Liverpool punish West Ham with set-piece blitz to move fifth in table

Liverpool moved up to fifth in the Premier League after punishing West Ham with a devastating set-piece display in a chaotic 5-2 victory at Anfield.

Arne Slot’s side produced a clinical first-half performance to dismantle their relegation-threatened opponents.

Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister all scored from corners before the break to expose the visitors’ glaring defensive frailties.

Reds ruthless from dead-ball situations

It was a brutal examination of West Ham’s setup, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s men having now conceded a league-high 15 goals from corners this season.

Ekitike opened the scoring inside five minutes before the Liverpool captain and Mac Allister struck to put the game largely beyond reach by half-time.

Goalkeeper Mads Hermansen was left helpless as the Merseysiders consistently won the aerial duels to take a commanding lead.

Tomas Soucek offered a glimmer of hope for the Londoners early in the second half, finishing a counter-attack to reduce the deficit.

Defensive woes continue for Hammers

Cody Gakpo restored the three-goal cushion in the 70th minute, making immediate amends for a clear opportunity missed moments earlier.

Valentin Castellanos pulled another back for the Hammers to make it 4-2, finding space at the back post from a corner to highlight Liverpool’s own occasional defensive lapses.

However, an own goal from Axel Disasi, forced by pressure from Jeremie Frimpong, capped a miserable afternoon for the visitors.

The result sees the Reds displace Chelsea in the European places, while West Ham remain in a precarious position near the foot of the table.