LIVERPOOL beat West Ham at the London Stadium to move back into third place as striker Daniel Sturridge scored his first goal since January.
Philippe Coutinho’s sublime pass on the half-hour mark cut open the Hammers defence and picked out an unmarked Sturridge who went around goalkeeper Adrian before slotting home.
The Brazilian then scored two of his own after the break before Divock Origi fired in a fourth to complete the Liverpool procession.
Victory against Middlesbrough on the final day of the season will guarantee Liverpool a Champions League place in 2017-18.
In a frenetic opening period there were chances for both sides – Sam Bryam could have opened the scoring for Hammers, and Liverpool should have made them pay minutes later when Joel Matip cannoned an easy header off the underside of the bar.
After a lively start, the tempo dropped as both teams settled in the London sun, but it was Liverpool’s Brazilian magician who turned up the gears and once again orchestrated a Liverpool victory.
The playmaker produced an exquisite pass from behind the halfway line for the opener as Sturridge evaded the offside trap and rolled home a tidy finish.
But despite Liverpool’s dominance, West Ham could have been level before the break had it not been for an astonishing miss by Andre Ayew.
The ball found its way through to Ayew just two yards out from a corner, but the striker drilled the ball against the base of the post, before repeating the feat with the rebound.
West Ham were left to rue that mistake as the second half became a Liverpool procession orchestrated by playmaker Coutinho.
Georginio Wijnaldum’s thunderbolt pinged back off the bar and the Brazilian was the first to pounce before driving another shot home to make it three after a quick Liverpool counter-attack.
West Ham could feel slightly aggrieved at the third goal – Wijnaldum appeared to catch Winston Reid with his elbow earlier in the move – but play continued with Reid down and seconds later Liverpool scored.
And the Hammers woes were compounded when goalkeeper Adrian flapped at a high ball causing chaos in the box before Origi drilled in Liverpool’s fourth.
SOURCE: BBC SPORT
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