Liverpool were held to a 2-2 draw by West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.
West Ham took the lead when Jarrod Bowen rose highest from a corner and headed past Alisson in the Liverpool net. Shortly after the break, though, Andrew Robertson curled the ball in to level the game.
Liverpool went ahead for the first time in the game in the 65th minute courtesy of a fortunate goal, which saw the ball ricochet off Alphonse Areola and into the back of the net. But Michail Antonio levelled the game for the hosts with 77 minutes on the clock.
Here, The Athletic’s Andy Jones analyses Liverpool’s display at the London Stadium.
Premier League table: Top three
| Position | Team | Games played | Points | Goal difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
34 |
77 |
56 |
|
|
2 |
33 |
76 |
48 |
|
|
3 |
35 |
75 |
41 |
Will this be a good lesson for Quansah?
No young player is perfect, and playing centre-back in the Premier League is as tough as it gets.
It was an afternoon Jarell Quansah will want to forget given the role he played in both of West Ham’s goals. He gave the ball away in the lead-up to the opener and then lost Michail Antonio for the second. These are the games that should benefit him in the long run.
It should not be forgotten that Quansah played his football on loan at League Two Bristol Rovers last season. He entered the campaign as Liverpool’s fifth-choice centre-half but through injuries and his own impressive performances, West Ham was his 30th appearance of the season.
The 21-year-old has established himself as a member of Liverpool’s first-team squad and may have saved his team spending a significant amount of money in the transfer market.
Quansah (left) had a tough game at times (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Quansah has impressed with his calmness and composure both in and out of possession and his consistency. It has meant he has barely looked out of place and as if he has been a top-level player for years.
He is not the first defender, and many have been much more experienced, that Antonio has outwitted in the box.
Young players make mistakes, the key is how they deal with it. Quansah’s character has shown he can bounce back from setbacks, just as he did after his poor pass to Bruno Fernandes against Manchester United.
Did Liverpool end their recent bad trend at the back?
The theme of Liverpool conceding avoidable goals shows no signs of stopping.
As they tried to play out from the back during a first half they had controlled, but one in which they lacked quality in the final-third, a poor Jarell Quansah pass on the edge of his area gifted West Ham possession. Immediate disaster was avoided as Jarrod Bowen’s deflected shot was tipped around the post for a West Ham corner.
After conceding from set pieces twice against Everton in the 2-0 Merseyside derby defeat, you would think Liverpool would have been switched on, given it is viewed as one of West Ham’s biggest threats. As has been the case too often in recent weeks, Klopp’s side were reactive rather than proactive and were caught off guard.
West Ham took a quick short corner with Liverpool asleep and only beginning to organise themselves. Kudus’ delivery found Bowen, who had space in the middle of the penalty box after peeling away from Cody Gakpo and he flicked a header beyond the reach of Alisson.
Teams scoring easily against Liverpool has become an issue they cannot shake, rearing its head repeatedly since the FA Cup quarter-final defeat to United — even if it only cost them two points on Saturday.
Why is Diaz Liverpool’s sole forward ever-present this year?
Luis Diaz has become the attacker Jurgen Klopp can trust.
With Diogo Jota undergoing another spell on the sidelines, Cody Gakpo’s form hitting peaks and troughs and Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez warming the bench due to their recent struggles with form, the Colombia international has been the only ever-present in Klopp’s front three since the start of 2024.
Diaz has started every Premier League game since the beginning of the year yet continues to look the freshest of any of Liverpool’s players. He earned praise for his Merseyside derby performance when those around him floundered.
He was still the Energizer bunny against West Ham, constantly offering the only real threat throughout with his relentless will and determination to influence and make a difference. If something doesn’t come off he is immediately ready to try again.
Of Liverpool’s starting eleven, the 27-year-old carried a difference in quality, whether attacking Vladimir Coufal or Kurt Zouma one-on-one out wide or drifting inside into pockets of space to drive his team forward.
It was fitting that his assist brought Liverpool back into the game. He drove to the edge of the box and found the advancing Andy Robertson. His shot squirmed past Alphonse Areola at his near post and gave Liverpool a lifeline.
He continued to be the chief creative force as Liverpool chased the win – while his end product continues to be a wider discussion, given he failed to increase Liverpool’s advantage with two efforts saved — he has been Klopp’s reliable man in attack.
What did Klopp say?
We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.
What next for Liverpool?
Sunday, May 5: Tottenham Hotspur (H), Premier League, 4.30pm BST, 11.30am ET
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(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
