Liverpool Vs West Ham: Ekitike Double and Set-Piece Masterclass Propel Reds to 5-2 Win
In a commanding 5-2 result at Anfield, Liverpool turned set-piece efficiency into a match-defining advantage in the liverpool vs west ham fixture, with Hugo Ekitike scoring twice and creating two more. The outcome matters because the three corner goals that produced a 3-0 half-time lead both amplified Liverpool’s league climb and underlined West Ham’s recurring defensive crisis from dead balls.
Liverpool Vs West Ham: Three corner goals decide the afternoon
Liverpool opened the scoring from a corner when Ryan Gravenberch’s return found Hugo Ekitike, whose early shot found Mads Hermansen’s bottom corner after a slight deflection off Konstantinos Mavropanos. The second set-piece goal arrived when Virgil van Dijk met Dominik Szoboszlai’s delivery, beating Tomas Soucek and Soungoutou Magassa to head home. The third corner goal was a more elaborate sequence: Mohamed Salah’s corner was flicked on by Van Dijk, cushioned by Ekitike and volleyed into the roof of the net by Alexis Mac Allister the head of Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Those three corner finishes left West Ham 3-0 down at half-time.
Hugo Ekitike’s two goals and creative influence
Ekitike’s contribution went beyond his two finishes; he also created two of Liverpool’s set-piece goals. His early strike came after El Hadji Malick Diouf had cleared the opening corner, and his second involvement helped Alexis Mac Allister’s volley nestle past Hermansen. Ekitike’s double and assists were instrumental in building the cushion that ultimately decided the match.
Set-pieces, historical runs and tactical changes
What makes this notable is the scale of Liverpool’s turnaround from earlier in the season: at 3-0 up they had extended a run to seven straight Premier League goals from set pieces, the longest such sequence in competition history. Liverpool have also scored more set-piece goals than any other team in the division excluding penalties in 2026 and taken their set-piece goals total to eight for the calendar year. Arne Slot credited incremental tactical adjustments and returned fortune, noting the side had been 23 goals behind Arsenal on set pieces, including penalties, and have closed that gap to three goals.
West Ham vulnerabilities, incidents and reaction
West Ham’s weakness defending corners was stark: they have conceded a league-high 15 goals from corners this season and, for the second time after an August defeat by Chelsea, conceded three goals from corners in a single match. The visitors briefly recovered after the break when Tomas Soucek combined with El Hadji Diouf on a counter to make it 3-1, and Valentin Castellanos later scored from a corner when left unmarked at the back post. Mateus Fernandes had prepared a plan to stop Van Dijk but it failed to prevent the scoring. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo conceded it felt wrong to call the outing a good performance but said there were elements to take encouragement from; the team even suffered an off-field disruption when the squad bus became stuck on a hotel ramp while leaving the team base.
Late goals, individual moments and consequences
Cody Gakpo missed a presentable chance before restoring Liverpool’s three-goal cushion with the fourth strike, and a late Jeremie Frimpong cross was inadvertently diverted into his own net by Axel Disasi to round off the scoring. Alisson produced key saves when West Ham had the better expected-goals number, helping deny further damage despite Liverpool’s set-piece dominance. The match marked Liverpool’s third successive top-flight victory and left Arne Slot’s side level on points with fourth-placed Manchester United and three adrift of Aston Villa, while they rose to fifth and displaced Chelsea in the table.
Broader club context: finances and staffing shifts
The game’s significance extended beyond the pitch. Liverpool recently recorded overall revenue of £703m in their latest accounts. By contrast, West Ham disclosed a loss of £104. 2m in the same financial year and warned players will likely have to be sold this summer whether they remain up or not. Earlier in the season the club parted ways with set-piece coach Aaron Briggs in December as part of the response to earlier set-piece struggles.
Arne Slot on fitness and short-term outlook
Slot confirmed Florian Wirtz missed the game through injury and was questioned about whether the No. 7 would be fit for Tuesday’s trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers. He described the performance as "OK to good" rather than the team’s best, underlining that set pieces swung the match. Slot said small defensive and offensive tweaks helped, but emphasized that a return to a normal conversion rate on set plays was a large factor in the turnaround.
The liverpool vs west ham outcome leaves West Ham’s survival outlook in a more precarious position and enhances Liverpool’s push for European places as the season’s run-in continues.
