Liverpool’s lead over Manchester City was cut to just three points after they were held 1-1 by a gutsy West Ham outfit in London on Monday night.
The Hammers boasted three changes to the starting XI which lost at Wolves last time out as the injured Marko Arnautovic was replaced in attack by Javier Hernandez, while full-backs Aaron Cresswell and Ryan Fredericks returned in place of Arthur Masuaku and Pablo Zabaleta.
There were also three changes to the Liverpool side which started against Leicester last Wednesday as Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri were replaced by Adam Lallana, Fabinho and James Milner.
The hosts almost drew first blood inside the third minute when Felipe Anderson cut in from the left and played in Mark Noble, who then fed Hernandez before the former Manchester United forward cut inside Joel Matip and hit a low strike just wide of Alisson’s upright.
Cresswell then flashed a shot inches wide of the Liverpool goal on 10 minutes after Hernandez’s ball into the area was only cleared as far as the full-back just outside the box.
West Ham continued to look the more likely to open the scoring with Hernandez again getting a sight of goal on 16 minutes only for Alisson to palm his right-foot effort away to safety.
It was therefore harsh on West Ham when Liverpool took the lead in controversial circumstances in the 22nd minute. Lallana released the ball down the right channel to Milner, who was clearly in an offside position, and he crossed into the area for Mane who turned sharply and fired past Lukasz Fabianksi from just outside the six-yard box.
However, the lead only lasted six minutes before West Ham levelled when Anderson slipped a free-kick down the right channel to Antonio and he advanced into the area before hitting his shot across Alisson and into the far corner of the net off the post.
Declan Rice should have put West Ham in front on 42 minutes when he was left unmarked in the middle when he got up to meet Anderson’s free-kick from wide out on the right, but he somehow guided his header over the top with just Alisson to beat.
Liverpool responded quickly with Mane guilty of spurning a late chance as he met a Lallana cross but sent his header down the throat of Fabianski.
Again, it was West Ham who engineered the first chance of note after the interval with Issa Diop sending a flick header just wide from a Robert Snodgrass’ inswinging corner on 49 minutes.
Mohamed Salah had Liverpool’s first attempt of the second half two minutes later when he collected a pass from Lallana and hit a 20-yard effort too close to Fabianski who gathered comfortably.
Salah created another opening for himself on 62 minutes when he cut the ball on to his left foot down the right side of the West Ham area, but curled his effort into the grateful hands of Fabianksi.
Noble then spurned another decent opportunity for the hosts on 73 minute when Snodgrass’ cross from the byline dropped to him inside the area only for him to slice his effort just over the top.
There were a few hearts in mouths in the Liverpool end in stoppage time when Alisson’s attempted clearance from well outside of his own area almost dropped to Andy Carroll, but Virgil van Dijk did enough to prevent the former Reds’ man from getting a shot off at the empty goal.
Divock Origi then had a great chance to win it for the Reds with the last kick of the game but he scuffed his effort straight at Fabianski.
