Player ratings and Liverpool's Carabao Cup semi-final qualification after their 5-1 victory against West Ham.

The quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup saw Liverpool deliver a crushing defeat to West Ham United, earning them a spot in the competition's semi-finals.

Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones, with two goals, together secured an impressive 5-1 victory for Liverpool. Jarrod Bowen managed a single goal for West Ham, their only shot on target during the game.

Liverpool dominated the initial sections of the match at Anfield, maintaining control in and around West Ham's territory for substantial time periods.

In the first 15 minutes, attempts from Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott narrowly missed the goal, but a stunning shot from Dominik Szoboszlai at the 27-minute mark gave Liverpool their first score. Capitalizing on West Ham's defensive retreat, Szoboszlai successfully propelled the ball into the net from 25 yards out.

Liverpool nearly achieved a 2-0 lead just before half-time when Elliott delivered a cross into the West Ham penalty area. Gakpo reached the ball first but failed to divert his header into the goal, causing the ball to just miss the post.

The second goal for Liverpool arrived early in the second half, this time from Curtis Jones. Assisted by Darwin Nunez, Jones scored from a tight angle, successfully slipping the ball past Alphonse Areola.

Scoring his first goal and bolstering the lead to 3-0, Cody Gakpo mimicked Szoboszlai's earlier tactic of taking advantage of West Ham's lax defense.

Despite the distinct imbalance, West Ham managed to score a surprising goal courtesy of Jarrod Bowen in the final 15 minutes. Despite his limited participation in the game, Bowen managed to curve the ball into the goal's right corner.

The score barely had time to settle at 3-1 before Trent Alexander-Arnold set up Mohamed Salah for a goal, making the score 4-1. In a matter of two minutes, Jones pushed past West Ham's defense to score another goal, extending the lead to 5-1.

Highlights of player performance include Caoimhin Kelleher's competent distribution, Joe Gomez's forward pushes, and a strong performance from Kostas Tsimkas. Dominik Szoboszlai made a standout contribution with his impressive opening goal, while Curtis Jones shined with two crucial goals. Additionally, Cody Gakpo, despite missing an early opportunity, managed to secure a much-needed goal. Mohamed Salah also delivered with another notable goal. Jurgen Klopp's managerial skills earned him an 8/10 rating.

On the West Ham side, Alphonse Areola's performance fell short after allowing five goals. Defenders like Konstantinos Mavropanos and Angelo Ogbonna struggled to hold off Liverpool's relentless attacks.