Liverpool’s League Cup defence will proceed after they dispatched West Ham to the tune of 5-1, however ought to Arne Slot be seeking to make a run at Wembley this season?
West Ham stood within the Reds’ approach of a spot within the fourth spherical on Wednesday night however have been unable to cease a wave of 5 objectives after the guests took an early lead.
It was an evening for the forwards as Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo each netted a brace, whereas Mohamed Salah got here off the bench to snap a three-game run and not using a purpose.
The victory provides one other fixture to the schedule subsequent month, and it features a lengthy midweek journey to Brighton.
Right here, Joanna Durkan (@JoannaDurkan_) and Abigail Rudkin (@rudkin_abigail) talk about the second comeback win of the season and sit up for what a spot within the fourth spherical might imply for Liverpool.
The great…
ABIGAIL: I feel the ambiance within the floor had vastly improved from the final residence recreation. Everybody appeared extra up for it, particularly in my part of higher important near the Kop.
Largely sensible performances all spherical with the attacking pressure stepping as much as the job, Gakpo and Jota have been excellent.
A recreation like this was good for them each with Gakpo competing towards Diaz for that left-sided place and Jota not being on his finest kind up to now this season.
Each proved their capability and have given the supervisor huge choices to make going into Wolves on the weekend.
?? Applause and large smiles from Arne Slot after #LFC beat West Ham 5-1 within the League Cup. pic.twitter.com/bbuUK0WUjd
— This Is Anfield (@thisisanfield) September 25, 2024
JOANNA: I wasn’t on the recreation such as you Abigail, however by means of the tv it did sound higher, and possibly that is because of tickets discovering their approach to those that are sometimes squeezed out.
For me, setting a brand new excessive rating underneath Slot was fulfilling and it felt prefer it might have been extra too, even when West Ham did give us a good check.
I agree with Abigail that the forwards are giving Slot a welcome headache, they’re pushing one another and that’s solely excellent news for us.
And no matter that Kostas diving header was, it was humorous to look at again and instantly made the viral, ‘Do you ever have a look at somebody and surprise, what’s going on inside their head?’ come to thoughts.
The dangerous…
JOANNA: Conceding the primary purpose, once more, was not best. We now have conceded three objectives this season and all of them have been the primary of the sport.
However if you wish to flip it right into a constructive, then the actual fact now we have gained two of these three fixtures speaks to the mentality and composure throughout the squad – the Forest defeat was clearly lesson.
I form of felt dangerous for Quansah. You would inform he was actually making an attempt to show himself, however I sensed that he was simply making an attempt too exhausting to make issues occur.
He’ll get his probability, he simply must be affected person.
ABIGAIL: I’ve obtained to say, there wasn’t a lot I didn’t get pleasure from. I feel Kostas struggled at occasions nevertheless it didn’t value us an excessive amount of, so I can’t say I’m too bothered about his errors.
Like I stated, the ambiance was nice the place I used to be. The one adverse was somebody purchasing for Halloween costumes on their cellphone within the row in entrance of me for the entire second half, which was a bit distracting, to say the least.
Particularly once I’d struggled to get tickets to be there and knew individuals who didn’t handle to get a ticket sorted!
Little issues like that make me fear in regards to the ambiance going ahead, however total everybody was doing their bit.
JOANNA: I wish to know the way they even handle to get sign on their cellphone to do this at Anfield?!
One other topflight facet within the subsequent spherical, would you fancy us to make a run or is Slot higher to prioritise elsewhere?
JOANNA: I feel it is necessary for Slot to push for a trophy in his first season and the League Cup is a good place to begin.
This match proves he has the depth to have the ability to rotate and nonetheless get the specified consequence, and I wouldn’t put it previous him to call the same facet towards Brighton.
However this away journey comes between league video games away at Arsenal after which at residence to Brighton simply days later, and the precedence absolutely gained’t be on a cup match once we’re in the midst of one other run of seven video games in 21 days.
ABIGAIL: This Liverpool facet is able to reaching every part. That perception has been instilled into us for years now and it’s carried over into Arne’s time as supervisor.
As Joanna stated, this efficiency reveals how sturdy the depth in our squad is to have the ability to struggle on all fronts. We’ve obtained gamers determined for recreation time which have confirmed themselves to be helpful going ahead.
Brighton away is a tough draw in comparison with some others, however they’ll be extra scared of us than we’re of them.
