Liverpool vs West Ham 4-0: Five talking points
It was a night to forget for the new Hammers' boss Manuel Pellegrini, as Liverpool comfortably cruised to a 4-0 victory over the East Londoners. Here are 5 key takeaways from the game
#1 The notorious trio is back at it
It was business as usual for Salah, Mané and Firmino from the word go, and it was never in doubt when Salah opened the scoring after 19 minutes by getting on the end of a Robertson cross for a close range finish.
Liverpool dominated the game until the 45 minute mark and were fairly rewarded in added time when Mané latched on to clever James Milner cross. The second half started no differently and it was Mané again who made it 3-0, after smashing it home into the bottom left corner from an offside position, this time fed by Firmino.
Sturridge added a late fourth after a mere 20 seconds on the field. He has looked rejuvenated all pre-season, although most of his appearances have been off the bench. Any potential complaints that West Ham may have over VAR will certainly be overshadowed by the comprehensive manner in which they were taken down by Jurgen Klopp's men.
However, after the introduction of VAR in La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga, is it time for the Premier League to follow suit?
#2 Keita looking like the real deal
Naby Keita may just live up to all the hype that's been surrounding him since he was signed last season. The former RB Leipzig man already looks well settled in Liverpool's midfield. He combined well with the front three and made sure not to be caught out of position.
It will be interesting to see how he fares against tougher opponents, but for now he looks like he's worth every penny.
#3 Manuel Pellegrini may have a long year ahead of him
Any renewed hope the West Ham fans may have had for a top six finish, following the appointment of former Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini, will have been eased by the unconvincing nature of West Ham's performance.
Playing Liverpool away, may arguably be the toughest fixture for any team in the Premier League, let alone West Ham, as the Reds were undefeated at home all of last season. However, an uninspired performance suggests that Pellegrini may have to do a whole lot more than a few headline signings to breathe life into this seemingly dismal West Ham side.
#4 Rice, miserable in midfield
Pellegrini may have to come up with alternatives for midfield, as Declan Rice - who played centre back for David Moyes last season - struggled in midfield. His poor performance earned him an early substitution, with Robert Snodgrass replacing him for the second half.
The young Irishman constantly found himself dragged out of position and was unable to keep up with a fiesty Liverpool midfield.
#5 Joe Gomez shines alongside Van Dijk
With Lovren out injured, Joe Gomez was presented an opportunity to pair up alongside Van Dijk at centre-back and the youngster grabbed it with both hands. Originally a centre-back, Gomez was predominantly deployed at right-back last campaign before injury ruled him out.
He was always comfortable in possession and did not let the Hammers' have a sniff. Surely, tests tougher than an incredibly disappointing West Ham side lie ahead. This one, however, he passed with flying colours.
