Liverpool‘s slim Premier League title hopes light additional on Saturday when Michail Antonio’s late header earned West Ham United a deserved level with a 2-2 draw.
Liverpool, reeling from a 2-0 loss at Everton within the Merseyside derby on Wednesday, had been marginally the higher facet in a flat first half. The guests had a penalty denied for an offside within the build-up earlier than Luis Diaz hit the put up.
They once more conceded first, nonetheless, when Jarrod Bowen nodded dwelling shortly earlier than halftime, his twentieth aim of the season in his two hundredth recreation for the Hammers.
The Reds levelled three minutes after the restart by Andy Robertson when his shot wriggled previous Alphonse Areola on the goalkeeper’s close to put up.
Liverpool then took the lead within the sixty fifth minute by the ugliest of personal targets, with Cody Gakpo’s sliced effort bouncing off Angelo Ogbonna earlier than Tomas Soucek’s tried clearance hit the unlucky Areola and crossed the road.
Antonio dragged the hosts again on phrases when he met Bowen’s cross with a robust header within the 77th minute, shortly earlier than Juergen Klopp launched Mohamed Salah in a triple substitution preceded by a heated alternate along with his supervisor.
“We spoke about that in the dressing room and it’s done for me, that’s all,” Klopp advised reporters.
Salah, nonetheless, advised reporters that “there’s going to be fire today if I speak”, in footage uploaded to social media.
Harvey Elliott hit the bar as Liverpool tried in useless to discover a dramatic winner, however they had been held to a draw and have now taken simply 5 factors from their final 5 league video games as their title problem has petered out.
Liverpool stay third on 75 factors, one behind second-placed Manchester City, who’ve performed two video games fewer, and two behind first-placed Arsenal, who’ve a recreation in hand and a much-superior aim distinction.
They can now solely hope that City and Arsenal slip up and Gakpo advised TNT Sports his facet are in “a very, very difficult position”.
“It is going to be difficult, not impossible, but very, very difficult,” he added.
Asked if he had written off Liverpool’s title probabilities, a resigned-looking Klopp stated: “I do not give it some thought actually. I stated earlier than we have to win our video games, we did not win the sport, that does not enhance our state of affairs massively.
“Do they (City and Arsenal) look like they will lose two or three games? No, I don’t think so.”
West Ham preserve their faint possibilities of European qualification alive with a draw meaning they keep eighth on 49 factors, one behind Newcastle United and 4 behind Manchester United, each of whom have two video games in hand.
West Ham boss David Moyes stated he thought Liverpool had been the higher facet, however praised his gamers’ character to get a outcome after falling behind.
“The players stuck at it, we have done it quite often to a lot of big sides here this season … so maybe you shouldn’t be too surprised that we’ve bloodied somebody’s nose,” he added.
Source: www.anews.com.tr