round of the FA Cup. On 26 February he won the League Cup with Liverpool, scoring his penalty in the shoot-out and winning the Alan Hardaker Trophy as Man of the Match. On 18 March 2012 he scored the winner in a 2–1 victory over Stoke City in the FA Cup quarter-final, securing a second Wembley visit for Liverpool in the semi-finals in what was described as "his most telling Liverpool contribution" so far. Downing scored the winner in Liverpool's first match of 2012–13, a left foot shot in a UEFA Europa League match against Gomel. On 30 August 2012, Downing was deployed as a left back against Hearts. He scored the winning and only goal against Anzhi Makhachkala at Anfield in the Europa League. After the match, he was praised by manager Brendan Rodgers saying "It's been a tough time. He's had a rough ride but he's an important member of our team." On 22 December, he made his first league assist and scored his first league goal in a 4–0 win against Fulham. He scored his second league goal for the club on 2 March 2013, opening the scoring in a 4–0 win away to Wigan Athletic, with a header from a Philippe Coutinho cross. In Liverpool's next match, Downing scored the equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur, in a 3–2 home victory for Liverpool. This marked Downing's fifth goal in all competitions and his last goal for Liverpool. West Ham United On 13 August 2013, Downing signed a four-year contract with West Ham United for an undisclosed fee which was reported to be in the region of £5m. He made his debut for the club, coming on as a substitute for Matt Jarvis in the 2–0 home win against Cardiff City at Upton Park on the opening day of the 2013–14 season on 17 August 2013. Downing scored his first goal for West Ham on 3 May 2014 in a 2–0 home win against Tottenham Hotspur. In the 2014–15 season, Downing scored his first goal of the season against Crystal Palace in a 3–1 away win on 23 August 2014. Downing continued his fine form for West Ham in a diamond formation which saw him being deployed in a central role. On 1 November 2014, Downing scored for West Ham against Stoke City in a 2–2 away draw, with West Ham coming from two goals down to draw 2–2.