Mo Salah, Mane and Roberto Firmino have clearly not been discouraged by relatively modest World Cup efforts and captain James Milner was absolutely magnificent.
Over the coming weeks, however, Liverpool will have to work considerably harder than this.
West Ham, supposedly reborn and remodelled under Manuel Pellegrini, looked desperately familiar, despite the presence of five new signings. The London club defended with too high a line, inviting Liverpool to execute their favourite attacking plays at will. Both Liverpool full backs were able to play like wingers and that pretty much said everything. West Ham did none of these things and never looked like they believed they could take something from the game.
Shortly after Liverpool had scored their third, Milner thumped a free-kick straight into Jack Wilshere’s midriff. The former Arsenal player went down as though struck by a cannon.
As he contested the loose ball, Salah then thumped it straight between the legs of Mark Noble. Two down, nine to go. At that stage, West Ham probably knew this was not to be their day.
So both teams are off and running on familiar trajectories. Liverpool know they must find their levels early this season and keep them high. They thrilled us last season but they also finished 25 points behind Premier League winners Manchester City. That cannot happen again.
West Ham must only hope their new players can settle quickly in the wake of this hard lesson. Before the end of the month Pellegrini’s players will face Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United so there really is no time to acclimatise if they are to avoid a return to the unrest that characterised so much of last season.
Here, Liverpool were almost ahead early as they flooded the West Ham half with bodies. West Ham needed to get to half-time still in touch but it didn’t happen. Robertson’s first-time cross in added time seemed to be heading out of play but as West Ham switched off, Milner didn’t. He reached the ball on the stretch to invite Mane to score from four yards. That felt like a significant moment and so it proved.
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