Liverpool ratings: Jones earns 9/10 in big Carabao Cup win،
Liverpool booked their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Wednesday night by recording a 5-1 victory over West Ham United at Anfield.
A quick start to the game saw the Reds look to play at a high tempo after winning the ball back, and after two Harvey Elliott efforts went narrowly wide, Dominik Szoboszlai's close-range shot in the 28th minute was too precise for West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. . Cody Gakpo came closest to doubling the lead with a header that fell the wrong side of the post just before half-time.
Liverpool kept the pressure on the Hammers after the restart and did not take long to score their second goal as Curtis Jones finished from close range after being played in by Darwin Núñez. Gakpo added a third 15 minutes later.
Jarrod Bowen gave the Hammers a glimmer of hope with a well-executed strike soon after, but the game was put out of sight when the Reds added two more. Firstly Mohamed Salah, who was spotted with an exquisite pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold, before Jones scored his second to confirm his double.
– Stream on ESPN+: Carabao Cup semi-finals begin January 8
– Read on ESPN+: Ranking of Champions League favorites
Good points
Five goals after a disappointing 0-0 draw at the weekend was Liverpool's perfect response ahead of the upcoming festive period, in which momentum will be important as they jostle for position in the title race. Premier League.
Negative points
There aren't many negatives to take from a dominant performance, although Caoimhin Kelleher and the defense will be disappointed to have given up their clean sheet.
Manager rating (1-10; 10 = best)
Jürgen Klopp, 7 years old — He fielded a strong team in hopes of qualifying for the semi-final and his team showed promise. He also used his substitutes well in the build-up to the next Premier League game, keeping his attacking options sharp.
Player Ratings
GK Caoimhin Kelleher, 6 — There was no save for the Liverpool goalkeeper in the first half as West Ham failed to register a single effort on target. He was beaten in the second half by a well-taken strike from Bowen.
DF Virgil van Dijk, 6 years old — The Liverpool captain commanded the backline well but did not try to get out of first gear before replacing Ibrahima Konate on the hour mark.
DF Jarell Quansah, 7 years old – The 20-year-old central defender was alert to danger and won the ball on numerous occasions, including for the possession that led to Liverpool's first goal, which he assisted. Quansah put in a solid performance that night, apart from when he was beaten by Bowen for West Ham's goal.
DF Kostas Tsimikas, 7 years old — He was aggressive in the press and made it difficult for his opponent to turn, which allowed Liverpool to win the ball back in dangerous areas. The Greek international also supported the play by advancing down the left flank, where he asked questions of the defense with crosses into the box.
DF Joe Gomez, 7 years old — Gomez extended the play from right back where he often positioned himself high up the pitch, but he could have done better at times isolating his marker. Moved to left back after Tsimikas left for Conor Bradley. A strong run down the left side led to a shot on target which drew a save from Areola.
MF Wataru Endo, 8 years old — Endo won the ball in central areas and often made the right decisions with his passing, almost always choosing to pass the ball forward. It was one of the Japanese international's best performances for the Reds, in which he set the tempo of the match with his aggressive tackling approach and intelligent positioning.
Mr. F. Curtis Jones, 9 years old — An excellent all-round performance in midfield from Jones was capped by two well-taken goals in the style of a seasoned striker. His display will make it difficult for Klopp not to start him on Saturday against Arsenal. In Liverpool's previous match, against Manchester United in the Premier League, Jones came off the bench for Luis Diaz.
MF Dominik Szoboszlai, 7 years old — An excellent strike from distance placed the ball in the exact spot where goalkeeper Alphonse Areola couldn't get it, putting Liverpool 1-0 ahead in the first half. Szoboszlai caused problems with runs into space that put opposing defenders out of position.
FW Darwin Nuñez, 7 years old — He was deployed from the left flank and impressed with his link-up play in the final third. He forced a save from Areola with a smart turn and left-footed effort on target, and had another effort only denied by the keeper's fingertips.
FW Harvey Elliott, 7 years old — A lively performance from Harvey Elliott saw him confident in tight areas and able to beat defenders with his dribbling. He went close with two first-half efforts that went slightly wide of the far post.
FW Cody Gakpo, 7 years old — The Netherlands international took smart positions to link up the attack by penetrating into deeper areas. After coming very close to getting on the scoresheet by connecting with Elliott's cross, he made no mistake with his next opportunity as his strike from outside the box made it 3- 0.
Substitutes (players introduced after 70 minutes = no ranking)
Ibrahima Konaté (Van Dijk, 66″), 7 — The centre-back came on and took just over 10 minutes to make an impact, racing forward into West Ham territory before assisting Gakpo for Liverpool's third goal of the game .
Mohamed Salah (Szoboszlai, 60″), 7 — He posed an immediate problem for West Ham with some clever runs in behind the defence, and that's how he eventually scored after timing his run to perfection before producing a pinpoint finish into the far corner.
Conor Bradley (Tsimikas, 68″), 6 — He almost instantly registered an assist after being introduced in the second half, producing a first-time shot on defense that gave Salah a chance to score.
Luis Díaz (Gakpo, 78″) N/R — Positive when he came into play and Liverpool quickly wrapped up the match with two goals.
