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LIVERPOOL, England, Dec 20 (Reuters) – Curtis Jones scored twice and Liverpool booked a record 19th appearance in the League Cup semi-finals with a 5-1 thrashing of West Ham United on Wednesday, claiming the last of the four berths.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo and talisman Mohamed Salah, who came on on on an hour, also scored for Juergen Klopp’s side, which turned into a thrashing in the final 20 minutes.
“The form, the playing sheet, the result and the individual forms combine to form a team on the pitch,” Klopp told Sky Sports. “The guys really enjoyed it, they worked hard but they also enjoyed the joy. “football sometimes. It’s great to see. “
Szoboszlai scored in the 28th minute with a powerful shot from 20 yards that went into the corner. Jones doubled Liverpool’s lead with his first goal minutes into the second half after a back-and-forth with Darwin Núñez, running after Núñez’s pass to get his shot into the legs of goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.
Gakpo scored from the edge of the box before Jarrod Bowen pulled one back for the Hammers in the 77th minute. Salah put the game on the back burner in the 82nd minute and Jones completed his brace two minutes later, cutting through the West Ham defence with such calmness that it infuriated manager David Moyes.
“I need to score goals and the team,” Jones said. It’s smart to play well, but you have to score goals. I’ve scored two, so I have a big smile on my face. “
West Ham faced a night against the nine-time League Cup winners before kick-off, hampered by pre-match illnesses and having won just once at Anfield in 60 years.
Chelsea, Fulham and Middlebrough have reached the quarter-finals. Chelsea and Fulham booked their places on Tuesday night with penalty shootout victories over Newcastle United and Everton respectively.
“It’s vital to finish the game. We did as productive as possible and in the end it was a smart game,” Gakpo said. “They gave us a smart team, they gave us some players. What we need to do is stay focused, keep the combination and keep running hard to achieve quality. “
The semi-final first legs will be played the week of Jan. 8, and the second legs beginning Jan. 22. The final is Feb. 25 at Wembley Stadium, and fans at rain-lashed Anfield, keen to see their team in the final, chanted “Wembley” in the final minutes on Wednesday.
Liverpool were coming off a frustrating 0-0 Premier League draw against Manchester United on Sunday. Wednesday’s score could have been even more lop-sided with several near-misses, including a Darwin Nunez shot that rang off the post in the second half. Salah then sent the rebound just wide. (Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Daniel Wallis and David Gregorio)