Good evening! Thank you very much for joining
Sports Mole for tonight's Premier League clash between
West Ham United and Liverpool at the London Stadium!
Liverpool saw both Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur close the gap at the top of the table over the weekend, and they know that only a win will do if they are to restore their five-point lead tonight. The Reds were held to a draw by Leicester last time out, but face a West Ham side in torrid form.
Let's waste no time in getting started with a look at the team news...
WEST HAM STARTING XI: Fabianski; Fredericks, Ogbonna, Diop, Cresswell; Rice, Noble; Snodgrass, Antonio, Anderson; Hernandez
SUBS: Adrian, Masuaku, Zabaleta, Obiang, Diangana, Perez, Carroll
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Alisson; Milner, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Keita; Lallana, Firmino, Mane; Salah
SUBS: Mignolet, Sturridge, Moreno, Shaqiri, Origi, Jones, Camacho
KICKOFF: Here we go, then! West Ham get us underway in what is another huge match at the top of the table!
CHANCE! Early chance for West Ham to stun Liverpool in the opening exchanges! Nobles feed a pass into the feet of Hernandez, who works a yard but curls his finish just past the far post.
It's been a bit of a slow start to the game from Liverpool, who are lacking their usual intensity on the ball in these very early exchanges. Still a long way to go, of course, but a slow start does not usually bode well.
Fredericks gives the ball away to Mane in a dangerous position, but just about recovers enough to block the resulting cross behind for a corner, which West Ham deal with.
Van Dijk threads a lovely pass through for Robertson down the left and he looks for Salah, who has made a sharp dart into the middle. The pass is not quite perfect, though, and West Ham clear for another corner.
That delivery initially looks like it has come to nothing, but Firmino keeps it alive before finding Lallana, who turns into space but then cannot get any power behind his shot.
CLOSE! Liverpool have had a couple of scares early on here! Some poor defending allows West Ham to come forward and some nice touches eventually result in the ball falling to Cresswell, who drills a low strike narrowly past the far post.
Keita looks to thread another pass down the left for Robertson, but Antonio is alert to his defensive duties and makes an important interception.
It's all a bit scrappy from both teams at the moment, with passes and touches going astray.
SAVE! It is West Ham who have looked most like scoring so far, and Alisson is forced into his first save of the night here. The defence backs off Hernandez, who uncharacteristically tries his luck from range, but Alisson makes the stop.
Here is that early chance for Hernandez - one of three decent sights of goal the hosts have had already. Liverpool just haven't got started in this one yet.
CHANCE! Liverpool finally have the first big sight of goal tonight, and Firmino should do better. A loose ball drops to the Brazilian, who has the space to burst into the box, but he scuffs his finish and makes it easier for Fabianski to make the save than it otherwise might have been.
GOAL! WEST HAM 0-1 LIVERPOOL (SADIO MANE)
GOAL! Liverpool have the lead, but it has been against the run of play - and West Ham will feel further aggrieved as Milner was a few yards offside in the buildup!
It is lovely play from Lallana to escape from a tight situation and feed the ball through for Milner, who plays a low ball into the box. It shouldn't go that far given Milner is so far offside, but take nothing away from the finish as Mane spins his man and makes no mistake with his finish.
First blood to Liverpool!
Liverpool will hope that that opening goal sparks them into life as they really had not been at the races before that. They can consider themselves fortunate to be leading this game, and not only because of the offside.
Liverpool come forward again as Salah plays the ball back to Mane, who in turn feeds it to Keita. He tries a back-heel through to Robertson, but the full-back's cross is again blocked behind for a corner.
GOAL! WEST HAM 1-1 LIVERPOOL (MICHAIL ANTONIO)
GOAL! Oh that is far, far too easy for West Ham as they level things up just six minutes after going behind! West Ham play a free kick short but then slip a pass through to Antonio rather than swinging it into the box.
Antonio escapes Keita and then fires his finish in off the inside of the far post to make it four Premier League goals against Liverpool!
SHOT! Keita looks to atone for that poor marking by wriggling away from his man and getting a shot away which takes a deflection on its way behind for a corner.
Liverpool could do with him getting another too...
West Ham are right in this game with 10 minutes remaining of the first half, and if anyone deserves to be ahead here then it is the home side in truth. Liverpool are in real danger of dropping more points if they don't improve significantly.
Cracking stat this one...
West Ham catch Liverpool out from a set piece again as Anderson clips it to the back post, but this time the final touch is lacking and it ultimately comes to nothing.
Mane skips past Fredericks far too easily before slipping the ball to Robertson, whose dangerous low ball across the face of goal is just too far in front of Salah.
CHANCE! Liverpool just cannot deal with these free kicks. A third in a similar situation leads to another golden chance as the ball is whipped into a great area. Rice is left completely unmarked and really should score, but he puts his header just over the crossbar.
Liverpool have ridden their luck in this first half and can count themselves lucky if they go into the break level. Klopp will be demanding a vast improvement for the second half.
CHANCE! Milner swings a free kick into the box and Mane gets in front of his man to glance his header towards goal. Fabianski makes a relatively simple save, though.
There will be one minute of added time at the end of this first half.
HALF TIME: WEST HAM 1-1 LIVERPOOL
The first half comes to an end at the London Stadium, and Liverpool will breathe a sigh of relief to get into the break still level here.
The visitors took the lead against the run of play, but for the most part it is West Ham who have looked most like scoring in that opening 45 minutes. Liverpool could easily be behind in this match, and if they don't improve in the second half then they could be on course for a costly defeat here.
The opening goal arrived midway through the first half as Liverpool took the lead despite having already survived a few chances against them from the Hammers.
There was a terrible decision in the buildup, though, as the linesman failed to spot James Milner a couple of yards offside right in front of him. Milner proceeded to play a low ball into the box for Mane, who turned his man smartly before picking out the bottom corner.
The lead lasted for only six minutes, though, before West Ham deservedly levelled things up through Michail Antonio, who once again scored against Liverpool.
It came from a training-ground free kick routine as a short free kick was then slid down the channel for Antonio, who escaped Keita before firing his finish in off the inside of the far post, leaving Alisson helpless.
© Reuters
Liverpool have really struggled to cope with West Ham's free kicks, and the Hammers have threatened with three from very similar positions.
One of them led to a particularly good chance for Declan Rice, who could only nod narrowly over when he should have scored, while Hernandez and Cresswell have also threatened for the hosts.
KICKOFF: Liverpool get us back underway for the second half at the London Stadium!
CHANCE! Once again West Ham create an early chance in the half - and again it comes from a set piece. This time it is a corner as Diop climbs highest in the middle, but he can only glance his header wide.
It has been very hard for Liverpool to find any space in the middle tonight as West Ham have packed it out. It is not the first time Liverpool have been faced with that conundrum, though, and they must find a way to unpick the lock.
SAVE! Salah attempts to do just that as the ball drops to him just outside the area, but his powerful effort is too close to the keeper.
Liverpool have been so sluggish tonight, but take nothing away from West Ham's performance. It is an unrecognisable one to the 3-0 defeat at the hands of Wolves last time out.
YELLOW CARD! Felipe Anderson skips past Matip, who is beaten all ends up and just drags him down. No complaints there.
West Ham this time go for goal with a free kick, but Cresswell's strike hits the wall and his follow-up effort is a long way high and wide.
The hosts have had 11 shots to Liverpool's six so far tonight, and they are playing with such confidence that they will believe they can go on to win this match rather than simply holding on for a draw.
Now it is Liverpool who find themselves really deep as West Ham apply the pressure. The Reds look very nervous tonight and have been at sixes and sevens in defence on occasions.
YELLOW CARD! Hernandez is the first West Ham player in the book for a late challenge on Fabinho.
CHANCE! Brilliant from Salah as he dances past a couple of defenders inside the box before looking for the far corner with a trademark curling finish, but he cannot get it wide enough to beat Fabianski. Better from the visitors, though!
SHOT! Salah again wriggles away from his man in the area but this time fires his effort well off target. He is beginning to pick up the ball in some dangerous areas, though.
SHOT! This time Robertson tries his luck as he drives forward before letting fly, but his effort goes comfortably off target. One or two signs that the visitors are beginning to show more going forward now.
Almost another chance for West Ham as they hit Liverpool on the break. Antonio turns down the chance to go for goal himself in favour of playing it in to Hernandez, but he cannot get his feet sorted.
Firmino has been really off the boil tonight. He has missed a really good chance and put plenty of passes astray to break up Liverpool attacks.
LIVERPOOL SUB: Jurgen Klopp has seen enough here - Xherdan Shaqiri comes on in place of Lallana.
Less than 20 minutes remaining for Liverpool to find some inspiration here! If it stays like this then Man City would go top with a win over Everton on Wednesday night.
CHANCE! West Ham have struggled to get forward in the past 10 minutes or so, but they come close to taking the lead here. Anderson bundles his way past a challenge in the area and the ball eventually falls to Noble, who lifts his finish inches over the crossbar.
LIVERPOOL SUB: This has not been one of Firmino's best Liverpool games for sure. He is replaced by Divock Origi.
Noble releases Anderson with a beauty of a passes across field to set up a counter-attack, but Matip steps in to stop a one-two between Anderson and Snodgrass.
WEST HAM SUBS: Double change for the Hammers here as Noble and Hernandez are replaced by Pedro Obiang and former Liverpool striker Andy Carroll.
Salah has a go from outside the area after a free kick was only half-cleared, and the ball strikes Van Dijk. The Dutchman reacts in time to carry it into the area before trying to pull it back across goal, but Fabianski is there to intercept the cross.
Just seven minutes of normal time remaining at the London Stadium now and West Ham can start to smell another good result against one of the big boys here. The pressure is increasing, but they have dealt with it well so far.
Every Man City - and even Tottenham - fan will be supporting West Ham right now too. They have been plenty worth this point, if they hold out for it.
Time is really running out for Liverpool now, but they haven't shown many signs of getting a winner so far. Clear chances have been very few and far between for them tonight.
Indeed, in terms of clear chances West Ham have quite comfortably won this game - and few would begrudge them a winner. They are solely focused on holding out for the draw right now, though.
WEST HAM SUB: Late change for West Ham as Arthur Masuaku replaces Anderson.
There will be three minutes of added time at the end of this match.
CHANCE! HUGE chance for Liverpool to nick it late on as Keita lifts a pass through for Origi, who takes it down but then cannot get any power behind his effort as Fabianski collects it.
FULL TIME: WEST HAM 1-1 LIVERPOOL
A second draw in the space of a week for Liverpool and the pressure is really on now!
They are held to a 1-1 stalemate by West Ham, who were well worth the point at least at the London Stadium. Sadio Mane gave Liverpool the lead midway through the first half, but that was a rare moment to cheer for the visitors and West Ham equalised through Michail Antonio within six minutes.
The gap inches up to three points, but Man City will now have the chance to go top on Wednesday night...
Right, that is all we have time for this evening!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's Premier League clash between West Ham and Liverpool as Liverpool miss the chance to restore their five-point lead at the top of the table. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
