Liverpool surged into the Premier League’s top five on Saturday after a commanding 5-2 victory over West Ham United at Anfield, with clinical finishing from dead-ball situations laying the foundation for a fourth straight win in all competitions.
Three first-half goals, each originating from set-pieces, put the hosts firmly in control.
Hugo Ekitike opened the scoring before captain Virgil van Dijk powered home a header.
Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister added a third, capping a dominant spell that exposed West Ham’s defensive frailties.
Despite the emphatic scoreline, the performance was not without blemish.
The visitors showed resilience after the break and found the net twice through Tomas Soucek and Valentin Castellanos, briefly threatening to unsettle the home crowd.
However, Liverpool’s depth proved decisive. Dutch winger Cody Gakpo and compatriot Jeremie Frimpong struck in the second half to extinguish any hopes of a comeback and seal the three points.
The result lifts Liverpool three points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea, who face a stern test away to Arsenal on Sunday.
With English clubs performing strongly in European competitions this season, a top-five finish is widely expected to secure Champions League qualification.
For West Ham, the defeat compounds an already precarious situation.
The Hammers remain two points from safety and must quickly regroup to keep their survival hopes alive.
Elsewhere, Brentford edged a seven-goal thriller against Burnley, claiming a dramatic 4-3 victory at Turf Moor that further dented the Clarets’ survival bid.
The visitors stormed into a 3-0 lead inside 34 minutes, with Mikkel Damsgaard, Igor Thiago and Kevin Schade all on target.
Burnley mounted a spirited comeback.
An own goal by Michael Kayode gave them encouragement before Jaidon Anthony and Zian Flemming levelled the contest.
Flemming appeared to have completed a stunning turnaround, but VAR ruled his effort offside.
In a cruel twist, Damsgaard struck again in stoppage time to restore Brentford’s lead.
Another late VAR intervention denied Burnley an equaliser when Ashley Barnes was adjudged to have handled the ball before scoring.
Everton Strengthen European Push
Everton continued their impressive away form with a 3-2 triumph over Newcastle United at St James’ Park, bolstering their ambitions of European qualification.
Goals from Jarrod Branthwaite, Beto and Thierno Barry ensured the Toffees led on three separate occasions.
Under manager David Moyes, Everton have become one of the league’s strongest travelling sides, second only to Arsenal in away points collected.
Newcastle, meanwhile, drop to 12th place and now look to cup competitions to salvage their campaign, with key fixtures looming in Europe and domestic knockout action.
In the day’s early kickoff, AFC Bournemouth extended their unbeaten league run to eight matches after drawing 1-1 with Sunderland.
Evanilson cancelled out an opener from Eliezer Mayenda, ensuring the spoils were shared.
