Liverpool’s remarkable turnaround from struggling with set-pieces to becoming one of the Premier League’s hottest teams was highlighted by a 5-2 victory against West Ham, bolstering their quest for Champions League qualification.
Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk, and Alexis Mac Allister netted from corner kicks in the first half, marking only the second instance in the competition’s history—after Manchester United did so in 2016—where three players scored from set-pieces.
Cody Gakpo broke his drought with his first league goal in eight games, and the game’s nerves eased after Axel Disasi turned in a cross from Jeremie Frimpong, following earlier goals from Tomás Soucek and Taty Castellanos.
Liverpool is now tied with fourth-placed Manchester United, having closed the gap in goal difference to just one goal, while dampening West Ham’s recent surge that had seen them collect 11 points from 18.
Just a few months back, Arne Slot’s team had the worst set-piece record in the league, prompting the dismissal of coach Aaron Briggs. However, since the start of the new year, they have scored nine goals and conceded only three, the best record among top-flight squads during that period.
Slot previously attributed the team’s initial struggles to misfortune, but recent performances show a marked improvement, particularly as their xG for the first half was just 0.7.
After clinching a last-minute win at Nottingham Forest last weekend, Liverpool needed only five minutes to break the deadlock.
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West Ham has now won only once in 59 outings at Anfield. They failed to break up the play from two corners, and Ryan Gravenberch set up Ekitike, whose shot trickled through Konstantinos Mavropanos’s legs with a slight deflection to beat Mads Hermansen.
This marked the France international’s 16th goal of the season and 11th in the league, placing him behind only Erling Haaland, Igor Thiago, and Antoine Semenyo in overall scoring.
West Ham’s attempts to respond saw Mavropanos shoot wildly over from close range, while Crysencio Summerville nearly initiated a counter-attack from another Liverpool corner, ultimately requiring a block from Mac Allister on Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s shot.
Gravenberch tested Hermansen with a low shot before Van Dijk scored with a header from Dominik Szoboszlai’s inswinging corner—something Liverpool had scarcely utilized earlier this season—marking his third goal in eight matches and his fifth this season, matching last year’s tally.
Only John Terry has more Premier League goals by a central defender (41), setting Van Dijk (28) apart in the record books.
A series of blunders ensued as Summerville accidentally tackled a teammate while trying to shoot, followed by Alisson Becker handing the ball directly to Jarrod Bowen, forcing the goalkeeper to react quickly to save the rebound.
Gravenberch experienced a similar moment, but Bowen’s touch pushed him too wide, with Alisson saving a close-range effort from Soucek as West Ham mounted further pressure.
When Ekitike redirected Salah’s corner for Mac Allister to volley in, it appeared the match was effectively sealed, prompting Hammers manager Nuno Espirito Santo to watch the goal replay in disappointment from the sidelines.
However, just four minutes into the second half, Soucek capitalized on Malick Diouf’s low cross, equalizing after Ibrahima Konaté only managed to deflect Bowen’s cross, with Gravenberch failing to track Soucek’s run.
Gakpo squandered a chance from six yards but found the net shortly after, cutting in from the flank and firing inside the far post. Although Castellanos raised the visitors’ hopes with a goal 15 minutes from time, an own goal by Disasi ultimately ended their resilience.