 This was the opportunity for some of Anfield's lesser lights to shine and on this showing, it'll take a brave manager to deny the likes of Curtis Jones, Jarell Quansah and Harvey Elliott a starting spot at Wembley should Liverpool get there.
Both Jurgen Klopp and David Moyes made six changes from their last Premier League line-ups for this Carabao Cup quarter-final but there the similarities ended.
West Ham were alarmingly passive and bemused their travelling support by waiting until they were 2-0 down before introducing Lucas Paqueta, and three behind when James Ward-Prowse came on.
In contrast, Liverpool were hungry and at it from the first blow of Tim Robinson's whistle, consigning Sunday's drab goalless draw against Manchester United to history, even with Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold starting on the bench.
Moyes hasn't won at Anfield on 21 visits with different clubs and his team didn't play as if they believed in changing history. Liverpool weren't flattered by the final shot count of 29-2 in their favour and conceded only one shot on target, when Jarrod Bowen scored a spectacular consolation after 77 minutes.
Klopp's side haven't been beaten at home since Real Madrid in February and are now odds-on to win a record 10th League Cup with a winnable two-legged semi-final coming up next against Fulham.
After the weekend frustrations, the Liverpool boss gave his shadow players the chance to express themselves with clear instructions of shoot-on-sight and be positive.
Elliott peppered the West Ham goal with three strikes on his own inside the first 20 minutes. Jones ran at Mexican international Edson Alvarez every chance he got and scored his first brace at Anfield with two different, but equally classy, goals.
For the first, he feigned to centre before rolling the ball between Alphonse Areola's legs at the near post. His second was a powerful surge into the box followed by an emphatic finish into the corner.
The 22-year-old is a local lad who has sometimes found it hard at a club who can sign players from all over the world. Klopp has always seen potential – 'we'll have some fun with him' – and this was a perfect showcase for his enthusiasm to take on players.
He wasn't the only homegrown youngster to catch the eye. Quansah looked every bit as accomplished as his defensive partner Virgil van Dijk as they restricted West Ham to nothing and he showed composure on the ball to give the pass to Dominik Szoboszlai for the opening goal.
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