West Ham United held Liverpool to a 2-2 draw at the London Stadium on Saturday, adding further blow to their hopes of winning the Premier League title.
Star attacker Mohamed Salah was benched by Reds manager Jurgen Klopp in an unexpected move that shocked Liverpool supporters.
An own goal gave the Merseyside team the lead, but goals from Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio of West Ham made sure the points were shared, negating Liverpool’s lead.
The draw means Liverpool have now dropped further points in the title race, leaving them with ground to make up for their rivals at the top of the table.
Klopp’s decision to leave Salah, the club’s top scorer, on the bench for the crucial encounter will undoubtedly be the subject of much debate in the coming days.
The Liverpool manager will be under pressure to explain his team selection, especially given both individuals were spotted having a heated argument and the Reds’ recent struggles to maintain their early-season form.
With Manchester City and Arsenal already ahead and with games in hand now, the pressure is firmly on Liverpool to rediscover their winning touch if they are to mount a serious challenge for the Premier League crown.
As the title race heats up, Klopp and his players will need to regroup and find a way to bounce back from this latest setback, with the team’s reliance on Salah’s goalscoring prowess now under the spotlight.
