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.
Liverpool cruised into the Carabao Cup semi-finals after scoring five goals against a hapless West Ham side at Anfield
Dominik Szoboszlai made the breakthrough for the dominant hosts after crashing home a stunning effort from long range
Jurgen Klopp wildly celebrated his team's first goal of the evening and will be targeting yet another trophy later this season
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.
Midfielder Szoboszlai took aim from outside the penalty area and flashed his unstoppable effort beyond Alphonse Areola
Curtis Jones doubled the Reds' lead after being released down the right-hand side and slotting a neat finish at the near post
Angelo Ogbonna failed to halt Jones' charge and the homegrown favourite then slotted the ball through Areola's open legs
Quite why West Ham made it so easy for the home side will the travelling support, some of whom booed the performance.
The Hammers sit eighth in the Premier League and broke their trophy drought by winning the Europa League last season but the fanbase is still split on Moyes citing a negativity against top teams.
Not that the Scot was in the mood to over-react to a bad day at the office. 'We are doing well. We are trying to challenge the top teams.
'What should our expectations be? Tonight was a tough game for us.'
The gusts that had afflicted Merseyside all Wednesday afternoon subsided for kick off but Liverpool still started like a whirlwind.
They'd already registered eight shots before Dominik Szoboszlai made the ninth count shortly before half-an-hour.
Cody Gakpo scored the home side's third goal after cutting in on the edge of the box and smashing into the bottom corner
Mohamed Salah was introduced as a second-half substitute with Liverpool cruising and calmly buried their fourth goal
There was still time for Jones to notch a fifth, and his second of the night, after capitalising on slack defending to finish
Some sloppy play from West Ham allowed Quansah to step up and feed the Hungarian. The midfielder is famed for his rocket shot but instead of closing down, Ben Johnson stood off and allowed the 22-year-old to pick his spot and fire into the corner.
Moyes seemed content to reach the interval only one behind. The Hammers made it because Cody Gakpo missed a close-range header but they resisted making changes at the interval and fell 2-0 down on 56 minutes.
Darwin Nunez, now goalless in 11 matches and used wide on the left last night, still has his name chanted louder than anyone by The Kop and he made another important contribution by releasing Jones.
The England under-21 star glanced up as if shaping to cross before squeezing his finish between Areola's legs at the near post.
Klopp admitted afterwards he'd been disappointed in how slow Anfield had been to get behind their team - 'we will need them against Arsenal on Saturday' he proclaimed – but at 2-0, the atmosphere inside Anfield was buzzing.
Moyes belatedly sent on in-form Lucas Paqueta but Klopp matched and raised him with a triple change, Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold among the new arrivals.