Rarely has there been a more contrary season for Liverpool. And the ultimate evidence of that came at Anfield on Saturday afternoon.

Anyone just glancing at the scoreline or even watching the brief highlights of the game against relegation-threatened West Ham United would surmise a pretty routine and rare comfortable home Premier League victory for Arne Slot's side.

Those present, though, will be acutely aware it was anything but. Indeed, Liverpool have probably played better overall in games this campaign and lost, let alone had to settle for a narrow victory.

Yet they managed to match their biggest margin of triumph in the Premier League this season while also scoring five times in a top-flight game for the first time since the title was secured last year with a 5-1 romp against Tottenham Hotspur.

And it was achieved without the two big-money summer transfers on whom Liverpool splashed out...