Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo both scored twice as Liverpool cruised to a 5-1 victory over West Ham, increasing the pressure on Julen Lopetegui.
The West Ham boss, who has only won one of his first five league games since taking over from David Moyes, made eight changes to the side that lost 3-0 to Chelsea last weekend. However, those alterations failed to stem the tide against a rampant Liverpool.
Despite spending £120 million on new signings this summer, Lopetegui faced boos from the home crowd, becoming the first West Ham manager to lose three consecutive home games at the start of a season.
The frustration among Hammers fans was palpable as their side took an early lead in the 21st minute, albeit in bizarre fashion. Kostas Tsimikas’s poor clearance deflected off Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah for a comical own goal.
Arne Slot, Liverpool’s manager, also made significant changes, with nine alterations from their previous win over Bournemouth.
Notably, Italian forward Federico Chiesa, who joined from Juventus, made his first start for the Reds. Four minutes after West Ham’s opener, Diogo Jota levelled the score, out-jumping Lukasz Fabianski to nod home Chiesa’s volley.
Jota struck again early in the second half, exchanging passes with Curtis Jones before drilling his shot past Fabianski. Liverpool’s dominance continued as Mohamed Salah, coming off the bench, added a third in the 74th minute, reacting quickest after Alexis Mac Allister’s shot was parried into his path.
West Ham’s misery was compounded minutes later when Edson Alvarez was sent off for a second yellow card after a rash challenge on Salah.
Gakpo then capped off a dismal day for Lopetegui, scoring twice in quick succession. His first was a powerful strike from 18 yards, followed moments later by a deflected effort that left Fabianski helpless.
However, there were questions over the officiating, with claims that West Ham were hard done by. Former footballer Matt Le Tissier suggested that Liverpool’s equaliser by Jota should have been ruled offside.
While Lopetegui himself confirmed in his post-match interview that West Ham were denied a penalty. Both decisions, he believed, could have dramatically changed the game’s outcome.
After the final whistle, Lopetegui voiced his frustrations, stating: “West Ham did not deserve to lose 5-1.” He also pointed to the officiating errors, saying: “I thought Liverpool’s first goal was offside and that my team could have had a penalty.”
To add to his woes, Lopetegui appeared to injure his calf during the match, reacting to a missed chance by Crysencio Summerville when the score was 3-1. He was seen limping as he left the post-match press conference.