Premier League 2018/19: 3 reasons why Liverpool won 4-0 against West Ham United

#2 A disciplined performance from Liverpool's midfield and defence

Michail Antonio struggled against a resolute Liverpool midfield and defense.

Liverpool was often criticised for not having a proper understanding between their defence and midfield which resulted in them losing control of the game, throwing away leads and losing points from winning positions in the previous season.

But their performance against West Ham at Anfield shows how much the midfield and defence have improved from last season.

The back four of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Virgil Van Dijk and Andy Robertson worked in tandem with Liverpool's midfield triumvirate of Gini Wijnaldum, James Milner and Naby Keita which resulted in them snuffing out a number of advances from West Ham's attack.

Wijnaldum operated as the No.6 in the first half, sprayed a number of forward passes and impressed with some astute defensive positioning, thereby breaking up a number of West Ham's attacking moves. The Dutch international finished the game with an outstanding pass accuracy rate of 92%.

Milner impressed with his work rate and maintained Liverpool's flow in the attack, ending the game with a pass accuracy rate of 93%, making three key passes. Naby Keita also impressed on his debut, running at West Ham's defence and complemented Liverpool's front three very well.

Coming to the back four, the full-backs attacked with some swagger and did not ignore their defensive responsibilities which ultimately resulted in West Ham having little joy on the ball. The Centre Halves, Joe Gomez and Virgil Van Dijk marshaled Arnautovic with great aplomb, with the Austrian cutting a frustrated figure throughout the game.

Overall, a much-improved understanding between these two units helped Liverpool prevent West Ham's attackers from inflicting damage with the hosts securing all three points.