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, have been marginally the higher aspect in a flat first half and 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 house shortly earlier than halftime, his twentieth aim of the season in his 2 hundredth sport for the Hammers.
The Reds levelled three minutes after the restart via 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 via the ugliest of personal objectives, 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 within the dressing room and it’s executed for me, that’s all,” Klopp instructed reporters.
Salah, nonetheless, instructed reporters that “there’s going to be hearth immediately if I communicate”, in footage uploaded to social media.
Harvey Elliott hit the bar as Liverpool tried in useless to discover a dramatic winner, however they have 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 Metropolis, who’ve performed two video games fewer, and two behind first-placed Arsenal, who’ve a sport in hand and a much-superior aim distinction.
They’ll now solely hope that Metropolis and Arsenal slip up and Gakpo instructed TNT Sports activities his aspect are in “a really, very tough place”.
“It’ll be tough, not not possible, however very, very tough,” he added.
Requested if he had written off Liverpool’s title probabilities, a resigned-looking Klopp mentioned: “I don’t give it some thought actually. I mentioned earlier than we have to win our video games, we didn’t win the sport, that doesn’t enhance our state of affairs massively.
“Do they (Metropolis and Arsenal) appear like they’ll lose two or three video games? No, I don’t assume so.”
West Ham hold their faint probabilities 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 mentioned he thought Liverpool have been the higher aspect, however praised his gamers’ character to get a consequence after falling behind.
“The gamers caught at it, now we have executed it very often to a whole lot of massive sides right here this season … so perhaps you shouldn’t be too stunned that we’ve bloodied anyone’s nostril,” he added..