West Ham United were convincingly beaten 5-1 by Liverpool in the Carabao Cup third-round clash at Anfield on Wednesday night, a result that has put pressure on manager Julen Lopetegui ahead of their upcoming Premier League game against Brentford. Although the scoreline may have flattered Liverpool, West Ham struggled to compete as a unit, leading to frustration among players and fans alike.
Aaron Cresswell, who started the match in place of Emerson Palmieri, expressed his disappointment after the game, particularly with teammate Edson Alvarez, whose late red card compounded the Hammers’ woes. Speaking to WHUFC.com, Cresswell reflected on key moments in the match, including Alvarez’s costly sending off.
“When you’re away at Liverpool and go 1-0 up, and if Jean-Clair [Todibo]’s header goes in, then it’s a different game,” Cresswell said. “But to concede straight away is disappointing. It’s an old cliché, but we’ve got to move on now and take the positives tonight. Sometimes the decisions [for penalties] go your way, and sometimes they don’t. The sending off didn’t help, but we’ve got to move forward.”