Premier League GW35 - West Ham vs Liverpool

West Ham vs Liverpool | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Both West Ham and Liverpool displayed their attacking power in an exciting 2-2 draw at the London Stadium. Liverpool dominated possession and opportunities generated, but West Ham showed excellent finishing to grab a crucial point towards their European dream.

West Ham:

West Ham's current slide in form, which has seen them win just one of their previous eight games across all competitions (three draws and four losses), puts them in danger of missing out on a European spot with just four games left in the season. In between their consecutive losses to Fulham (2-0) and Crystal Palace (5-2) in the Premier League, they were eliminated from the Europa League quarterfinals by Bayer Leverkusen, the reigning Bundesliga champions. The Hammers have only defeated Brentford 4-2 at home in February, their only victory in their past eight Premier League home games. However, they haven't dropped straight games at home since a run of three in 2022.

Liverpool:

Liverpool's chances of winning the title were ruined in midweek when they lost 2-0 to Everton in a thrilling Merseyside derby. On Thursday, Manchester City defeated Brighton, causing the Reds to tumble to third place with one game remaining in their schedule. They are trying to get back after just winning one of their last four Premier League games (losing two, drawing one), and they are still three points behind leaders Arsenal. Prior to their journey to Goodison Park, they had won their last two away games against Fulham and Atalanta, and Jurgen Klopp will be eager for them to get back to winning ways.

Line ups:

WEST HAM STARTING XI (4-2-3-1): Alphonse Areola; Vladimir Coufal, Kurt Zouma, Angelo Ogbonna, Emerson; Tomas Soucek, Edson Alvarez; Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta, Mohammed Kudus; Michail Antonio.

WEST HAM SUBS: Kaelan Casey, Maxwel Cornet, Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski, Danny Ings, Ben Johnson, Divin Mubama, Kalvin Phillips, James Ward-Prowse.

LIVERPOOL STARTING XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch; Harvey Elliott, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz.

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Stefan Bajcetic, Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones, Caoimhin Kelleher, Ibrahima Konate, Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Kostas Tsimikas.

London Stadium | Picture Credits - SportsPro Media

Bowen scored a goal for West Ham and gave them a 1-0 lead | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

First Half: West Ham Strike First

Even though West Ham had more possession than Liverpool, they seized the lead just before halftime. The hosts took the lead thanks to a header from Jarrod Bowen after a well-delivered corner caught Liverpool's defence off guard. West Ham's precision finishing gave them a surprising lead going into halftime, despite Liverpool's overwhelming superiority.

Second Half: Liverpool Fight Back

Andy Robertson's equalisation three minutes into the second half marked Liverpool's rapid response. Cody Gakpo's deflected shot gave the Reds the lead as they kept up their pressure. Nevertheless, Michail Antonio's strong header gave West Ham another chance to tie the score, demonstrating their refusal to give up.

Throughout the game, Liverpool controlled the ball and produced several opportunities, and Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott were a constant menace. Goalie Alphonse Areola made vital saves to keep his club in the match, and West Ham's defence held firm. Michail Antonio's equaliser and Jarrod Bowen's first strike showed that West Ham could make the most of their few chances.

A Share of the Spoils

Both teams split the points in an exciting match with a 2-2 tie. West Ham's tenacity and skillful finishing made sure they stayed in the game despite Liverpool's superiority. Liverpool is now two points behind the league leaders in third place as a result of the outcome, while West Ham is still eligible to play in Europe. As they prepare for their upcoming games, both clubs will aim to build on the victory.

Finally, West Ham's tenacity wins them a crucial point against Liverpool, demonstrating their capacity to compete with the best teams in the league. Liverpool's attacking ability was clear, but they ultimately lost the game because they were unable to turn opportunities into goals. As the Premier League season nears its conclusion, the draw keeps both teams competitive for their respective goals.

Robertson scored a goal and broke the deadlock for Liverpool which levelled the score to 1-1 | Picture Credits: Premier League Website

Antonio's goal for West Ham levelled the score again to 2-2 | Picture Credits: Premier League Website