Liverpool manager Arne Slot opted not to make a double change at half-time against West Ham despite Jamie Carragher's pleas.
The trip to the London Stadium rounded off the 19th gameweek of the season for Slot's team, though they have played just 18 times as a match against Everton was postponed. Players picking up five yellow cards during the first 19 games in the league earn a one-match ban, though the threshold for a ban climbs to 10 bookings after that point.
With Liverpool up against Manchester United in their next game, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo needed to avoid bookings against West Ham if they wanted to play a part at Anfield on January 5. Gakpo was one of three Reds stars to score before half=time in an eventual 5-0 win, prompting Carragher to call for changes.
"Gravenberch & Gakpo off at [half-time] please Arne," the former Liverpool defender wrote on social media. Slot ended up waiting a little longer, though, only withdrawing the pair after a fourth goal had gone in.
Luis Diaz put Liverpool in front at the London Stadium, with Mohammed Kudus inches away from an equaliser as he beat Alisson but only found the foot of the post. Gakpo doubled the lead after fine work from Mohamed Salah, and there was no way back for the hosts when Salah made it three before the break,
Gravenberch had a hand in the fourth, feeding Trent Alexander-Arnold to fire a deflected effort out of the reach of Alphonse Areola in the West Ham goal, The Dutch international then made way for Wataru Endo shortly before the hour mark, with compatriot Gakpo leaving the field to be replaced by Diogo Jota.
Jota scored the fifth in the closing stages, with West Ham hitting the woodwork two more times but failing to deliver a shot on target. The result kept Liverpool eight points clear of Nottingham Forest, who beat Everton earlier in the afternoon, while Chelsea and Arsenal can close the gap to Slot's side in the coming days.
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"Yeah [lots of goals] but loads of chances as well," Slot told Match of the Day after Liverpool's win. "It was 3-0 at half time but soon after that we could have scored three.
"On the other side it was good that not every chance that they had went in, they had two or three, one hit the post and one hit the bar. Against Leicester they had one chance and scored. We were a bit unlucky that we did not score in the first few minutes but as well we were lucky that at 1-0 Kudus hit the post."
Hammers boss Julen Lopetegui was full of praise for Liverpool, who had already put five past his team in the Carabao Cup earlier in the season. "Today we have played against one of the best teams in the world in this current moment, but it is true that we have to do much better," he said.
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