Liverpool

Aadam Patel
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Since the turn of the year, Liverpool have scored more goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties) than any other side in the league.

It's a stark contrast to the campaign up to the new year when no one in the Premier League had scored fewer goals than Liverpool from set-pieces.

Seven of Liverpool's most recent nine Premier League goals have come from set-pieces (5 x corner, 1 x direct free-kick, 1 x throw-in), one more than in their first 38 goals of the season. All three of Liverpool's goals in the first half against West Ham came from corners.

"It's very pleasing because firstly that is the reason we have won," said Slot.

"Second of all, people said well played, and in my opinion we have been better when we lost and better when we conceded from set-pieces.

"The first half of the season, almost every set-piece we conceded went in. Now we start scoring from set-pieces and things start looking brighter and better than when you don't."

At the end of 2025, former set-piece coach Aaron Briggs left the club. The existing coaching staff at Anfield have absorbed his duties.

When asked what had changed about his team, Arne Slot said: "Things went back to normal.

"We have created quite a lot of chances in the first half of the season that too many times did not go in. Maybe one or two small details have changed defensively and offensively.

"Our set-up is slightly different, but the biggest reason is that things go back to normal. There was a time when we were 23 goals behind Arsenal, including penalties, and we have closed the gap a bit."

Read more analysis of Liverpool's win against West Ham here

Pundits Alan Shearer and Ashley Williams join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Newcastle 2-3 Everton

• Liverpool 5-2 West Ham

• Leeds 0-1 Manchester City

Liverpool manager Arne Slot, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "It could have been more than that [goals scored]. Although the goals were not from open play. Big chances, a lot of goals from set pieces were involved. Two for them, three for us and an example of how important set pieces are in football.

"We are a team that gets a lot of corners through the whole season but we struggled a lot in the first half to score from it and we mainly conceded in games. In the last few weeks we are more and more able to score from set pieces and the results look better as well.

"It didn't feel to me like it was a 5-2 game. That is what set pieces can do to a game. I have experienced it so many times the other way. So many times we have been the better team but losing because of set pieces."

On momentum: "We have had momentum but if you have a run of games like we had, so many losses in a row, you fall back a lot. Now for a long time it is very hard to beat us. We are improving, that is obvious. In open play but also set pieces and we are getting more results."

On how much credit Joe Gomez deserves: "Because of how professional he is, but even more because of the person he is. He works so hard to be fit and stay fit and every time he has a setback it is so disappointing for him and for us.

"Playing with a right full-back that can also play as a centre-back also means you have aerial threats in - what I am saying for the 500th time - set pieces."

Liverpool midfielder Alexis MacAllister speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Yes, we could have scored more. They had some chances as well. I prefer to be positive and see the fact we scored five goals which is really good."

On West Ham not being able to reduce the gap to one goal: "That was because in the attacking phase we were really good. We know we need to improve a couple of things, especially defensively because the gaps are too big for us.

"It is what it is, the good thing is that we won. The gap is smaller with Aston Villa and all the teams on top. We a really happy with the result and we need to keep improving."

On scoring four goals in the last month: "I really like it, I really like getting in the box and scoring goals. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. Happy because I can help the team and at the same time I can gain some confidence."

On the team gaining momentum: "Now that we spend some time together, things out easier for us, we understand each other. The last four or five months is when teams show what they can do. That's what we want. We know how important it is to qualify for the Champions League for the club and us as a team. The goal is there and we are going to do everything to qualify and be closer to the teams on top."

You can hear more from Arne Slot on BBC Sounds

Did you know?

• Virgil van Dijk has scored 28 Premier League goals, as many as Gary Cahill, with only John Terry (41) recording more among central defenders in the competition's history (ex. penalties).

• Eight of Hugo Ekitiké's 11 Premier League goals for Liverpool this season have come since the start of December, no player has more in that time

Aadam Patel
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Perhaps the most impressive aspect from a Liverpool perspective was the fact they virtually put this game to bed in the first half. That has been a rarity this season.

Though they did make it hard from themselves, losing the ball carelessly on a number of occasions, there can be few complaints when you score five in a game.

Liverpool were far from brilliant - but Arne Slot's men were clinical and, for the first time this season, they scored three goals in the first half of a league game.

Before this game, you had to go back to 13 December for the last time Liverpool scored a goal before the 41st minute in a league game at Anfield.

But they were 2-0 up after 24 minutes on Saturday - and ended up scoring five in a Premier League match for the first time since they beat Tottenham in April to clinch the title last season.

Four of the five goals involved some kind of deflection, but they all count the same.

In terms of goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties), Liverpool were joint-bottom between the start of the season and 31 December.

But in 2026 they are leading the league - with eight set-piece goals so far this year.

Slot will also have been encouraged to see Joe Gomez start at right-back and the return of Jeremie Frimpong from injury, but Mohamed Salah remains without a league goal in his past 10 games.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Liverpool's performance

What did you make of West Ham's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Image source, BBC Sport

Arne Slot makes one change for Liverpool with Joe Gomez starting at right-back and Curtis Jones dropping to the bench.

Liverpool XI: Alisson: Gomez, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Ekitike.

Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Chiesa, Jones, Robertson, Frimpong, Nyoni, Ramsay, Ngumoha.

Nuno Espírito Santo names an unchanged West Ham side from the eleven that drew against Bournemouth last weekend.

West Ham XI: Hermansen; Wan Bissaka, Disasi, Mavropanos, Diouf; Soucek, Magassa, Fernandes; Summerville, Bowen, Castellanos.

Subs: Subs: Areola, Walker-Peters, Kilman, Wilson, Adama, Todibo, Scarles, Kante, Mayers

Image source, BBC Sport

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Bournemouth v Sunderland (12:30)

• Burnley v Brentford

• Liverpool v West Ham - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Newcastle v Everton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Leeds v Manchester City (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Liverpool v West Ham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Newcastle v Everton", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

I keep hearing how West Ham have turned a corner, and they have improved recently, but I still thought last week's draw at home to Bournemouth was a poor result.

The Hammers were helped by Nottingham Forest and Tottenham both being beaten, but a win would have been massive for them.

Liverpool were very unconvincing at Forest, but they did nick the win.

Some of their fans are still whinging about Arne Slot and he is always being compared with Jurgen Klopp, but they are actually on a decent run of results and showing a bit of spirit too.

They are right in the mix for the top four but now they need to keep winning - I expect them to do that on Saturday.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Paul Birch
BBC Sport journalist

Relegation-threatened West Ham travel to Liverpool in search of what would be only their fourth top-flight win at Anfield.

When scrapping in a relegation battle, Anfield is arguably the last ground West Ham would want to visit to try to pick-up some much-needed points.

The Hammers have won just three of their 63 top-flight visits to Liverpool and only one of those – in August 2015 – has come since 1963.

Encompassing home games, their overall record against the Reds is also poor, with a solitary victory in their past 19 encounters.

At least boss Nuno Espirito Santo has a win at Anfield on his CV having masterminded his then Nottingham Forest side to their first win at Liverpool in any competition since 1969 with a 1-0 top-flight victory last season.

However, the eight defeats the Portuguese has suffered in the Premier League against the Reds is his most against any side.

At least the Hammers come into this match in form. The 11 points they have accrued over their past six league games is as many as they had mustered from their previous 18.

They were left extremely frustrated by their goalless draw with Bournemouth last Saturday, during which they had 20 shots and an xG of 3.27 that was comfortably the highest by a Premier League side not to score in a game this season.

They did, though, find comfort at the other end of the pitch as they recorded a second clean sheet in three matches, equalling their tally across their previous 35 league games.

Liverpool increase unbeaten run but not hitting top form

Liverpool extended their run to just two defeats in 20 matches with a victory at Nottingham Forest last weekend, but they were again unconvincing.

The Reds had to rely on a Premier League record-extending 48th winning goal in the 90th minute or later to secure the three points that keeps them in the mix for a Champions League spot.

It was their third injury-time winner this season - the most of any side - and only one short of their record for a Premier League campaign set in 2008-09.

However, given Arne Slot's struggles with the club's injury list, players losing form and an increasingly restless fanbase, a win is a win.

After back-to-back 1-0 victories, they are now targeting three wins without conceding for the first time since Slot's first three games in charge of the club.

Following their Anfield defeat by Forest, who were 19th in the table at the time, in November, the Reds will be desperate to avoid losing two Premier League home games in a season against sides starting the day in the relegation zone for the first time since 1992-93.

One further statistical quirk involving these sides: Liverpool have scored the lowest share of their goals in the opening 45 minutes of top-flight games this season - just 31% (13 of 42) - while West Ham have scored a Premier League high 59% of theirs in the second half of games (19 of 32).

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool will already know how challenging the trip to Istanbul will be when then face Galatasaray.

Arne Slot's side lost there earlier in the campaign and seeing the way Galatasaray beat Juventus 5-2 in the play-offs is enough to show just how much of a force Okan Buruk's side are at home. Liverpool have played there three times and never won.

That said, they should fancy their chances of doing the job across two legs and it would definitely be a surprise if Liverpool failed to progress after the second leg at Anfield. Even Galatasaray's Victor Osimhen said earlier in the week that he would prefer to avoid Liverpool.

Deal with Galatasaray and the prospect of a quarter-final against Chelsea or PSG is tantalising to say the least. A tie with Chelsea would be a throwback to the Rafa Benitez days when the sides took on each other in the Champions League 10 times in the space of five years.

For Slot though, who repeatedly mentions how close his side came to knocking eventual winners PSG out of the competition last year, taking on Luis Enrique's side would be a chance to deliver a seismic statement in what the Liverpool boss has already described as his most challenging season yet.

On paper, Liverpool will not be fancied to go the distance given the season they've had but this is a side that knows what it takes to reach European finals.

They have a tough draw, with either Bayern Munich, Atalanta, Man City or Real Madrid as potential semi-final opponents. But only a fool would write off the team that has won this competition more than any other English side.

As club legend Ian Rush said on Friday: "If you are going to win it, you have got to beat them all on the way."

The latest news and views on the Reds in two minutes, every weekday afternoon.

Listen on LFC Daily on BBC Sounds

Chloe Bloxam
Fan contributor

Liverpool have been performing better in recent weeks and have also been on the correct end of results.

However I am not sure Liverpool have yet turned a corner this season. The main reason is, I have thought it too many times previously this season and sadly it has not been the case.

Watch more from Chloe above and find more from her at The Redmen TV, external

Image source, Getty Images

The Champions League last-16 draw has been made and a route to the final has been plotted for all six Premier League sides in the competition.

The first legs will be played on the 10 and 11 March, the second on 17 and 18 March.

Here are the ties:

• Atalanta v Bayern Munich

• Atletico Madrid v Tottenham

• Bayer Leverkusen v Arsenal

• Bodo/Glimt v Sporting

• Galatasaray v Liverpool

• Newcastle v Barcelona

• Paris St-Germain v Chelsea

• Real Madrid v Manchester City

Get live reaction and consider your route to the final here

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool have announced record revenues for the club's most recent financial year.

Covering the season in which the Reds won a 20th league title for the year ending 31 May 2025, the club generated revenues of £703m, an increase from £613.8m in 2024.

Media revenue saw the biggest jump, rising by £60m year-on-year to £264m.

The club also increased their commercial revenue by about 5% and matchday revenue - which includes ticket sales - was up £14m to £116m.

On Thursday, BBC Sport reported on how ticket revenues are soaring for the Premier League's biggest clubs.

This week has also brought news of Chelsea making the biggest pre-tax loss ever by an English club, according to numbers released by Uefa.

Liverpool conversely made a profit of £8m in their title-winning season.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against West Ham at Anfield (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Jeremie Frimpong has trained "a few times this week" so is available to face West Ham.

• Florian Wirtz remains sidelined with an injury which he described as "a disappointment for him and for us". On the timescale for his return, he added: "I don't know. Usually when I say that, I do know and I don't want to share that. But this time, I honestly don't know."

• Slot said ending Mohamed Salah's goalless run is a "challenge he has" and "a team thing they have to improve" on.

• More on Salah: "He sets his own standards and they were so, so high. When he doesn't score for a few games, it means people are surprised. We are used to Mo scoring a lot of goals, but we also know this has happened before and in the end, he always starts scoring again."

• Slot added that Salah "is not our only attacker that's not scoring as much", as Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo have also not scored as many recently.

• On another win putting pressure on teams battling for the top four: "We're not so focused on other teams and mainly on ourselves. We know we need to win a lot of games and that is what our focus is on. We are aware of the league table."

• He said Rio Ngumoha's playing time has improved massively over the past few weeks because he "developed and became a better player".

• On facing another team near the bottom of the league after struggling to break down Nottingham Forest last weekend: "I cannot manipulate the fact we have struggled a lot against the teams who were promoted or near the bottom. We understand how difficult winning games in general is - it doesn't matter where they are in the table."

Listen to commentary of Liverpool vs West Ham on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds at 15:00 on Saturday.

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to Slot on BBC Sounds

Got a question about Liverpool? Get in touch here and we'll put it to our experts

Rio Ngumoha has been jumping every hurdle put in front of him and is ready for Liverpool's starting line-up, says journalist and The Late Challenge podcast's, external Mo Stewart.

Liverpool host 18th-placed West Ham United on Saturday and Stewart believes there is no better time to call the youngster up.

"I'm very tempted," Stewart told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"If you looked at the whole season and was thinking 'I'm going to give this kid a start in a game', you'd expect it to be at home to a team in the bottom five. That's what's happening in this game and I think it might be the last time this season.

"On top of that, off the back of him making a real impact in the game against Nottingham Forest and helping to contribute to the win, it feels like a good time.

"I understand though why Arne Slot is so cautious with him. I do think that when you're a player of that talent and age - because he is still really young, he's 17 but a young 17, more 16 - you have to be careful with how he deals with the physical and the mental side of football.

"But with that being said, I am also of the opinion that every time they give him a little bit and how he's dealt with it, every time they have put a hurdle in front of him, he seems to jump it."

Hit play above to hear the full chat or listen here on BBC Sounds

Catch Saturday's full match commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live from 15:00 GMT

Daniel Austin
BBC Sport senior journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Fans of the Premier League's six wealthiest clubs are paying an average of £74 per ticket for each match they attend, while ticket revenues are soaring, according to data from a new report.

The Uefa European club finance and investment landscape report shows that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham earned an average of 19% more money from selling tickets for home matches in 2025 than in 2024.

Among Premier League clubs, Arsenal made the most per fan, per match, earning an average of £89 per ticket.

The biggest increase in ticket income was earned by Liverpool, who made 27% more than the previous year, for a total of £120m.

The figures include matches in all European and domestic competitions and comprise the average price for general admission and hospitality tickets.

The data shows all 20 Premier League clubs made a combined total of £920m from ticket sales last year - an increase of £90m from the previous year.

That total is almost double the total of £514m in ticket income earned by Spanish clubs.

Nine Premier League clubs feature in Europe's top 25 for gate revenue, with the wealthiest six all in the top 11.

The report shows the 20 Premier League clubs are well ahead of their European rivals when it comes to overall revenue, earning a combined total of £6.5bn.

That is almost double the revenue of the next highest division, Germany's Bundesliga, whose 18 clubs made a total of £3.4bn.

Of the 25 clubs who generated the most revenue, 11 were English.

But those revenues did not mean the Premier League clubs turned a collective profit, as only five made a profit while 15 made losses and across the division, there was a combined pre-tax loss of £559m.

Chelsea - with £355m - made the second-highest loss in European football history while Spurs (£129m) were the the third-biggest losers in 2025, with Aston Villa fifth (£85m).

Read Dan's piece in full

Josh Sexton
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool's rich history is one littered with cautionary tales. The territory that comes with playing for a big club.

And yet, two careers in particular have been fresh in my mind this week, that of Michael Owen and that of Rhian Brewster.

Two forwards who played for the Reds during their teenage years, but with very different roles, yet two players who may feel they could have done more with their careers beyond their time at Anfield.

Owen is still publicly - and at any opportunity - proud to show the fact that he won the Ballon d'Or while at the club, yet you always sense a tinge of sadness that his career didn't last that little bit longer at an elite level. Instead, it burned bright and faded fast.

Brewster - some would argue, armed with the added benefit of hindsight - was never likely to reach that level. He certainly came from Chelsea hotly-tipped, though, and the fee he eventually left for symbolised that. Liverpool can rightly feel they got the better end of that deal now.

What if they had chosen to give him more minutes early on, though? If there were a proper development plan in place, meaning he wasn't simply left to be no more than a bench player? You can't help but feel that the lack of success in his career since could be in part due to a lack of top-level football during those years of such burgeoning talent.

For Owen, the opposite was certainly true. Some would argue that he was relied upon too frequently to be Liverpool's answer at such a young age and, despite the success he brought to Gerard Houllier's reign, that took a toll that was too great for his growing body.

It's these two career paths that make what Arne Slot does with Rio Ngumoha next a dilemma. It's clear that the youngster is ready for more minutes, but the club also needs to ensure it doesn't all come too soon for him.

Play him so much that you become reliant, and there's a chance that a growing body may not be able to take the strain, but wait too long to introduce him and potentially rob him of an early peak.

There's no one-size-fits-all solution to when a footballer's career peaks, even if we think we can generally attribute it to a specific age range.

Ramp his minutes up now, by all means, because he's more than deserving. But build him a proper ramp-up plan, so we can try to prolong the potential superstardom that stands before us.

Find more from Josh Sexton on outlets including The Anfield Wrap, external

This is your Liverpool page. Bookmark it, or if you're logged in on the BBC Sport app, press the bell icon and select news alerts. If you're logged in on a desktop, press 'follow' and you'll start seeing more Liverpool content when on the site.

Liverpool are firmly in the frame for Nottingham Forest's 23-year-old Brazil defender Murillo, although Chelsea still lead the pursuit. (Teamtalk), external

Liverpool and Manchester United will not pay Wolves' £50m asking price for 18-year-old England youth international Mateus Mane this summer as they consider the midfielder too raw. (Football Insider), external

Liverpool's 19-year-old winger Trent Kone-Doherty, from Northern Ireland, might soon leave to join Norwegian club Molde despite being offered a new contract at Anfield. (Football Insider), external

Reports that Jurgen Klopp will leave his role as head of global soccer at the Red Bull organisation are "complete nonsense and totally unfounded", says CEO Oliver Mintzlaff. (Sky Sports Germany - in German), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport