Liverpool blew a lead to drop points for a second consecutive weekend as Jurgen Klopp’s side were held 2-2 at home by West Ham
Liverpool lost further ground on leaders Chelsea as they were held to a 2-2 draw by struggling West Ham United at Anfield.
The Reds started brightly and led after only five minutes as West Ham's recent defensive fragilities undid them again.
Slick passing opened the way for Sadio Mane to play Adam Lallana through the middle and the Liverpool man had all the time he could have wished for to control, turn and fire into the corner.
Under pressure visiting manager Slaven Bilic urged his players to find a quick response, and he almost got one within three minutes as Michail Antonio found space to fire in an angled effort that was tipped over by Loris Karius.
With 13 minutes on the clock, Mane was again behind a threatening Liverpool move, finding Roberto Firmino who saw his effort deflected over the top.
And another fine move, this time involving the overlapping James Milner, was only stopped by an excellent clearing header from Winston Reid.
Jurgen Klopp's side were in almost complete control but they were stunned after 28 minutes when, after a foul by Lallana on Pedro Obiang had given West Ham a free kick 25 yards out, Dimitri Payet stepped up to curl the ball past Karius, who got a touch to it but was unable to keep it out.
It appeared the goalkeeper could have done better and the equaliser unsettled Liverpool, who lost their earlier attacking momentum in the aftermath.
Firmino shot wide after 37 minutes as Liverpool looked to regain the ascendancy, but they were rocked again two minutes later as the Londoners took the lead.
A pass through the middle took a deflection off Jordan Henderson and fell perfectly for Antonio as Joel Matip struggled to react, and the forward's prodded finish had just enough on it to roll over the line as home defenders chased back in vain.
Liverpool felt they should have had penalty in first half injury time when Lallana went down in the area under a Payet challenge, and they came within a whisker of levelling from the resulting corner when a Matip header crashed back off the crossbar before a free kick was given for a Liverpool foul.
Ragnar Klavan came on for Dejan Lovren at the break, and within two minutes of the restart Liverpool were level as Mane's cross was flapped at by Darren Randolph and Divock Origi accepted the chance gratefully, stabbing home to make it 2-2.
And within moments, more fine work inside the area by Mane gave Georginio Wijnaldum a shooting chance that he sent just wide of the post with Randolph struggling to get there.
The home side were dominating and Mane set up Origi for another shot that was deflected away before West Ham had their first half chance since the break when Andre Ayew met a Payet cross but was unable to get a proper connection.
Firmino's low cross from the right was deflected behind as a host of attackers waited in the middle with the hour mark approaching and then Wijnaldum shot wide.
With West Ham struggling to escape from their own half, ex-Liverpool striker Andy Carroll entered the fray, replacing Ayew, but the Hammers were soon on the back foot again as Milner found Origi on the left of the area but he produced a cross that was too close to the goalkeeper.
Randolph made up for his earlier error with a stunning 70th minute stop from Jordan Henderson's curling strike, and as Klopp's side continued to launch wave after wave of attacks West Ham took off Manuel Lanzini and brought on Edmilson Fernandes to shore up their defence.
As time began to tick away, Nathaniel Clyne blazed over the bar after another neat move involving Lallana and Milner's fierce drive from the edge of the area was blocked.
Karius made a strong punch as Carroll closed in on a long cross as the Hammers mounted a late attack, and the visitors held on for a valuable point.
Scorers [ Lallana 5', Origi 48' ] [ Payet 27', Antonio 39' ]
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