A frustrating night which Liverpool fans may not have usually been too happy about but one in which many of the club's Academy graduates got a chance to prove their worth.
It was their night to take centre stage against a West Ham side who were obviously going for the win, fielding a very strong 11 and who were not just going to lie down and let the Merseysiders ease their way into the next round.
A very different game to the two previous meetings between the sides, in the form of creativity and goals scored, but Jürgen Klopp took the risk of trusting a young side to match their Premier League counterparts. It was a risk that you could say paid off.
Liverpool have another bite at the cherry and are into the hat for the next stage, but at the same time had the opportunity to rest some key players for Tuesday night's trip to Leicester City, a game Liverpool realistically need to get a result out of if they are going to push for a European place. The Premier League aside however, let's focus in on some noticeable points from this fascinating cup tie.
Allen leads the troops by example
It was very nice to see Joe Allen lead out the Liverpool players on Saturday night at Anfield. The Welshman has really found his form in the last month or so and is playing with a freedom that is allowing him to play to his full potential. Some of his exhibitions for Liverpool this season have been superb and he has added a scoring ability from midfield.
Liverpool fans have largely felt that he has been disregarded in the setup and has not started enough games. The truth is that when he's on the pitch, we play better as a unit. He brings a relaxed style that allows us to retain possession and he has very high passing ability, something he was well known for at Swansea City, playing quick intricate passes and getting things moving.
It was a nice gesture by Klopp to give him the captaincy for the night, for one it showed his trust in Allen as a leader and motivator on the pitch and another fact is that it proved to Allen that his hard work and sterling performances have not been going unnoticed by the German.
In this tie, Allen really grabbed the opportunity by both hands and you could see his pride in his body language and the tenacious way he began the game. Alongside Cameron Brannagan and Kevin Stewart, he got stuck into West Ham, closing down, giving Liverpool urgency and helping out the young lads beside him when needed.
It was a gesture that will improve Allen as a player, underrated by many as he strives to win a permanent place on the teamsheet.
Finishing costs the Reds
It's the problem everybody is talking about and if it was forgotten about after the Norwich City performance, it was certainly brought back up again in this tie.
The lack of an instinctive goal scoring striker is killing Liverpool as a team, the end product is just not there and there are too many "nearly" moments for this stage of the season. Christian Benteke has not brought anything to the party, and the dilemma for Klopp is that the problem may lie with his style of play.
At Aston Villa, Benteke was used to a large amount of crosses being whipped into the box but Liverpool's crossing is not at the level it should be in one sense. You could argue that it's up to Benteke to be good enough to change his role to fit the Liverpool system but judging by his recent performances, nothing is getting any better and Klopp could be left with no choice but to sell him in the summer.
He looks disinterested at times and is not finishing some chances we seen him bag week in week out at Villa. With Danny Ings, Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi all injured, Klopp is just rotating between Roberto Firmino and Benteke, but the big Belgian isn't coming up with the goods that can earn us a higher league finish.
Benteke is not getting enough touches of the ball, something which Sturridge is capable of, and the Belgian's support palyers are looking more of a threat than him when it should probably be the other way around.
Joao Carlos Teixeira had a decent game but squandered a few great chances which could have put the tie to bed and saved another run out. Credit must also go to West Ham 'keeper Darren Randolph who was also very impressive on the night, making some fine stops to keep his team in the tie.
Youngsters excel in midfield
It has to be said that the midfield trio of Allen, Brannagan and Stewart were very impressive. In a game where not that many caught the eye, Brannagan and Stewart really took the game by the scruff of the neck in midfield with Stewart playing the defensive midfield role to perfection, making some key tackles to break up play. He competed tenaciously and showed tremendous aggression while at the same time playing the simple passes, looking comfortable and bringing a sense of security to the middle of the park.
Brannagan was Man of the Match and rightly so. This is a name we will be hearing for a long time with the youngster playing like an experienced pro, not fazed by any challenges, dictating the play with silky passing and whipping in some lovely balls, something Liverpool do not have many players capable of doing properly. This midfield trio really took the game to the Hammers, forcing mistakes in midfield and overall dominating their experienced opponents.
It could be a key night in both Brannagan's and Stewart's futures as Klopp obviously felt they were more than capable of doing a job and they will be looking for some more first-team action as they both continue to rapidly develop as senior footballers.
Ibe just lacking the end product
Many Liverpool fans think a lot of the youngster and expect more and more from him every week. He has been struggling for form recently and just can't find that end product in his game.
There is no doubt that he has been unlucky at times too. We seen how close he came to scoring in the replay against Exeter City where just the crossbar prevented the 20-year-old from grabbing a goal, but his performance levels have dropped and fans are worried. We must remember that Ibe seems to have been around for a long time even though he is only 20 years of age.
The thing about him is his honesty and determination and he just needs a break to get him up and running again. If he finds this consistency in his game, he could become a vital player for the side as he has the ball skills and technique to beat any defenders..
