Beleaguered Julen Lopetegui pays Liverpool the ultimate compliment after West Ham thrashing | OneFootball

Julen Lopetegui must be glad that, unless the FA Cup draw pits them together, his West Ham side will only have to face Liverpool once more this season (12 April).

The Irons manager had endured speculation about his job in recent weeks, although his team had been on a decent run of form prior to the Reds coming to the London Stadium on Sunday and destroying them 5-0, having also thrashed the Hammers 5-1 in the Carabao Cup earlier in the campaign.

Although the hosts offered surprisingly little resistance, it was still an imperious performance from the Premier League leaders, who’ve hit 11 goals in two visits to the capital inside the space of a week.

Lopetegui heaps huge praise on Liverpool

Speaking after the match yesterday, Lopetegui condemned West Ham’s performance on the day but acknowledged what they were up against as he paid Liverpool the ultimate compliment.

The Spaniard proclaimed (via Liverpool Echo): “We’re playing against at the current moment the best team in the world, but we have to do better.”

(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Few would disagree with Lopetegui

The Carabao Cup might be the only trophy currently in Liverpool’s possession, but it’s a testament to how extraordinary they’ve been under Arne Slot that Lopetegui has heaped such glowing praise on a team who, according to Owen Hargreaves recently, have no ‘weakness’.

Eight points clear at the Premier League summit and boasting a 100% record in the Champions League, along with being just three games away from retaining the domestic honour that they won last season, the Reds must be the envy of every other team in English football, and virtually everyone across the world.

We’re sure that LFC’s players and coaching staff will appreciate the compliment from the West Ham boss with the caveat that it matters little unless there are trophies won to back it up, but right now the Merseysiders look more than capable of procuring major silverware in the coming months.

Not every game is as freewheeling for Liverpool as Sunday – this month alone we dropped points against Newcastle and Fulham while also having to come from behind to beat relegation-threatened Leicester at home, with those matches illustrating why Slot will constantly keep his team on their toes.

Nonetheless, it’s staggering to think of how far the Reds have come since the 3-0 demolition at the hands of Lopetegui’s Wolves in February 2023, a result which left us 10th in the Premier League table. Was that really only 22 months ago?