**Liverpool comfortably saw off a relegation-threatened West Ham.**
Hugo Ekitike put the Premier League champions ahead inside the opening five minutes by unleashing a half-volley inside The Kop’s penalty area.
The Reds extended their lead midway through the first half courtesy of Virgil van Dijk’s converting from a Cody Gakpo corner on the right-hand side.
Alexis Mac Allister rounded off a comprehensive opening 45 minutes for the hosts when he struck Ekitike’s cushioned header into the roof of the net.
The visitors started the second half by clawing back the deficit when Tomas Soucek was allowed to slot home El Hadji Malick Diouf’s cutback unmarked.
Gakpo restored the previous three-goal cushion with a strike which was deflected off Aaron Wan-Bissaka to wrongfoot goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.
The Hammers cut that lead back again just a matter of minutes later through Taty Castellanos’ comfortable header at the far post from a corner.
But substitute Jeremie Frimpong eased any potential late nerves as he netted Liverpool’s fifth goal of the afternoon following a deflection off Axel Diasi.
Arne Slot’s side drew level on points with Manchester United in the race for a Champions League ahead of their North West rivals facing Crystal Palace.
_Here were the key talking points from Anfield:_
Set pieces salvage Reds’ season
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Earlier this season, the art of set pieces appeared to have pass Liverpool by.
In attack as much as defence, the Premier League champions struggled to get to grips with what was fast becoming a favoured tactic in the top flight.
Such was the dire straits that set piece coach Aaron Briggs paid with his job.
Arne Slot has [refused to apportion blame to his former colleague](https://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liverpool-fc/62632-arne-slot-breaks-silence-on-liverpool-set-piece-coach-exit/) for the malaise when publicly broaching the subject on several occasions since.
But Briggs’ departure was key in the Reds’ transformation from one of the league’s worst set-piece teams this season into currently its most proficient.
All three first-half efforts stemming from corners ensured that their last seven Premier League goals had all been scored in non-penalty set piece scenarios.
Overall, Slot’s side have now racked up nine from that approach since the start of 2026 – more than any other league rival – and 11 in all competitions.
It might prove to be the one thing which has salvaged Liverpool’s season.
Timing really is everything
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Plenty has been made of another area where Liverpool lacked this term.
A penchant for late goals remained a constant theme during a campaign which continues to lurch between extremes for Slot’s fallen champions.
Even the Dutchman, after the defeat to Manchester City earlier this month, was at a loss as to why, for good as well as ill, they were drawn to the drama.
West Ham’s relegation peril risked lulling them into a false sense of security with the majority of their league goals arriving in the first half of games.
Any fears that Liverpool would be caught cold, however, were dismissed as they came flying out the traps to turn back the clock to last season’s vintage.
They headed in at the interval three goals to the good in a Premier League fixture for the first time since clinching the title against Tottenham last April.
It served them well, especially with Nuno Esprito Santo’s strugglers belatedly baring their teeth in the second half to set up a chaotic end-to-end encounter.
Comfortable afternoons have become something of a rarity at Anfield but as this result proved, fast starts remain key to setting the tone for its hosts.
‘Are you watching, Manchester?’
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In good times and bad this season, Kopites have dusted off a terrace classic.
‘Bring on the champions’ continues to reverberate across Anfield as their team enjoys its reign over English football, if only for a few more weeks.
But it might be time to wheel out another fan favourite for the season run-in.
Manchester United currently stand between Liverpool and what is still, until confirmed otherwise, the season’s final Champions League qualification spot.
The balance of power remains at Old Trafford, where a game in hand and fractionally superior goal difference keeps them clear of their arch-rivals.
Yet the Red Devils’ upcoming fixtures, with formidable opponents Newcastle and Aston Villa on the horizon, will ramp up the pressure on their top four bid.
Nearest challengers Chelsea, too, face the pair in addition to Sunday’s trip to Arsenal and tricky Champions League knockout tie with Paris Saint-Germain.
‘Are you watching, Manchester?’ may not be chanted with the same gusto but Liverpool’s message is abundantly clear as the race goes down to the wire.