Liverpool fight back to draw with Hammers

Liverpool failed to win at Anfield for only the second time this season as they drew an entertaining encounter with West Ham 2-2.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were ahead on four minutes when Adam Lallana place stroked the ball into the bottom corner.

However, doubts around goalkeeper Lorus Karius surfaced again when he allowed Dmitri Payet’s free-kick to beat him despite getting ahand to the ball.

Slaven Bilic’s side then took the lead when after a mistake from Joel Matip, Michail Antonio’s neat finish beat Karius.

Hammers goalkeeper Darren Randolph gifted the hosts a leveller in the 48^th minute when his attempted punch from Sadio Mane’s cross was turned home by Divock Origi.

Randolph partly redeemed himself when he produced a sensational save late on to deny Jordan Henderson.

The result lifts West Ham out of the bottom three while Liverpool remain in third, six points behind leaders Chelsea.

The hosts took the lead on four minutes when Mane did well to drive out to the left before picking out Lallana 10 yards from goal in a central position and the former Southampton attacker took advantage of slack defending to turn and place a cool effort past Randolph into the corner of the net.

Liverpool looked to build on their early goal and they enjoyed a fine spell of play afterwards with Mane causing problems and Roberto Firmino had a couple of sights of goal, his first shot deflected over the bar while his second went closer, just drifting wide of Randolph’s near post.

The hosts conceded four times last week at Bournemouth and their underfire keeper didn’t cover himself in glory on 27 minutes when Payet’s free-kick from 25 yards was low and a couple of yards inside the post but Karius, despite getting to the ball, wasn’t strong enough and the ball went into the back of the net for the equaliser.

Liverpool’s defensive uncertainty cost them again six minutes before the break when Matip misread a long punt from defence, allowing Antonio in behind and with Karius also slow to react, the West Ham man was able to nudge the ball past him and across the line to out the Hammers ahead.

Matip almost made amends just before the half-time whistle but his glancing header bounced off the top of the crossbar and away to safety.

For all the talk of the Merseysiders being far from secure at the back, they have plenty of goals in them and they were level a couple of minutes after the restart when from Randolph’s poor punch, Origi did well to readjust his feet and sweep home from close range to make it 2-2.

Henderson then went closer still but his beautiful long range curler was somehow tipped over the bar from Randolph.

Andy Carroll came on for the visitors but he was unable to create much off the scraps he was forced to feed off as Liverpool pushed forward for a winner.

Nathaniel Clyne was unable to finish off a lovely one-touch passing move, the right-back’s strike going well over the bar, and West Ham eventually held on for a deserved point.

Source: ISNTV

Photo- Getty Images/John Powell

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