped at the moment.

Darwin Nunez: A placid display from the Uruguayan attacker, who failed to build on his productive cameo against Bournemouth. Failed to register a shot on target but set up Gakpo’s strike.

Substitutes

Mohamed Salah: 7/10 – Made an instant impact by slotting home a fine finish.

Alexis Mac Allister: 6/10 – Came close to assisting Jones with a brilliant through ball.

Andrew Robertson: N/A

Tyler Morton: N/A

Manager

Arne Slot: 8/10 – Heavily rotated the side for a tough fixture but extracted a much-desired result. His attacking and direct style of play remained intact.

Also Read: Arsenal vs Bolton Player Ratings as the Gunners run riot in a 5-1 win with Ethan Nwaneri grabbing a brace

West Ham Player Ratings vs Liverpool

Goalkeeper

Lukasz Fabianski: 3/10 – Made one or two odd saves but was completely left high and dry by his defenders.

Defenders

Aaron Cresswell: 5/10: Put in a decent shift compared to the rest of the defenders. Always tried to make things happen. Delivered six crosses, made four clearances and won a tackle

Max Kilman: 3/10: A dismal performance from Kilman. Had a great chance to score in the second half but botched up his effort. Couldn’t do anything when the Reds made a mockery of the Hammers’ defence.

Jean Clair Todibo:  3/10: Was a little lively at the start but his evening spiralled into a catastrophe towards the end. Was ball watching for the fourth goal and Gakpo’s final strike took a deflection off Todibo’s legs

Vladimir Coufal: 4/10: Always one step behind Gakpo and was also inept on the attacking front.

Midfielders

Carlos Soler: 4/10 – the Spaniard became vibrant in the latter stages but to no effect. Forced a fine save from Kelleher.

Edson Alvarez: 4/10 – Was a little late to track Jones before he slotted in a through ball for Jota’s second. A sub-standard performance from the Mexican.

Tomas Soucek: 4/10 – A lacklustre display from the Czech midfielder. Offered less in both attack and the defence. Got rightfully replaced by Lucas Paqueta in the second half.

Attackers

Crysencio Summerville:  4/10 – Made a heavy first touch when he was through on goal early on the game. The Reds proved too much for Summerville as his efforts to progress the ball were always curbed.

Jarrod Bowen: 4/10 – Initially looked good with his efforts off the ball but slowly faded as the game progressed.

Danny Ings: 3/10 – Danny Ings hardly made his presence felt. A pathetic performance where he made just four touches. He was put out of his misery after Michail Antonio replaced him.

Substitutes

Lucas Paqueta: N/A

Michail Antonio: N/A

Andy Irving: N/A

Mohammed Kudus: N/A

Manager

Julen Lopetegui: 3/10 – Already on the firing line, the Spaniard’s woes have deepened after another miserable result. His defensive tactics worked till a point but the Hammers relapsed when the game turned into an onslaught by the Reds.

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