Liverpool rallies to 3-2 win over West Ham, 22 points clear

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool preserved its unbeaten record in the Premier League by coming from behind to beat West Ham 3-2 thanks to second-half goals by Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in a thrilling game at Anfield on Monday.

The runaway league leaders tied the record for consecutive top-flight wins at 18 and successive top-flight home victories at 21 – but not without a scare against an opponent languishing in the relegation zone.

When Pablo Fornals gave West Ham a shock 2-1 lead in the 55th minute, Liverpool’s ambitions of becoming only the second team to go through a Premier League campaign unbeaten – after Arsenal in 2003-04 – was under serious threat.

But the Reds were stirred into action and after Salah’s 68th-minute shot squirmed through the arms and legs of West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and over the line in front of The Kop, Mane completed the comeback in the 81st.

A 26th win in 27 league matches restored Liverpool’s 22-point lead over Manchester City and left Jurgen Klopp’s team needing only four more victories to clinch a first English championship title in 30 years.

City is about to lose the title – and might also lose its record for successive top-flight wins next week. Liverpool, chasing a 19th league title, can move onto 19 wins in a row by beating Watford away on Saturday.

It looked like it was going to be business as usual for the Reds when Wijnaldum stooped to head home a right-wing cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold, who claimed his 11th assist of the season from full back. Fabianski got a hand to the ninth-minute effort, yet couldn’t keep it out.

But the majority of Anfield was stunned into silence as Liverpool conceded a home goal for the first time in almost 11½ hours in the Premier League, with Issa Diop pulling away from his marker to glance a corner from Robert Snodgrass inside the near post.

Missing captain Jordan Henderson because of injury, Liverpool wasn’t as authoritative as usual in midfield and was sloppy in possession, especially wide players Salah and Mane.

West Ham also continued to be dangerous at set pieces, though nearly conceded from one at the other end when Virgil van Dijk headed Alexander-Arnold’s corner against the crossbar.

Ten minutes into the second half, Liverpool fell behind in a league game for the first time since Nov. 2 at Aston Villa as Fornals – only just on as a substitute – turned in a low cross from Declan Rice.

Liverpool was staring at its first loss in nearly 14 months – since a 2-1 defeat at Man City on Jan. 3 last year – but was handed a gift by the usually reliable Fabianski.

Salah met a cutback from Andrew Robertson with a shot that headed straight for the Poland goalkeeper, who inexplicably let the ball go through his grasp and roll slowly over the line. Fabianski fell to the ground and put his head in his hands.

Worse was to come for West Ham, which would have climbed out of the bottom three with a point.

A deflected long-range shot span into the path of Alexander-Arnold inside the area on the right, and his lofted cross left Mane the easiest of opportunities in front of an empty net. He made no mistake.

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