Match ends, Liverpool 4, West Ham United 0.
LiverpoolLiverpool4West HamWest Ham United0
Jurgen Klopp described Liverpool's emphatic victory over West Ham as "better than I could have expected" before warning his team face an "unbelievably hard" season.
Mohamed Salah's early goal set Liverpool on their way to their biggest opening home league win since 1932.
The Egyptian tapped in a 19th-minute opener from Andy Robertson's cross on his return to action for the Reds at Anfield.
"West Ham will play, for sure, a good season but they are not the Uniteds, the Citys," Klopp said. "We know that and we have to be ready week in, week out for all the challenges."
It took the visitors almost half an hour to fashion a chance of note as they struggled to stem the Liverpool attacking tide.
New Reds goalkeeper Alisson, signed for £66.8m from Roma in the summer, comfortably saved a Fabian Balbuena header, one of only two efforts on target for the Hammers.
As the pressure built, the hosts doubled their advantage when Sadio Mane turned in James Milner's cut-back after being left unmarked six yards from goal.
The Senegalese forward added his second and Liverpool's third early in the second period. Mane appeared marginally offside as he collected Roberto Firmino's pass, but the flag stayed down and he drilled his effort beyond new West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
New signing Naby Keita, a £50m acquisition from RB Leipzig, impressed in midfield for Jurgen Klopp's side.
He contributed to Liverpool's first goal and delivered the kind of driving performance that Steven Gerrard once produced wearing the number eight shirt.
Substitute Daniel Sturridge rounded off the scoring with his first touch, 24 seconds after coming on, to ensure Liverpool recorded their 500th victory in the Premier League era.
It also maintained their fine Anfield record against West Ham, who have now won just one of their past 46 top-flight visits.
Liverpool underline title credentials
Liverpool finished fourth last season, 25 points behind Premier League champions Manchester City.
However, the nature of their emphatic Champions League quarter-final victory over Pep Guardiola's side in April, coupled with a league win over City, suggested they could challenge them this term.
Liverpool's attacking prowess has not been in question in recent times.
The front three of Salah, Firmino and Mane contributed 91 of the club's 135 goals last season and they were on song again as Liverpool put four goals past West Ham for the fourth time in a row.
Salah's instinct to find the right position allowed him an easy first, while Mane's intelligence brought him off the wing into central positions for both his goals.
Klopp compared his team to "Rocky Balboa" in the build-up to this game but the depth of his substitutes' bench and this result may soon see them shed that tag.
The German introduced new signing Xherdan Shaqiri, England midfielder Jordan Henderson and Sturridge from the bench but still had midfielders Adam Lallana and Fabinho in reserve.
"The performance of all the boys and the midfield of James [Milner] and Georginio Wijnaldum was outstanding," Klopp added.
"We played as good as possible today and we extended a really good pre-season into the Premier League."
Tough opening assignment for Hammers
If last term turned into a tale of battling for Premier League survival, the arrival of new manager Manuel Pellegrini and nine summer signings was supposed to bring renewed optimism to West Ham supporters.
The Chilean has promised a return to attacking football, after some supporters perceived the style of play in recent seasons as a departure from the 'West Ham way'.
An opening fixture at Anfield was hardly a barometer to judge early progress though.
The Hammers have lost more top-flight games against Liverpool than any other side and despite spending around £100m on new recruits, this was always going to be a difficult assignment.
"It was a tough game before the game, during the game and after the game," Pellegrini said.
"They reached the final of the Champions League and bought a lot of new players. We knew it was going to be difficult.
"They deserved to win. When you lose 4-0 you cannot have excuses."
Pellegrini utilised five of his new faces - Fabianski, Ryan Fredericks, Balbuena, Felipe Anderson and Jack Wilshere - from the start on Merseyside.
Wilshere was starved of possession in attack, failing to touch the ball in the Liverpool penalty area, and Anderson was withdrawn in the second half after failing to make an impact.
Man of the match - Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Match stats - Mane emulates Barnes
- Liverpool are only the second side in Premier League history to score four or more goals in four consecutive games against a single opponent, after Tottenham v Stoke.
- West Ham have lost their season opener 12 times in the Premier League, more than any other side.
- West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has lost more Premier League games against Liverpool than he has against any other opponent in the competition (P7 W2 D0 L5).
- Mohamed Salah has been directly involved in five goals in his three Premier League meetings with West Ham for Liverpool (four goals, one assist).
- Salah has scored 20 goals in his 20 Premier League games at Anfield for Liverpool.
- Only Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer (both 41 goals), have scored more in their first 50 Premier League appearances than Salah (35).
- Sadio Mane is the first Liverpool player to score in three consecutive opening top-flight fixtures since John Barnes between 1989-90 and 1991-92
What's next?
Liverpool go to Crystal Palace on Monday, 20 August (20:00 BST) while West Ham host Bournemouth on Saturday (15:00 BST).
Line-ups
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 13Alisson
- 66Alexander-ArnoldBooked at 21mins
- 12Gomez
- 4van Dijk
- 26Robertson
- 7Milner
- 5Wijnaldum
- 8Keita
- 11SalahSubstituted forSturridgeat 87'minutes
- 9FirminoSubstituted forHendersonat 69'minutes
- 10ManéSubstituted forShaqiriat 82'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Karius
- 2Clyne
- 3Fabinho
- 14Henderson
- 15Sturridge
- 20Lallana
- 23Shaqiri
West Ham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Fabianski
- 24Fredericks
- 4BalbuenaBooked at 55mins
- 21Ogbonna
- 26Masuaku
- 16Noble
- 41RiceSubstituted forSnodgrassat 45'minutes
- 30AntonioBooked at 52mins
- 19Wilshere
- 8Felipe AndersonSubstituted forHernándezat 62'minutes
- 7ArnautovicSubstituted forYarmolenkoat 67'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Zabaleta
- 11Snodgrass
- 13Adrián
- 14Obiang
- 17Hernández
- 20Yarmolenko
- 23Diop
- Referee:
- Anthony Taylor
- Attendance:
- 53,235
Match Stats
Home TeamLiverpoolAway TeamWest Ham
- Possession
- Home65%
- Away35%
- Shots
- Home18
- Away5
- Shots on Target
- Home8
- Away2
- Corners
- Home5
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away9
Live Text
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Full Time
Second Half ends, Liverpool 4, West Ham United 0.
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Offside, Liverpool. Jordan Henderson tries a through ball, but Xherdan Shaqiri is caught offside.
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Foul by Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool).
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Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt saved. Michail Antonio (West Ham United) right footed shot from more than 35 yards is saved in the centre of the goal.
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Attempt saved. Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Andrew Robertson.
Goal!
Goal! Liverpool 4, West Ham United 0. Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool) left footed shot from very close range to the top right corner following a corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Daniel Sturridge replaces Mohamed Salah.
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Fabián Balbuena.
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Foul by Xherdan Shaqiri (Liverpool).
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Robert Snodgrass (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Xherdan Shaqiri replaces Sadio Mané.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match (Liverpool).
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Attempt blocked. Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Mohamed Salah.
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Attempt missed. Naby Keita (Liverpool) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is high and wide to the left following a corner.
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Robert Snodgrass.
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Foul by Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool).
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Jack Wilshere (West Ham United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Comments
Join the conversation
Keita, Robertson and Millner were just immense.
Funny how none of the experts voices are the fans, manager and board who are the only voices that count.
Liverpool fans are expecting good football and to be in with a shout end of discussion.
Keep chirping though guys, we love a good laugh.
Entertaining
Devastating finishing
Great Defending
For a minute I was dreaming of the old United.
Are you watching this Maureen. This is how to play football.
I do like me some Sturridge.
Good result for the Reds. Man management styles DO make a huge difference. JM take note!!!
Karen and David have only themselves to blame for WH failings.
Coming from an MU fan
I'm just happy with 4:0
Death will befall all of us.
West Ham lose at Anfield
Universal, irrefutable truths!