Liverpool produced a clinical first-half performance to score three set-piece goals in a chaotic 5-2 win over relegation-fighting West Ham.
Arne Slot's side, who have been criticised for poor set-play effectiveness this season, found the net three times from corners as Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Alex Mac Allister all saw efforts soar beyond Mads Hermansen.
It was a masterclass in set-piece efficiency, with each goal attributed to a different creator, and exposed just how horrible the Hammers are at defending dead-ball situations. Nuno Espirito Santo's side have conceded a league-high 15 goals from corners this season and marks the second time they have been on the receiving end of three corner goals after also shipping the same amount to Chelsea in August.
For all their positivity from open play, West Ham's misgivings were too numerous to give themselves a chance, the tale all too familiar for a regretful Nuno: "We created a lot of situations, combined well, but made mistakes on our set-pieces," he said afterwards.
What was once a similar weakness for the hosts has now become a super strength, albeit they remain vulnerable in other areas. El Hadji Diouf and Tomas Soucek combined on the counter early in the second half to give West Ham a lifeline and Liverpool were liable again when Valentin Castellanos was left unmarked at the back post from a corner. Fortunately for them it did not much matter.
Cody Gakpo missed a sitter before scoring Liverpool's fourth, and as the game stretched late on, Jeremie Frimpong forced an own goal from Axel Disasi. West Ham's predicament at the bottom remains uncertain while Slot's side displace Chelsea in fifth as the hunt for European places looks set to go the distance.
Your Site' Laura Hunter at Anfield:
At 3-0 up in the first half, Liverpool had scored seven straight goals from set pieces in the Premier League. It marks the longest run of any side in competition history. And yet, it feels like only yesterday that we were condemning that aspect of their game as obsolete. They had the worst record in Europe.
Arne Slot and his technical staff have worked some magic on the training ground because, almost overnight, Liverpool have become as dangerous as Arsenal from set plays. If only this formula were found earlier might still have a job.
The three corner goals in their latest outing were helped in no small part by West Ham's terrible ineffectiveness in this particular area. The Hammers consistently allowed first contact on the ball inside their six-yard area without intervention.
Mateus Fernandes even told Your Site at full time that his side had worked all week on a plan to stop Virgil van Dijk, now the second-highest scoring central defender in Premier League history behind John Terry. It failed to have any effect.
"In some games, when the game is stuck and you know you can score from a set piece - which we lacked in other moments - it's very important," Cody Gakpo remarked afterwards.
This is a new level unlocked in Liverpool's salvation mission, with Slot quick to comment on his side's lack of open play coherence. "I don't think it was our best game of the season from open play," he conceded. "Set pieces can make a massive difference." On this occasion they were the difference.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot:
"The main thing to take is we scored three goals from set pieces. It's very pleasing, that's the reason we won. We've played better overall when we've lost. But things went back to normal, we created from set-pieces earlier in the season but conceded in that way and today the opposite thing happened. We start scoring from set-pieces and things look much brighter.
On the reason for set-piece improvement: "Things have gone back to normal, mostly. We've been unlucky before. Even today we concede from a set-piece. Maybe one or two small details have changed defensively and offensively, our setup is slightly different.
"There was never a moment when they were closing the gap to one goal. It was never under real threat but I could feel the nervousness in the stadium, it makes sense because so many times we've given away a comfortable lead this season.
"We are still making chances but now they go in. All of a sudden, things look much nicer."
West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo:
"Maybe it's absurd to say it was a good performance when you lose 5-2, but there are a lot of positives in our game. A lot of negatives as well. You go to half-time and you have your players in front of you and I say 'boys, you're playing good', but we're losing 3-0.
"We created a lot of situations, combined well, but made mistakes on our set-pieces. The second half we started well and created problems for Liverpool. To tell you it's a good performance may sound silly from myself but this is what I saw. I saw a team that didn't give up and believed. It's a poor result."
