West Ham show there is a fine line between rotten run of fixtures and rotten form

West Ham keep facing top opposition and keep losing to them, and Julen Lopetegui remains unable to change the record there.

Liverpool’s 5-1 thrashing of the Hammers felt a particularly unsightly scoreline at the end — West Ham had not disgraced themselves — but a Carabao Cup exit always felt the likely outcome for Lopetegui’s side at Anfield. They’re out now, and then some.