Liverpool 5-1 West Ham: Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo score doubles ...
Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo each scored twice as Carabao Cup holders Liverpool came from behind to thrash 10-man West Ham 5-1 and set up a fourth-round tie away against Brighton.
Arne Slot's much-changed side fell behind when Jarell Quansah turned into his own net from a West Ham corner in the first half but Jota led a devastating Liverpool response.
The 27-year-old acrobatically headed home a miskicked effort by full debutant Federico Chiesa for an instant leveller, then put the Reds in front with a cool finish straight after half-time following fine work by Curtis Jones.
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Player ratings
Liverpool: Kelleher (7), Bradley (7), Quansah (6), Gomez (7), Tsmikas (6), Endo (7), Jones (8), Gakpo (8), Chiesa (6), Nunez (7), Jota (9).
Subs: Mac Allister (7), Salah (8), Morton (6), Robertson (6).
West Ham: Fabianski (6), Coufal (5), Todibo (5), Kilman (6), Cresswell (6), Soler (5), Alvarez (4), Soucek (5), Bowen (6), Ings (5), Summerville (5).
Subs: Antonio (7), Paqueta (6), Irving (6), Kudus (6).
Player of the Match: Diogo Jota
West Ham briefly threatened an equaliser after Michail Antonio's introduction, seeing two penalty appeals turned down for handballs, but Mohamed Salah added the third when he slammed in a rebound after fellow substitute Alexis Mac Allister's shot was saved, with the visitors then reduced to 10 men when Edson Alvarez was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Salah.
The Hammers' evening then went from bad to worse as Cody Gakpo added a quickfire double in the final few minutes of the game to turn the result into a rout, continuing a dismal week for Julen Lopetegui following West Ham's 3-0 loss at home to Chelsea on Saturday.
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Liverpool, meanwhile, were able to celebrate a sixth win in seven games under their new manager, taking them into the next round of a competition they have won twice in the last three years.
Analysis: Jota underlines his value to SlotSky Sports' Nick Wright:
Jota was an unused substitute in Liverpool's 3-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday, dropping out of the starting line-up for the first time under Slot for Darwin Nunez. On the evidence of this showing, though, he won't stay out of the side for long.
The Portugal international took his goals brilliantly, his first a classic poacher's effort as he rose above Max Kilman - no mean feat given his modest stature - to head home Chiesa's effort from close-range; his second a typically cool finish from Jones' pass.
Image: Jota celebrates after scoring his side's first goal
His impact was particularly impressive given it came from an unfamiliar position. With Nunez operating as Liverpool's No 9 and Gakpo and Chiesa on the flanks, Jota played at No 10, relishing the opportunity to drop into midfield, as he did in the lead-up to his leveller.
Salah's goal from the bench and Gakpo's late double underlined Liverpool's strength in depth in attack on a night when Luis Diaz, their two-goal hero against Bournemouth, was not needed at all. But Jota's early withdrawal suggests he will be back in the side to face Wolves on Saturday.
He has a crucial role to play in the Slot era.
