Premier League
Liverpool Title Hopes Suffer Huge Setback Against West Ham United
Liverpool’s Premier League (PL) title hope suffered a significant setback as they were held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham United at the London Stadium. The result leaves Liverpool two points adrift of league-leaders Arsenal having played a game more, with just three matches left to close the gap. This does little to boost their hopes of achieving their respective goals, especially with the threat of Manchester City.
The match began with a sense of flatness as both teams struggled to assert their authority. Liverpool dominated possession but struggled to trouble West Ham’s goalkeeper, Alphonse Areola, besides a Luis Diaz effort that struck the post. West Ham, on the other hand, were not particularly dangerous themselves in the first half, Just before halftime, Alisson Becker managed to push Jarrod Bowen’s deflected shot around the post. Moments later, Bowen connected with Mohamed Kudus’ cross from a short corner and scored with a powerful header.
Liverpool, however, showed urgency and determination as they equalized within five minutes of the restart, with Andrew Robertson scoring from Diaz’s pass. The visitors then took the lead midway through the second half through a fortuitous goal with Cody Gakpo’s effort deflecting off Angelo Ogbonna and Tomas Soucek before finding the bottom corner.
Despite further opportunities for Liverpool to extend their lead, West Ham found a way to restore parity with Michail Antonio’s header from Bowen’s cross. In the end, neither could find a winner, settling for a point that did little to boost their respective aspirations.
Liverpool currently sits in third place with 75 points, trailing Arsenal by two points and Man City by one. They have played one more game than Arsenal and two more than Manchester City.
West Ham occupies the eighth position with 49 points from 35 matches. Their next match is against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge next Sunday.
