Robbie Fowler led a clinical destruction of a West Ham side still basking in the glory of their FA Cup heroics.

But the chances of the Hammers producing another shock were slim on a ground where they have only won three times in league matches.

But West Ham should not be too distressed. Liverpool were awesome at times and produced a performance as good as they have managed anywhere this season.

West Ham flattered for the opening minutes, but they were overpowered and ultimately outclassed by a Liverpool side revving up nicely for a month of cup exploits in three competitions.

Before those crucial games get underway, Liverpool wanted to cement themselves into a genuine challenge for a Champions League berth, and this will do Gerard Houllier nicely.

West Ham may have left Manchester United's cup dreams in shreds, but such efforts twice in seven days were beyond them.

Their highly-rated midfield trio of Joe Cole, Michael Carrick and Frank Lampard could not match the aggression, movement and tackling strength of Steven Gerrard and Didier Hamann, and the watching Sven-Goran Eriksson must have been hugely impressed with young Gerrard.

Fowler scored from 20 yards and six yards, while the deceptive and dangerous Vladimir Smicer blasted a 30-yard cracker. It may have been only West Ham's third away defeat in 13 games, but it was crushing by the end.

The Kop were denied the chance of saluting Paolo di Canio for putting one over on Manchester United. The Italian was supposedly out with flu, but being one booking short of suspension for the Sunderland cup tie, Harry Redknapp was adopting a safety-first approach with his flamboyant star.

The Hammers also had Craig Forrest in goal for the injured Shaka Hislop, while Titi Camara played up front against the club he left just before Christmas.

Liverpool relegated Christian Ziege to the bench, Frenchman Gregory Vignal making his full debut at left back.

West Ham started brightly, full of confidence and neat passing. It upstaged Liverpool for a while, but the closest the visitors came to scoring was on four minutes French loan full back Sebastian Schemmel curled an angled volley into the side-netting after Camara's nod had set up Frederic Kanoute. Sander Westerveld just got there first but had to sit and watch as the Hammers' full back struck his shot inches wide.

Cole drifted into midfield space left and right, and causing all sorts of problems, and it was something Liverpool needed to address. They did so with determined, strong tackling from Hamann and Gerrard as the power in midfield slowly changed.

It took until the 18th minute for Liverpool to get in a shot, it coming from Smicer after Markus Babbel's prodded through ball. But Forrest managed to touch over the rising drive.

But that sight of goal certainly inspired Smicer, and he scored with a cracker 60 seconds later. The little Czech appeared in the same right-side channel and took a pass from Emile Heskey before unleasing a savagely dipping drive from 30 yards that powered into the bottom corner.

After having so much possession and keeping the ball well, West Ham were stunned by the goal and on the back foot for the first time, with Gerrard and Igor Biscan surging at them.

Physically West Ham were being systematically overpowered, and Liverpool grew in stature and dominance.

Chances started to flow. Vignal's long ball down the left evaded Hannu Tihinen as it bounced into the box, and Fowler changed the angle of his run instantly to flick a shot that Forrest was grateful lacked power.

West Ham lacked height with Christian Dailly and Hannu Tihinen in defence, and Heskey was beginning to profit as he started to combine well with Fowler and Smicer, and the big England striker broke through on the left after 30 minutes, held off Dailly and fired in a low shot that Forrest blocked with his legs.

A minute later Kanoute was booked for a sliding tackle on Babbel that left the German in some distress, and he was carried off on a stretcher, clearly in pain. Kanoute was genuinely concerned and significantly there was no remonstrating by the Liverpool players. As Babbel was carried away, Stephen Wright was brought on as substitute.

The loss of Babbel hardly halted Liverpool's power show and they continued to drive forward, Smicer having an angled shot that dipped just over after a fine passing move at pace.

Cole got attention from Hamann, one bodycheck and then a crack on the ankles forced referee Steve Bennett to intervene, although no yellow card was produced.

A minute from the break Liverpool were really in command. Fowler surged from midfield onto a Wright pass, found far too much space to attack and drilled his shot past Forrest from the edge of the box.

Three times in the opening minutes of the second half West Ham could have scored. First when Lampard's effort was charged down with Westerveld flat in the six-yard box, and then when Kanoute broke on the right only for the Dutch keeper to block the shot with his legs.

Next it was a deflected Lampard free-kick pulled from under the bar by Westerveld.

West Ham had to score at this point, you felt, or they were never going to get back into the game.

Their worst fears arrived after 55 minutes when Smicer got clear on the left and squared the ball back for Fowler to blast into the roof of the net.

Nick Barmby had come on at the break for Biscan, but was himself helped away with an ankle injury on the hour, Ziege coming on, just minutes after Rigobert Song had taken over from Schemmel for the Hammers.

Teams:

Liverpool Westerveld, Vignal, Hyypia, Henchoz, Babbel (Wright 33), Biscan (Barmby 45), Hamann, Smicer, Gerrard, Heskey, Fowler, Barmby (Ziege 62).

Subs Not Used: Nielsen, Litmanen.

Goals: Smicer 20, Fowler 45, 57.

West Ham Forrest, Stuart Pearce, Schemmel (Song 55), Winterburn, Dailly, Tihinen, Carrick, Cole (Soma 81), Lampard, Camara, Kanoute (Todorov 73).

Subs Not Used: Ian Pearce, Bywater.

Booked: Kanoute.

Att: 44,045

Ref: S Bennett (Orpington).