Curtis Jones stepped out of the shadows as Carabao Cup specialists Liverpool moved a step closer to a record 10th triumph in the competition.
Jones scored twice as some of Jurgen Klopp’s bit-part players took centre-stage on a surprisingly one-sided night at Anfield in which passive West Ham were over-run.
Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Jones and Cody Gakpo established the 2022 winners place in the semi-finals before Jarrod Bowen’s consolation after 77 minutes with the visitor’s first shot on target.
Even then, Liverpool responded with substitute Mo Salah adding a fourth and Jones then running through the heart of the Hammers defence to complete a brilliant brace.
History favoured Liverpool despite Jurgen Klopp’s six changes included putting Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench.
Liverpool cruised into the Carabao Cup semi-finals after scoring five goals against a hapless West Ham side at Anfield
Dominik Szoboszlai made the breakthrough for the dominant hosts after crashing home a stunning effort from long range
Jurgen Klopp wildly celebrated his team’s first goal of the evening and will be targeting yet another trophy later this season
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No club has lifted the League Cup trophy more times than Liverpool’s nine and Hammers manager David Moyes had never won at Anfield in 20 previous visits with four different clubs.
Indeed, nobody had beaten Jurgen Klopp’s side on their own turf since Real Madrid did it in the Champions League in February.
The wind had dropped on Merseyside just in time for kick off. West Ham, whose victory in the Europa League last season has given them a new taste for silverware, were happy to sit in their shape early on to see what Liverpool could throw at them.
The first answer was Harvey Elliott who advanced past a couple of challenges before a 20-yard strike had Alphonse Areola worried until it curled beyond the far post at the last moment.
Elliott was again close with an arrowed shot after Curtis Jones created space by dribbling past Edson Alvarez before setting up his team-mate.
MATCH FACTS
Liverpool: Kelleher 6.5, Gomez 6, Quansah 7.5, van Dijk 7 (Konate 60 6), Tsimikas 6.5 (Bradley 69 6), Szoboszlai 7 (Salah 60 7), Endo 7 (Alexander-Arnold 60 6), Jones 8.5, Elliott 8, Gakpo 6 (Diaz 78), Nunez 6.5
Goals: Szoboszlai 28, Jones 56 & 84, Gakpo 71, Salah 82
Subs unused: Adrian (GK), Clark, Gordon, McConnell
Booked: Nunez
Manager: Jurgen Klopp 8
West Ham: Areola 6, Coufal 5.5 (Kehrer 72), Mavreapanos 5, Ogbonna 5, Johnson 6, Soucek 6, Alvarez 5 (Ings 81), Kudus 5 (Ward-Prowse 72), Benrahma 5 (Paqueta 57 6), Fornals 5, Bowen 7
Subs unused: Fabianski (GK), Cresswell, Zouma, Mubama, Emerson
Booked: Alvarez
Manager: David Moyes 5
Referee: Tim Robinson 7
Midfielder Szoboszlai took aim from outside the penalty area and flashed his unstoppable effort beyond Alphonse Areola
Curtis Jones doubled the Reds’ lead after being released down the right-hand side and slotting a neat finish at the near post
Angelo Ogbonna failed to halt Jones’ charge and the homegrown favourite then slotted the ball through Areola’s open legs
Moyes is currently playing in-form Jarrod Bowen at centre-forward. His sharpness almost saw him cut out a dangerous pass-out by Caoimhin Kelleher, the deputy for Alisson in this competition who was in goal when they last won the Carabao Cup against Chelsea in 2022.
Darwin Nunez, 10 games without a goal for his club, was put on the left with Cody Gakpo down the middle. The Uruguayan twisted a header wide from Joe Gomez’s cross after the defender had done well to retrieve a clearance by Virgil van Dijk before it crossed the touchline.
The Kop love their No9 anti-hero but there were a few groans when he was caught offside chasing a punt by Kostas Tsimikas. The assistant had to flag with no VAR used to check in case a goal is scored.
Elliott completed a hat-trick of shots before 20 minutes was played. The third was on target but the save by Areola was comfortable. The French ‘keeper was also in the right place to catch an attempted curler by Jones as Liverpool adopted what appeared a shoot-on-sight policy.
After 28 minutes, the home side had their ninth pop at Areola’s goal – and this one counted.
Some sloppy play by West Ham looking to find Bowen on the break allowed Jarell Quansah to step up and spray a pass to Szoboszlai.
Cody Gakpo scored the home side’s third goal after cutting in on the edge of the box and smashing into the bottom corner
Mohamed Salah was introduced as a second-half substitute with Liverpool cruising and calmly buried their fourth goal
There was still time for Jones to notch a fifth, and his second of the night, after capitalising on slack defending to finish
Moyes prides himself on putting out teams who close down the opposition so there would have been disgust at the lack of urgency as the Hungarian stepped up into shooting range.
Even then, Johnson didn’t rush forward to block and the midfielder had time to pick his spot from 25 yards and bury his finish in Areola’s bottom right-hand corner.
It was Szoboszlai’s fourth goal of an impressive debut season for Liverpool. Given the dynamite in his boots, Klopp will be wanting more.
As for West Ham, the bobble-hatted Moyes was probably ready to read the riot act at half-time after the surprisingly passive Londoners failed to have a shot of any type in the opening 45 minutes.
The only silver lining was they only trailed by one. It should have been two but Gakpo misdirected a header in first half injury-time after climbing well.
Nunez’s personal mission for an overdue goal saw him turn sharply and test the gloves of Areola at the start of the second half.
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Harvey Elliott came close to securing his name on the scoresheet, but saw two efforts in the first half whistle just off target
How Bowen – described by Klopp as one of his favourite players – must have wished for similar service at the other end.
Moyes’ gamble to hold back Lucas Paqueta and James Ward-Prowse from the bench wasn’t appreciated by the minority of travelling fans who booed their team off at the interval.
Alvarez became the first name into the book when he slid in studs-up and caught Elliott.
And after 54 minutes, West Ham mounted their first dangerous counter, Tsimikas sliding across to hook away Bowen’s cross aimed towards Pablo Fornals.
It was a reminder to Liverpool that 1-0 still carried a jeopardy so they removed the risk by quickly adding a second two minutes later.
Nunez hasn’t been scoring but he does make key contributions and his pass to spot Jones on the overlap was terrific.
Jarrod Bowen cut an isolated figure for the visitors but reduced the deficit after latching onto a long ball and bending home
Hammers manager David Moyes was visibly furious as his side were ruthlessly put to the sword on their way out of the cup
Jones looked up from the left edge of the penalty area as if to square and nonchalantly rolled it between Areola’s legs at the near post.
Only then did Moyes send on his danger-man Paqueta when half-time would have been the bolder move. Klopp responded by making three changes – with Salah and Alexander-Arnold among the introductions!
Liverpool still looked likeliest to score next with Areola’s legs blocking from Elliott. And the third goal, which their dominance deserved, came with a fierce swipe of Cody Gakpo’s left boot after 71 minutes. Only then was James Ward-Prowse sent on by Moyes.
Bowen was rewarded for his perseverance with a consolation strike from the edge of the box with what was the visitor’s first shot on target.
A 3-1 scoreline didn’t do Liverpool justice so they used the final few minutes to put that right.
Salah, who had already missed one sitter, finished clinically inside the post after 82 minutes and Jones saved the best til last, powering through a deflated back line to fire into the corner before being mobbed by his team-mates.
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