Liverpool vs West Ham final score: Mane provides lone finish as both sides wasteful at Anfield

Flubbed chances from both sides probably delivered a rightful winner as Liverpool beat West Ham United 1-0 in a wide-open match at Anfield on Saturday.

Sadio Mane’s first-half goal was the lone marker of the contest as Mohamed Salah was joined by West Ham’s Pablo Fornals and Manuel Lanzini as players to miss terrific chances on Merseyside.

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The win helps Liverpool put more pressure on Manchester City ahead of Sunday’s monstrous Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium. Liverpool is three points back of table-topping City after both sides have played 27 matches. The rivals have a match remaining next month.

West Ham fails to go above fourth-place Manchester United and its 45 points are vulnerable to Arsenal and Tottenham by virtue of matches-in-hand.

WATCH FULL MATCH REPLAY

Liverpool 1, West Ham 0

Goals scored: Mane (27′)

Shots: Liverpool 22, West Ham 13

Shots on target: Liverpool 5, West Ham 5

Possession: Liverpool 69, West Ham 31

1. All types of wins count: A neutral without table knowledge will have thought this game to be between mid-table scrappers and not a would-be title chaser and visitors hoping for the top four. Even ignoring the missed chances, Liverpool and West Ham provided plenty to the opposition with sloppy play and poor decisions. That said, the team that came away with all three points would be able to go home and raise a glass to three ugly points.

2. Liverpool’s defending not title worthy: The Reds have gotten to their place in this season’s Premier League title race largely by manufacturing loads of chances and finishing a whole lot of them, but both the midfield and back line were not near title caliber in defense as Fornals, Lanzini, and Michail Antonio has