Liverpool increased West Ham’s relegation worries with a 2-0 win in the English Premier League on Tuesday.
Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch scored at Upton Park to move to 49 points — eight points behind league leaders Manchester United and two points behind Chelsea, who both play on Wednesday.
West Ham stayed in 17th place with 20 points.
Kuyt took a cross from Peter Crouch and sent the ball in off the crossbar in the 46th minute for the Dutchman’s 10th goal of the season. Crouch made it 2-0 in the 53rd with a long-range strike into the top corner.
”It was a fantastic play from all the team,” Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said of Crouch’s strike. ”We practise things like that in every training session and tonight [Tuesday] it was a perfect finish. We have confidence at the moment.”
Blanco Kepa pulled back a goal for West Ham on his club debut in the 77th. Kepa joined West Ham on loan from Spanish club Sevilla last week.
When asked if Liverpool could overhaul Man United and Chelsea, Crouch said: ”It’s going to be difficult. But we’ve said before we’ve got to keep this run going and hope the top two slip up.”
Also on Tuesday, it was: Reading 3, Wigan 2; Sheffield United 2, Fulham 0; and Portsmouth 0, Middlesbrough 0.
Reading rallied to their win over Wigan. Former England forward Emile Heskey beat the offside trap to score the opener for Wigan in the third minute, past Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann.
Reading levelled in the 31st with a header from Ivar Ingimarsson, and Shane Long headed the home side into the lead in the 51st.
Leroy Lita scored Reading’s third goal in the 88th minute.
Denny Landzaat scored Wigan’s second goal in the 90th.
Sheffield United took the lead in the 23rd minute, with Jonathan Stead scoring his first goal since joining the club from League Championship side Sunderland this month.
Michael Tonge made it 2-0 five minutes later with his first Premiership goal. Tonge scored from 6m.
Middlesbrough extended their unbeaten streak to seven games in all competitions, but still haven’t beaten Portsmouth in the Premier League in eight attempts. — Sapa-AP