And then there were two... more dropped points sees Liverpool drop ...

Liverpool will know that they are now almost certainly out of the title race. Their prospects were damaged by their 2-0 defeat by Everton in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Wednesday, and Manchester City’s 4-0 win at Brighton the following evening.

They will wonder how they failed to make the most of 71 percent of possession, 28 shots and two efforts against the woodwork at the London Stadium, but the reality is that, although they are level on points with leaders Arsenal and one ahead of City, they have played a game more than the Gunners and two more than Pep Guardiola’s champions.

West Ham, thrashed 5-2 at Crystal Palace in their previous match, still harboured ambitions of qualifying for Europe, but remained eighth and are running out of games in which to overtake any of the clubs above them.

Jarrod Bowen gave West Ham the lead at the end of a mostly dreary first half with his 20th goal of the season. Andy Robertson levelled soon after the restart with only his second and Liverpool began to dominate, going 2-1 up with an own goal that could have been debited to any one of three West Ham defenders. But Michail Antonio was given too much space to head an equaliser after 77 minutes.

West Ham had struggled at home, with only six wins from their previous 17 league games, and the poor recent form of both clubs along with the early kick-off time did not help to lift a subdued, almost downbeat atmosphere in the opening exchanges. Neither side looked in the mood to take risks, although Lucas Paqueta took one of the wrong sort, lucky to escape a card of either colour when planting his studs into the ankle of Alexis Mac Allister.

Neither goalkeeper had to pull off anything other than a routine save in stretches of play that resembled an over-60s walking football encounter at times rather than a meeting of two team who still, theoretically, had plenty to play for. West Ham appealed in vain for a penalty when Jarell Quansah shouldered Paqueta off the ball, while Liverpool were also denied a certain spot kick by an offside flag against Luis Diaz, but those were rare highlights.

It took half an hour for the home side to rouse the crowd, Vladmir Coufal’s deflected shot demanding a good save from Alisson after Liverpool had blocked a shot from Bowen. Suddenly we had something approaching a game. After 40 minutes Diaz cut in from the left and squeezed a low shot between Coufal and Tomas Soucek but against the foot of the near post. It was the 23rd time that Liverpool have struck the frame of the goal in league matches this season.

But instead of that near miss inspiring Liverpool, it was West Ham who took an unexpected lead. Bowen’s shot was deflected for a corner off the leg of Virgil van Dijk, and when the flag kick came in from Mohammed Kudus, the England attacker got in front of Cody Gakpo and headed in.

It was the 16th time this season that Liverpool had conceded the first goal in Premier League games alone, the 23rd in all competitions. Nine times they had come back to win, so would they - could they - respond? Yes, only three minutes into the second half. West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola seemed unsighted as Robertson’s tame-looking shot came through a crowd of players, and although he got his right hand to the ball, he could only help it into the net.

Game on. Suddenly Liverpool were on the front foot and forcing corners and free kicks. And from one of those corners, they went ahead with a strong contender for the award of scruffiest goal of the season. Gakpo took an almighty swing at a half-clearance, his mis-hit effort hit Angelo Ogbonna and bounced goalwards. Soucek attempted to hack the ball clear but instead hit it against Areola and in.

Mac Allister could have made it three with a close-range header but put the ball too close to Areola, and Liverpool were made to pay. Bowen crossed from the right channel and Antonio pulled away from Quansah and headed in.

Liverpool, aghast at squandering the lead, threw players forward, and Gakpo passed up what looked an inviting chance to score when Areola put the ball down and claimed injury. Anthony Taylor, the referee, did not seem to have stopped play, but instead of putting the ball in the empty goal and asking questions later, Gakpo ran up to the ball then turned round to find out what was happening and the chance went.

Harvey Elliott then shivered the bar from distance, while Mac Allister blocked Antonio’s shot in the final action of a game that was unsatisfactory for the two clubs involved but ended up surprisingly entertaining for a neutral.

West Ham United (4-2-3-1): Areola 6; Coufal 7, Zouma 6, Ogbonna 6, Emerson 6; Soucek 6 (Ward-Prowse 73), Alvarez 5; Bowen 8, Paqueta 6, Kudus 6; Antonio 7.

Subs not used: Fabianski, Johnson, Cresswell, Phillips, Cornet, Ings, Casey, Mubama.

Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson 7; Alexander-Arnold 7 (Gomez 79), Quansah 5 (Szoboszlai 90+1), Van Dijk 6, Robertson 7; Mac Allister 7, Endo 6 (Nunez 79), Gravenberch 6; Elliot 6, Gakpo 5, Diaz 6 (Salah 79).

Subs not used: Kelleher, Konate, Jones, Tsimikas, Bajcetic.

Booked: Endo, Mac Allister.

Referee: Anthony Taylor.