Liverpool vs West Ham LIVE: Carabao Cup result and final score after Curtis Jones doubles up in thrashing
Liverpool 5-1 West Ham: The Reds found their clinical touch and thrashed the Hammers after goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and a brilliant double from Jones
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Liverpool cruised into the Carabao Cup semi-finals as the nine-time winners thrashed toothless West Ham 5-1 at Anfield.
The Reds were much improved from their blunt display in Sunday’s stalemate with Manchester United and dominated throughout, with goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and a brilliant double from Curtis Jones.
West Ham boss David Moyes belatedly brought on Lucas Paqueta and James Ward-Prowse with his side three goals down and Jarrod Bowen pulled one back with the visitors’ first shot on target.
But Salah came off the bench to deny any hopes of an unlikely comeback before Jones added his second after a wonderful run and finish. Jurgen Klopp’s side now join Chelsea, Fulham and Middlesbrough in the semi-finals as the Reds await the results of the Carabao Cup draw.
Follow all the live updates from Anfield in the blog below and get the latest odds and tips here.
Pep Lijnders on playing West Ham
As part of his pre-match press conference, Liverpool’s assistant coach spoke about West Ham’s strengths and what he is expecting from tonight’s match.
“It is like this, you need to earn the right to progress, and West Ham are a team who beat Arsenal, who are already in the knockout stages of the Europa League – the same as us.” he said,
“I feel they are more collective with Kudus, Bowen and Paqueta up top. They have a lot of technique there, really class.
“They can create from deep, they can create high, individual qualities are good and they still can mix it up, long balls to Soucek and then really compete from there. The right side [has] real combinations with Kudus coming inside – they are good at that.
“And what I feel, they are more aggressive than they were before, so big compliment to the coach, of course, because he’s doing a really good job I think, because they are more aggressive as well in their pressing.
“When they feel good in games, they go higher and with more aggression. So, we will need to be spot on, we will need to respect this and then put our game into place, have to try to push them back and all these things. But yeah, let’s see.”
Jurgen Klopp addresses draw with Manchester United
Liverpool’s last match was a 0-0 draw against Manchester United in the Premier League and the result saw them slip beneath Arsenal in the table.
The Reds’ boss Jurgen Klopp says he is taking positives from the results but acknowledges that there is an expectation for Liverpool to win.
In the programme notes for tonight’s match he wrote: “The world that we live in is one in which clubs like ourselves have to win every game – this is not a complaint, it is just a reality – so even when we do not beat a team like Manchester United the reaction outside is that it is a setback. Although I know this world and I respect it, as manager it is not one that I can be part of.
“This is why I have spoken about the positives when others wanted to find negatives. I also do the reverse when we are being praised for a result. This is the truth of football. There has to be balance in what you see and how you view it. If everything you think is defined only by the outcome, it would not make too much sense.
“So I was definitely able to see the good parts of our performance against United. It was not perfect, of course. Our finishing was not what we would like and there were also times when our decision-making could and should have been better. But so many other of the indicators that I look for from my team were positive.”
Liverpool’s ‘crazy’ numbers show vital piece missing for title challenge
Another game against Manchester United, another record. After Liverpool’s biggest win against historic rivals came the Premier League match where they compiled the most shots without scoring. Some 34 brought frustration but no celebrations, a first game without a goal in eight months and the kind of words from Jurgen Klopp that implied Liverpool were more dangerous than in March’s 7-0 demolition.
“I can’t remember this kind of dominance against Manchester United,” he said. Arguably, Liverpool were superior in the 2018 win that finished off Jose Mourinho, and not merely because they had 36 shots that day. They had a mere 18 in the 7-0, though shot count is far from the only measure of excellence. Perhaps the most emphatic of all was when they went 5-0 up in 50 minutes at Old Trafford in October 2021. But while Klopp touted Liverpool’s best counter-press with this team, it came in a stalemate.
“We tried everything and the numbers we created - in terms of shots - is crazy,” Klopp reflected. “But with that amount of shots they should be a few more on target. Today was easy saves for [Andre] Onana pretty much because the ball rolls into his arms.”
Liverpool’s ‘crazy’ numbers show vital piece missing for title challenge
The Reds were held to a goalless draw by United at Anfield, despite a record amount of shots at Andre Onana’s goal, with Klopp’s midfield still developing
Liverpool vs West Ham
Liverpool won their first League Cup in 1981 after a replay against the Hammers. They are aiming to reach their 14th final and claim a 10th success in this competition.
West Ham confident about reaching semi-finals
West Ham assistant manager Billy McKinlay is confident the Irons have what it takes to progress to the semi-finals of the competition for the first time in a decade.
"Success and winning gives you a couple of things - it makes you hungry for more and it gives you a feeling that you’re capable of doing it and being successful and winning things," McKinlay said.
"I think that’s been the case for our good run in the Europa League and we’ve done the business there. We’re in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup so we’re in a good place at the moment, we’re hungry and looking to improve on that."
Lijnders on Carabao Cup
Liverpool assistant boss Pep Lijnders spoke to the media on Tuesday instead of Jurgen Klopp and explained how Liverpool view the Carabao Cup.
“It is an interesting competition because if you want to be successful in all four, if you want to at least compete in all four, you need a full squad available and you need everybody on their toes every day and everybody wants to play and everybody wants to compete.” he said, “That's the main thing.
“I feel really happy about these last weeks because you see that you need the full squad to win football games if the calendar becomes something like this – and that's something we did, so I am really proud of that.
“It shows how the subs came in, it shows how the mentality of the boys [was] to create really a difference, and that's something you need.
“That's why I like this competition a lot as well because it gives some players an opportunity, it gives young players an opportunity and at the same time you play early finals and everybody knows Liverpool Football Club is here to reach finals, to play in the finals at least.”
Jose Mourinho explains why Mohamed Salah left Chelsea
Jose Mourinho has washed his hands of Mohamed Salah’s controversial departure from Chelsea and claims that he deserves credit for bringing the Egyptian to Stamford Bridge in the first place.
Salah joined Chelsea from Swiss side FC Basel as a 21-year-old in January 2014 but made just 19 appearances – scoring two goals – in two-and-a-half years with the Blues. During that period he enjoyed hugely successful loan spells with Fiorentina and Roma.
He was then sold permanently to Roma for just €15m in the summer of 2016, where he shone for another season before returning to the Premier League with Liverpool for a club-record fee of £36.5m.
Jose Mourinho explains why Mohamed Salah left Chelsea
Salah’s departure from Stamford Bridge in 2016 was controversial, given that he has gone on to become one of the greatest Premier League players of all time
Liverpool vs West Ham
The Carabao Cup semi-final draw will take place on Wednesday 20 December following the conclusion of Liverpool vs West Ham United. It is expected to start around 10pm GMT though could be later due to the nature of the quarter-final.
When will the semi-final fixtures take place?
The first legs will take place on the week commencing 8th January.
The second legs will take place on the week commencing 21st January.
When is the Carabao Cup final?
The league cup final will take place on Sunday 25 February 2024 at Wembley.
Liverpool vs West Ham LIVE: Latest Carabao Cup latest updates
Liverpool assistant boss Pep Lijnders faced the media on Tuesday instead of Jurgen Klopp and backed Reds striker Darwin Nunez.
The 24-year-old Uruguay forward, signed from Benfica in 2022 and scorer of 15 goals in all competitions for the Reds in the last campaign, has seven so far this term.
Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United made it 10 club appearances without netting, his last Liverpool goal coming in the 2-1 Carabao Cup fourth-round win at Bournemouth in early November, but Lijnders says Nunez should not be judged on goals alone.
Lijnders said: “I think Darwin is full of desire, you see this in each game, and if we would only judge players on the goals that would be so unfair, because in our way, always when we reach our targets or really were there to compete, it was always about the collective.
“I feel there is a good connection between Mo (Salah) and Darwin, the way they see each other, assist each other, and I feel above everything that Darwin is playing a much better season than last year, the way how he defends for the team, goes, chases back, his counter press as well. He helps us a lot when we are deep and we can play with him as a reference.
“It’s a long time we play with a false nine, and now its Darwin Nunez. He is learning but I like a lot, and I think this guy is full of fire. That’s what our stadium likes and that’s what we need as well, to lead the line in this way. He can only become better.
“It’s always with goals, if you create a lot, the goals will come naturally. We are creating and sometimes you have to be a little bit lucky. He feels our trust, that’s the thing we can give him.”
Liverpool vs West Ham LIVE: Latest Carabao Cup latest updates
David Moyes’s side stunned Premier League leaders Arsenal in the fifth round to leave Liverpool as the highest-ranked side left standing in the final eight.
The Reds, who defeated Bournemouth in the previous round and are looking to win the Carabao Cup for a record-extending 10th time, will look to get back to winning ways after being held to a goalless draw by Manchester United on Sunday.
West Ham have lost their last seven trips to Anfield, including a 3-1 Premier League defeat earlier this season, but the Hammers have shown strong cup form over the past couple of seasons as they look to add to their Europa Conference League victory.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Is Liverpool vs West Ham on TV? Channel, time and how to watch
The Carabao Cup semi-final draw will follow the match at Anfield
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