Ekitike shines as Liverpool puts five past Hammers
Hugo Ekitike scored and provided two assists as Liverpool bolstered its top-four hopes with an entertaining 5-2 victory over West Ham United.
A lively away performance from West Ham was not enough to deny Arne Slot's men at Anfield, as they moved level on points with fourth-placed Manchester United on the Premier League table.
Liverpool scored three first-half goals, all from corners, with the first of those coming via Ekitike's fifth-minute drive off the second phase of a Dominik Szoboszlai delivery.
Virgil van Dijk met another Szoboszlai corner with a towering header in the 24th minute, before Alexis Mac Allister scored the pick of Liverpool's goals two minutes before half-time, adjusting brilliantly to net with the outside of his boot after Ekitike helped Mohamed Salah's corner into his path.
Despite the scoreline, West Ham had threatened throughout the first period, and pulled a goal back four minutes into the second half as Tomas Soucek met El Hadji Malick Diouf's cross on the slide.
Liverpool then appeared to be on the ropes, only for Cody Gakpo's shot to deflect in off Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the 70th minute after the Dutchman took in Ekitike's pass.
Valentin Castellanos was unmarked as he headed Jarrod Bowen's corner in for 4-2, but after Crysencio Summerville went close to teeing up a nervy finish, Axel Disasi turned Jeremie Frimpong's centre into his own net to cap the scoring in the 82nd minute.
Liverpool's Gakpo brushed off his side's struggles against a team which is now 13 places below it in the table and welcomed the home side's set-piece effectiveness.
"Step by step, we're getting a better team. We had a difficult moment during the season, but hopefully these last few games are the start of something beautiful," he said.
"There is a lot to play for. Hopefully, we can keep the momentum we have and end the season in a good way ... when the game is stuck and you know you can score from a set piece, we lacked that earlier in the season."
