An appalling Irons embarrassment

This was an appalling Irons embarrassment as they again had five smashed past them following the horrible Fulham defeat. This may have been even worse despite Jarrod Bowen managing to pull one back at 3-0 down writes Hughie Southon.

Liverpool were just in a totally different class to us and treated the match as a training session against a Hammers team who looked as though they had had enough before it started. We were absolutely awful, offering nothing and  all Claret and Hugh’s sympathies are with the 6000 fans who travelled to Anfield.

The Hammers were on the back foot from the start as the slick moving Liverpool strike force pressed forward and the lively Elliott was a particular menace. He was unlucky not to score when at the end of a fine move, fired just wide with Areola well beaten.

And it came as no surprise when the home side took the lead after an error from Benrahma who lost possession 25 yards out allowing Szoboslaai to fire a thunderous shot past the Hammers keeper into the bottom corner.

It had looked a mismatch from the moment David Moyes had named his starting eleven but the luckless Bowen saw a half chance go begging when a loose ball fell in front of him but with the ball failing to sit for him for him to try a spectacular shot .

With half time approaching the hosts should have made it two when the ever threatening Elliott crossed for Gakpo but his header flew wide again with Areola beaten.

Despite the dreadful performance Moyes pulled his usual trick of sending out the same eleven for the second period despite the likes of Ward-Prowse and Paqueta being on the bench.  Err WHY?

Liverpool immediately started to take advantage of the usual predictable Moyes subbing – or lack of it -when Nunez turned to smash in a shot which Areola saved  before Gakpo glanced a header wide and Jones saw a shot bounce wide.

The game had become an embarrassment and the second goal came in 56 minutes when Jones threaded his way through the defence to score from close range. All too late – as usual Moyes decided on a substitution sending on Paqueta arrived for the dreadful Benrahma.

It made little to no difference as the Brazilian failed to get into the game until Kudus fired a 70th minute effort over the bar. But the Liverpool reaction was immediate and deadly with the hosts going to the other end and Gakpo fired home for their third.

The big shock of the night was still to come in the 76th minute when Johnson fed a ball forward to Bowen who took it towards goal and planted a fine right foot shot into the Liverpool net before Nunez hit an upright and Salah fired wide from the rebound!

He made amends a few minutes later though, racing onto a fine ball from the back and striding from the halfway line before firing past Areola.

It wasn’t over made it 5-1 as Jones moved uncontested through the West Ham half to fire home despite being half surrounded by six Irons defenders.