Liverpool will face Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
The Reds were matched against their fellow Premier League side after securing a 5-1 victory over West Ham United at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo each scored twice as Liverpool kicked off their Carabao Cup defence with a convincing victory over West Ham at Anfield.
The visitors shocked the holders by taking an early lead.
After a corner, Wataru Endo’s attempted clearance struck teammate Jarell Quansah and rolled over the line, putting West Ham ahead.
However, Liverpool’s response was swift. Just four minutes later, Federico Chiesa, making his first start for the Reds, provided an assist with an acrobatic volley.
The ball bounced up perfectly for Jota, who headed home to equalize.
Jota netted his second goal early in the second half, finishing calmly in front of the Kop after a lovely pass from Curtis Jones.
This goal came moments after West Ham had a penalty appeal waved away when the ball appeared to strike Joe Gomez’s arm inside the box.
Notably, there was no video assistant referee (VAR) in operation for this match, as it is only available from the semi-finals onward.
Despite their struggles, West Ham, who have now lost four of their seven matches under manager Julen Lopetegui, responded positively following a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Chelsea last weekend.
However, frustration mounted for Lopetegui, who received a booking for protesting against the officials after several decisions went against his side.
The Hammers missed a golden opportunity to equalize when Max Kilman squandered a chance from just six yards out.
Shortly after, substitute Mohamed Salah extended Liverpool’s lead to 3-1, scoring after Lukasz Fabianski denied Alexis Mac Allister’s initial effort.
West Ham’s night worsened when Edson Alvarez was sent off for a second yellow card.
Cody Gakpo then added to West Ham’s misery, scoring the fourth and fifth goals late in the match, as the Hammers exited the competition at the hands of Liverpool for the second consecutive season.
The fourth-round ties are set to take place during the week commencing October 28.
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