In an utterly one-sided affair, Liverpool steamrolled West Ham United 5-0 at the London Stadium to extend their lead atop the Premier League table heading into the new year. The Reds were electrifying from the opening whistle, carving apart a listless West Ham side that simply had no answer for the league leaders’ firepower. With the win, Arne Slot’s team will enter 2025 at least seven points clear at the summit, a position that is looking increasingly unassailable.
Salah Stars as Liverpool Run Rampant
The star of the show was undoubtedly Mohamed Salah, who tormented the Hammers’ backline all evening long with his pace, trickery and unerring finishing. The Egyptian was at the heart of nearly every Liverpool attack, playing a direct role in three of their five goals.
Salah’s impudent heel flick to nutmeg Mavropanos and set up Liverpool’s second was the epitome of a player brimming with confidence and operating at the peak of his prodigious powers.
Luis Díaz opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, pouncing on a fortuitous deflection after some slick Liverpool interplay sliced through the West Ham lines. Cody Gakpo soon doubled the advantage, with Salah at the heart of the move, bamboozling Mavropanos with a deft touch before laying it on a platter for Gakpo to stroke home.
A comedic West Ham giveaway led to the third, with Curtis Jones feeding Salah for a simple finish to effectively put the match to bed before the break. Liverpool were toying with their hosts, who looked disjointed, dispirited and utterly out of their depth.
Reds Shift to Cruise Control
The second stanza was little more than a training exercise for the purring Reds. Trent Alexander-Arnold, undeterred by rumors of a move to Real Madrid, got in on the act, lashing home a deflected effort to make it 4-0. The fullback celebrated by raising a hand to his ear, as if to silence the chatter surrounding his future.
Late on, Diogo Jota piled on the misery for David Moyes’ men, adding a fifth after some sublime dribbling from Salah that left the West Ham defense utterly mesmerized. It was a fitting capstone to a result and performance that should strike fear into the hearts of any would-be challengers to Liverpool’s crown.
Ominous Signs for the Chasing Pack
For Arne Slot and Liverpool, it was the latest emphatic statement in what is shaping up as a potential season for the ages. The Reds are not just winning – they are laying waste to opponents with a brand of football that is both ruthless and easy on the eye. Slot has quickly won over the Anfield faithful, who are daring to dream of a title procession in the months to come.
- Liverpool have taken 41 points from their first 16 matches – a Premier League record at this stage
- The Reds have scored 42 goals while conceding just 6 – both league bests
For their rapidly vanishing rivals, each Liverpool masterclass must only heighten the sense of foreboding. The Reds are ominously slick, balanced and cohesive, a team hitting its stride at precisely the right time. On current form, it is difficult to envision anyone halting their march to glory.
Slot’s Liverpool have fallen hard for their new manager, and why wouldn’t they? The future is bright – blindingly so. For the rest of the Premier League, a long winter of discontent awaits.
