This fixture was important for both of the teams. Liverpool being determined to stay in the title race and looking to give a perfect farewell gift to their German manager Jurgen Klopp – who is going to leave at the end of the season – while West Ham United FC who is at the 8th position of the English Premier League(EPL) looked to overcome the Red Devils and move towards to a higher position of the table.
However, the aspirations for both teams ended after a thrilling draw between Liverpool and West Ham United FC by 2-2 at West Ham’s home ground London stadium on Saturday.
Liverpool Wasted a Lot of Chances
The match started positively for the Reds with maximum possession of the ball while West Ham players tried to counter-attack at the slightest moment when they got the ball. Since West Ham United had poor defense but brilliant attacking options it made total sense for them to counter-attack.
However, the counter-attacking display by West Ham finally paid off in the 43rd minute when the Hammers player Jarrod Bowen struck a powerful and sensational shot at the visitor’s goal the corner was taken was excellent but not the Reds’ defense which went unnoticed and conceded a goal for the 16th time in the season by making it 1-0 in the first half.
After the first half, a reenergized Reds tried to attack and create most comeback chances but it was wasted by them. The best chance game was through the Colombian Luis Diaz who made the perfect pass to the Dutch footballer Ryan Gravenberch but he wasted the chance by shooting the ball over the bar.
But in the 48th minute, the pressure on Liverpool for a comeback was done after the Scottish left-back Andrew Robertson leveled the score for the Reds with a brilliant shot from his left foot which went past the West Ham Keeper Alphonse Areola by making it 1-1.
Several chances came for the Reds through Cody Gakpo, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and others but they could not convert it into the goal. However, fortune favored Liverpool again in the 65th minute when a shot from the Dutchman Cody Gakpo took a major deflection off the West Ham player Angela Ogbonna and went straight to the hosts net making it 2-1 for Liverpool.
But the Hammers were not giving away this match, as in the 77th minute the veteran player Michael Antonio simply tapped a header towards the visitors’ goal making it 2-2 after getting a brilliant cross from Jarrod Bowen.
The match ended in a 2-2 draw after a thrilling performance from both the Reds and West Ham United FC.
Liverpool Players On the Draw Against West Ham
After this thrilling draw, Liverpool remain third in the table behind the Gunners and Manchester City with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal upcoming match against Tottenham FC and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City match against Nottingham Forest.
It was certainly frustating for the Liverpool players and the fans as they lost their chances to gain points from the last two games-one they lost out to Everton and another they lost the winning match with a draw against West Ham United FC.
Liverpool player Cody Gakpo stated that ‘We’re in a very, very difficult position. If Arsenal win, it is five points and Man City have some games in hand. Not impossible, but very difficult.’
While Jurgen Klopp stated that ‘We spoke about that in the dressing room and it’s done for me, that’s all.’
West Ham however, remain eighth in the EPL table with 49 points out of their 35 games after Errod Bowen equalled the score of retired Italian forward Paolo Di Canio’s record of 16 goals for West Ham United FC.
The Arguement between Klopp and Salah
Not only the Reds lost the hopes for winning the English Premier League(EPL) by ending the winning match in a draw but also the main highlight of the match was the arguement between Jurgen Klopp and Mohammad Salah on the touchline.
Salah was one of the substitutes introduced in the second half after the Hammers scored the second goal making it 2-2 but he appeared to be angry after he spoke with his manager before being pulled away from the scene by his Uruguayan teammate Darwin Nunez.
🗣️ Mo Salah on his argument with Jurgen Klopp. “If the speak there will be fire.”
🎥 via @j_castelobranco pic.twitter.com/0hzlr4XuUH
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) April 27, 2024
After the match, Mohammad Salah stated to the reporters that ‘there’s going to be fire today if I speak.’
Player of the Match
The Colombian winger Luis Diaz is the player of the match no doubt in that he is the one who provided the assist for Andrew Robertson’s goal in the match and also troubling the Hammers defenders with his outstanding dribbling and passing skills.
But it was also the brilliant saves of the Brazilian keeper Alphonse Areola that denied him to make a name on the scoresheet.
