H-T Liverpool 3-0 West Ham: Johnson, Kuyt and Maxi put hapless Hammers to the sword

Goals from Glen Johnson and Maxi Rodriguez either side of a Dirk Kuyt penalty gave Liverpool a deserved 3-0 half-time lead and increased the pressure on West Ham manager Avram Grant.

The Barclays Premier League's bottom side, who have won just once this season, were woeful and could easily have been further behind before the interval such was the hosts' dominance.

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, captain in the absence of the injured Steven Gerrard, made his 650th appearance for the club in their Barclays Premier League clash against bottom side West Ham at Anfield.

The 32-year-old became only the sixth player to reach the milestone, drawing level with former Reds captain Phil Neal.

Right-back Glen Johnson returned after missing three matches in place of the benched Sotirios Kyrgiakos, with Christian Poulsen and David Ngog coming in for Gerrard and the suspended Lucas Leiva as the three changes from the defeat at Stoke.

West Ham manager Avram Grant made two changes from the goalless draw against Blackpool, with Radoslav Kovac and Carlton Cole replacing Scott Parker (chest infection) and Kieron Dyer (hamstring).

West Ham's league record at Anfield was woeful, as they have not won this fixture for 47 years and scored just four Premier League goals in 15 attempts.

So it was no surprise the home side took the game to their opponents with Ngog forcing Robert Green into low save to his left and Maxi Rodriguez firing just wide of the goalkeeper's right-hand post in the first four minutes.

Fernando Torres, with 44 goals in 47 league appearances at Anfield, got in an early sighter when he shot across Green from the edge of the area having been set up by Ngog's run.

The Spain international was then denied by a point-blank block by Kovac after a fluid move down the right involving Johnson, Ngog and Kuyt.

Meireles was next to try his luck and although Green tipped over his long-range effort it led to the opening goal.

The Portugal midfielder, playing in his preferred central role, swung over the 18th minute corner and Johnson chested it down before drilling a low shot straight down the middle of the goal with Green unsighted by Kovac.

Johnson, criticised by manager Roy Hodgson earlier this month for his poor start to the season, looked like he was starting to rediscover his form.

Having twisted his way to the byline he crossed to the far post but Torres uncharacteristically fluffed his first-time shot.

The visitors looked like a team who had won only once this season and they conceded a second from the penalty spot in the 27th minute.

Torres flicked the ball past Danny Gabbidon but it bounced back off Matthew Upson on to his central defensive partner's hand. Referee Lee Probert blew for hand ball and Dirk Kuyt rolled the penalty straight down the middle as Green dived to his left.

The visiting fans were less than impressed and directed their anger at manager Avram Grant with chants of 'You're getting sacked in the morning'.

When Green came for a Meireles free-kick but could only bat it as far as the edge of the area Torres returned the ball on the volley only for Gabbidon to hook it away from the open goal.

West Ham's first effort on target came in the 36th minute when Cole headed Luis Boa Morte's cross goalwards but Jose Reina was barely troubled.

Seven minutes from the interval Green's legs denied Torres from Maxi Rodriguez's flick-on but Paul Konchesky immediately whipped the ball back in and the little Argentinian found himself unmarked on the penalty spot to deflect the ball inside the far post with his head.

A number of Hammers fans went for an early half-time break, presumably contemplating whether to return for the second half.