A sun-drenched Saturday afternoon at Anfield on February 28, 2026, produced exactly the kind of emphatic Premier League performance that Liverpool supporters had been craving, as the Liverpool F.C. Vs West Ham Timeline documented a compelling 5-2 victory from the 3:00pm kick-off that breathed fresh life into the Reds’ ambitions for Champions League qualification in the second half of the 2025-26 campaign.
Before a capacity attendance of 60,425, Arne Slot’s side produced an explosive attacking display against a West Ham United side still searching desperately for the form and results needed to haul themselves away from the danger zone at the foot of the Premier League table.
The match began at a ferocious tempo and Liverpool wasted little time in asserting their authority, with summer signing Hugo Ekitiké opening the scoring inside five minutes to settle any nerves inside Anfield and set the tone for what proved to be a thoroughly dominant home performance across the ninety minutes.
Virgil van Dijk added a commanding header for the second goal in the 24th minute, converting from a Liverpool set-piece and reminding supporters of the calm authority that the Dutch captain brings to every major fixture at the club.
Alexis Mac Allister then capped a fine first-half display with a third goal two minutes before the interval, giving Slot’s side a commanding 3-0 lead at half-time against a West Ham side that had offered very little in terms of defensive organisation or attacking threat during the opening forty-five minutes.
Tom Soucek pulled one back for the Hammers just four minutes into the second half to offer a brief sense of hope for the travelling West Ham support, but the Reds restored their three-goal cushion when Cody Gakpo finished with his customary composure in the 70th minute.
Valentín Castellanos reduced the deficit again for West Ham in the 75th minute, but any thought of a genuine fightback was extinguished when Axel Disasi turned the ball into his own net in the 82nd minute to make it 5-2 and confirm Liverpool’s most emphatic league victory of the season at Anfield.
Liverpool F.C. Vs West Ham Timeline — Full Match Commentary
| Time | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| KO | Kick-off | 3:00pm, Anfield |
| 5′ | GOAL — Liverpool 1-0 | Hugo Ekitiké finishes |
| 24′ | GOAL — Liverpool 2-0 | Virgil van Dijk heads home |
| 43′ | GOAL — Liverpool 3-0 | Alexis Mac Allister strikes |
| 45′ | Half-time | Liverpool 3-0 West Ham |
| 49′ | GOAL — West Ham 3-1 | Tomáš Souček pulls one back |
| 55′ | Liverpool press | Salah threatens |
| 70′ | GOAL — Liverpool 4-1 | Cody Gakpo finishes |
| 75′ | GOAL — West Ham 4-2 | Valentín Castellanos scores |
| 76′ | Sub | Frimpong on (for Gomez) |
| 76′ | Sub | Trey Nyoni on (for Gravenberch) |
| 77′ | Yellow card | West Ham player booked |
| 79′ | Liverpool chance | Salah drives at goal |
| 82′ | GOAL — Liverpool 5-2 | Axel Disasi own goal |
| 85′ | Sub | Rio Ngumoha on (for Ekitiké) |
| 86′ | Yellow card | Liverpool player booked |
| 90′ | Late pressure | West Ham push |
| 90’+8 | Full time | Liverpool 5-2 West Ham United |
Liverpool F.C. Vs West Ham Timeline — Starting XIs And Full Match Stats
Liverpool Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Alisson Becker; Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez; Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister; Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo; Hugo Ekitiké
Subs used: Jeremie Frimpong (76′, for Gomez), Trey Nyoni (76′, for Gravenberch), Rio Ngumoha (85′, for Ekitiké)
Subs not used: Calvin Ramsay, Federico Chiesa, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Curtis Jones, Freddie Woodman, Andrew Robertson
West Ham United Starting XI (4-5-1): (Featuring Souček and Castellanos as goalscorers)
| Statistic | Liverpool | West Ham United |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 5 | 2 |
| Possession | 49.1% | 50.9% |
| Shots on Target | 7 | 4 |
| Total Shot Attempts | 18 | 11 |
| Corner Kicks | 10 | 5 |
| Goalkeeper Saves | 3 | 2 |
| Yellow Cards | 2 | 2 |
Venue: Anfield, Liverpool | Attendance: 60,425 | Referee: Tim Robinson
Goalscorers:
| Minute | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 5′ | Hugo Ekitiké | Liverpool |
| 24′ | Virgil van Dijk | Liverpool |
| 43′ | Alexis Mac Allister | Liverpool |
| 49′ | Tomáš Souček | West Ham |
| 70′ | Cody Gakpo | Liverpool |
| 75′ | Valentín Castellanos | West Ham |
| 82′ | Axel Disasi (OG) | West Ham |
The result was deeply significant in the context of the Premier League standings, with Liverpool sitting in fifth place on 48 points from 31 matches played — level with Chelsea ahead of them on points but separated by goal difference — and the emphatic winning margin over West Ham providing both a boost to confidence and a meaningful improvement to an already impressive goal difference column.
For West Ham, adrift in 18th place on just 25 points from 31 games, the defeat was another stark reminder of the scale of the challenge facing the club in the final weeks of the season, with relegation from the Premier League now a very real and pressing concern that demanded an immediate and dramatic improvement in both results and performances.