The faces on the pitch and in the technical department may have changed, but the story remains the same for Liverpool and West Ham in the Carabao Cup. For the second season in a row, Liverpool beat the Hammers 5-1 at Anfield to progress in the competition that meant so much to Jurgen Klopp seven months ago. There was no sign of the promised improvement from Julen Lopetegui’s team.

For Arne Slot, however, it was another hugely encouraging display as Liverpool went into the fourth round with plenty left to spare. His team recovered from a Jarell Quansah own goal to dismantle West Ham with two goals each from Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo, plus a solitary strike from substitute Mohamed Salah. A deserved red card for Edson Álvarez capped a miserable night up north for West Ham.

The slow start to Lopetegui’s reign wasn’t the only thing bothering West Ham’s sizeable Anfield supporters. In the opening minutes of the third round, they held a banner reading “Stop exploiting loyalty” in protest at rising ticket prices and the removal of some concessions at their club. Liverpool fans also joined in the protest when it was held outside the stadium before kick-off. A promising, productive period midway through the first half helped lift the spirits of the visitors, if only temporarily.

A Liverpool team that made nine changes from Saturday’s Premier League win over Bournemouth, and included a full debut for recent signing Federico Chiesa, started strongly. Darwin Núñez was a constant threat to the West Ham defence, often winning back possession and giving his opponents zero time on the ball. However, the hosts’ efforts produced few chances. West Ham, by contrast, were threatening once they settled into the game.

Jean-Clair Todibo should have done better than to head wide after connecting Aaron Cresswell’s free-kick. Moments later, captain Jarrod Bowen began a determined run down the right before releasing Crysencio Summerville into acres of space on the left. The summer signing’s heavy first touch looked to have squandered the chance, but the ball bounced back to Danny Ings, who converted via the legs of Caoimhín Kelleher. The former Liverpool striker was both unmarked and offside, though West Ham’s celebrations were not interrupted for long.

The breakthrough was an absolute mess from Slot’s perspective. Todibo headed a Bowen corner to Álvarez, who struggled to clear the ball from under his feet and was thwarted by Conor Bradley’s tackle when he finally did. Wataru Endo tried to clear the ball but managed to smash it into Quansah and the hapless defender.

West Ham’s joy lasted just four minutes. Liverpool equalised thanks to a fluid movement and Jota’s sharp reactions. The Portugal international pierced the visitors’ defence with a one-touch pass, allowing Gakpo to power down the left flank. Gakpo’s delicate cross fell to Chiesa, who unleashed an acrobatic volley into the ground for Lukasz Fabianski. Before either the West Ham keeper or Max Kilman could intervene, Jota shot wide of the pair as the ball left the Italy international’s foot, and equalised with a brave header from close range.

Jota tormented West Ham again when Liverpool took the lead shortly after half-time, minutes after Quansah had survived strong appeals from the visitors for handball in his own penalty area. There was more to come when Bowen’s cross struck Kostas Tsimikas. Referee Andy Madley was again unmoved, rightly as it turned out, and gave Lopetegui a yellow card for his protests. Replays showed the ball struck the left-back in the stomach.

Liverpool’s lead was largely down to the determination and vision of Curtis Jones. The midfielder created the goal first with a strong, driving run from deep in his own half and then, after exchanging passes with Gakpo, by sliding a perfectly weighted ball into the path of Jota in the penalty area. The striker showed his customary accuracy in front of goal to find Fabianski’s bottom left corner.

West Ham briefly threatened to recover, but were missing a player with the predatory instincts of Liverpool’s number 20. Kilman had a glorious chance to equalise after Kelleher made an impressive block from substitute Michail Antonio. The defender struggled too long on the rebound and allowed the Liverpool defence to overpower him. Carlos Soler could also have restored an equaliser, but skied a volley high into the Anfield Road stand from 12 yards. Their night quickly deteriorated after that.

Mohamed Salah, Chiesa’s second-half replacement, brought West Ham level with a convincing finish. Fabianski saved another Liverpool substitute, Alexis Mac Allister, after Salah had brought Bradley to the byline and the right-back had pulled the ball back for the Argentine midfielder. The rebound fell perfectly for Salah to fire an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net. Salah was then left in a heap by Alvarez’s late foul. It was the West Ham midfielder’s second yellow card and he could do no wrong when the inevitable red card was shown.

There was still time for Gakpo to add to West Ham’s misery with a late fourth, swept into the bottom corner after a neat exchange with Núñez, and a fifth with another low drive deflected past the exposed Fabianski. The defending champions move on.