Liverpool drops more points and is out of the title race

Liverpool experienced another setback in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, as they were held to a 2-2 draw against West Ham United. An noteworthy moment was a heated exchange between Klopp and Mohamed Salah, just before the Egyptian striker was brought on as a substitute.

Line-ups

Klopp made drastic changes after the surprising derby defeat to Everton (2-0). Salah, Darwin Núñez, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Ibrahima Konaté were all relegated to the bench, while the Dutch trio of Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, and Cody Gakpo were given the nod by the German manager.

West Ham's manager David Moyes included former Ajax players Edson Álvarez and Mohammed Kudus in the starting lineup. Harvey Elliott, preferred over Salah, provided the first threat of the match. After a misdirected header by Gakpo, the right winger found the side netting.

First half drama

Liverpool dominated and thought they had earned a penalty just before the half-hour mark when Gakpo was fouled by Angelo Ogbonna, who later had the ball hit his outstretched hand by Luis Díaz in the subsequent attack.

Due to the winger's slight offside position earlier in the attack, the penalty was not awarded. The Reds continued to press and came closest to opening the scoring five minutes before halftime, but Díaz saw his surprising attempt hit the post. Despite Liverpool's dominance, they fell behind against the run of play. A deflected shot from Bowen was initially saved by Alisson Becker. However, the resulting corner saw the goalkeeper helpless against a header from West Ham's attacker: 1-0.

Second half

Liverpool started the second half vigorously and created numerous chances. Gravenberch was twice close to equalizing, before Mac Allister's deflected shot leveled the score: 1-1.

Midway through the second half, the deficit was turned around in a bizarre manner. A shot from Gakpo deflected off Ogbonna, Soucek, and West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola into the home team's net: 1-2. The goal was eventually credited to Soucek. Although Liverpool was by far the better team and created the most dangerous chances, West Ham managed to equalize once again. Fifteen minutes before the end, Michail Antonio found ample time and space to head home from close range on a cross from Bowen, escaping the attention of the Liverpool defense.

Salah's controversy

Klopp then made three fresh substitutions, hoping for a breakthrough with Salah and Darwin Núnez. Interestingly, just before Salah's introduction, the German and the Egyptian were involved in a heated exchange, indicating Salah's displeasure with the final words spoken to him. However, Salah's substitution did not have the desired effect, as Liverpool was held to a draw. Elliott came closest with a powerful shot that struck the top of the crossbar. The season is ending on a disappointing note for Klopp's side.