(West Ham – Liverpool 2–2) Mohamed Salah was ready to be substituted. Then West Ham equalised.
Saturday 27 April at 15:37
The Egyptian did not like that.
Jürgen Klopp chose to bench his biggest star from the start against West Ham. And even when Liverpool fell short and needed a goal, Salah sat on the sidelines.
Only with barely a quarter of an hour left to play, when Liverpool had already turned the game around to 2–1, did the Liverpool boss beckon Salah to him.
But before the 31-year-old could set foot on the grass at the London Stadium, West Ham equalized at 2-2.
What the discussion was about is unknown, but replays of the situation showed a very frustrated Salah waving his arms at his own boss and being pushed back by his teammates.
Klopp calmly walked away from the situation.
Even with goal guarantor Salah in the final minutes, Liverpool were unable to fight back once more.
Salah stormed straight into the dressing room at the end of the match.
– There the cup was smoking, Jürgen Klopp, exclaimed Viaplay’s commentator Andreas Toft as the final whistle went.
The result means that Liverpool loses two new points in the title duel with Manchester City and Arsenal. Now there are three points up on league leaders Arsenal, who have one less game to play.
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Liverpool were the better team in a tame and chance-poor first half, and looked for a long time in good control, but that was before they received a real cold shower two minutes before the break when Jarrod Bowen rose to the air on a cross from Mohammed Kudus.
In the second half, Liverpool went out at a completely different pace and got off to a flying start to the half when Andy Robertson equalized at 1-1.
Then, after half-time, the game was turned when the West Ham defense was unlucky and fumbled it. A shot from Cody Gakpo went through one, two and three West Ham players before the ball landed in the back of the net to make it 2-1.
Then Liverpool would only need three points.
Michail Antonio wanted it differently and made it 2-2 with an elegant header beyond Alisson’s reach.
