West Ham 2 Liverpool 2
David Moyes’ side welcomed Liverpool to the capital with all realistic ambitions of winning the title gone for the visitors following their recent results. The Hammers need to win as many games as possible before the end of the season to stand any chance of securing European football again.
The Reds started the game in an attacking mood as Robertson clipped a cross into the box but Gakpo was only able to get a glancing head on it. The ball dropped to Elliott at the back post who got a shot off but could only find the side netting.
Klopp’s side thought they had won a penalty when Alexander Arnold picked out Diaz in the box. His attempted shot found Gakpo who was brought down as he looked to take it around Areola but the linesman had his flag up for offside. The replay showed it was a good decision.
Luis Diaz then picked the ball up on the left and cut inside onto his right foot before getting a shot off, only to see his effort come back off the foot of the post. This has been the problem for Liverpool in the run-in, not turning their dominance in the final third into goals.
Credit: @WestHam
As the visitors looked to play the ball out from the back, Quansah gifted possession to West Ham. It eventually ended up with Bowen on the edge of the box and his deflected shot seemed to be heading into the bottom corner until Alisson got down well to tip it around the post.
From the resulting corner, it was played short to Kudus, who managed to pick out Bowen in the box. He rose to head into the ground, beating The Reds’ keeper as the ball nestled into the far corner to give David Moyes’ side the lead against the run of play.
Into the second half and Alexander Arnold whipped a ball into the back post, finding Diaz perfectly once again. Confronted by a handful of defenders, he laid it off to Gravenberch but his viciously struck effort whistled over the crossbar by a matter of inches.
Diaz continued to cause problems for the hosts and he found Robertson in the box. The Scottish defender got a shot away quickly and Areola could not keep it out as it clipped the post and ended up in the back of the net. It gave the travelling fans some hope they could turn this game around.
Gravenberch tried his luck from distance but it was tipped behind by The Hammers’ keeper although the shot was heading wide. As the corner came in, it dropped to Gakpo, whose shot was going nowhere near goal before it hit Ogbonna and ended up in the back of the net.
Unfortunately for Areola, this went down as an own goal against him. As Soucek tried to clear the deflected effort off the line, it hit the keeper and went in. There seemed to be more West Ham players involved in that goal than Liverpool ones.
Credit: @LFC
Alexander Arnold lifted a ball over the defence and found Mac Allister in the box. His header was too close to the keeper but the Argentine really should have done better. Diaz then cut inside onto his right foot and got a shot off, but it was beaten away by Areola.
The Reds almost gifted an equaliser to West Ham when Alisson fumbled a cross. The Hammers finally worked it to Emerson who struck his volley at goal sweetly but the Brazilian keeper did well to redeem himself with a fine save.
Moments later, Bowen picked the ball up in a wide position and whipped an inch-perfect cross into the box. Antonio met it with a header and beat the Liverpool keeper as David Moyes’ side managed to peg back the wannabe title challengers.
It is getting like Groundhog Day for Reds’ fans as they continue to see their side miss numerous chances and defend with all the solidity of a Soccer Aid match. It has cost them a title challenge, an FA Cup semi final and a place in the Europa League in the last month or so.
To make matters worse for Liverpool, Salah and Klopp seemed to be exchanging some harsh words on the touchline as the Egyptian King waited to come on as a substitute. There seemed to be no love lost between pair, with Nunez getting in between them to calm things down.
As a West Ham corner was cleared, it was Salah who ran away with the ball towards the hosts’ goal. His pass to Nunez was a little behind him so had no choice but to lay it off to Elliott. His left-footed shot from outside the box had Areola beaten but clipped the top of the crossbar and went over.
The points were shared and any feint hopes the visitors had of remaining in the push for the Premier League title ebbed away. Had Jurgen Klopp’s side won, they would have been level on points with Arsenal at the top but their inferior goal difference would have left them in second place.
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