The Hammers did everything they could, but they couldn’t hand Bayer their first defeat in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, only managing a 1-1 draw at home. Moreover, the “Apothecaries” scored the equalizer once again towards the end of the match. Apparently, having put all their efforts into the European competitions, West Ham couldn’t muster themselves for the Premier League match against Crystal Palace. At least the final 2-5 defeat indicates precisely that. As a result, “The Hammers,” who not long ago were battling for European spots, are slipping further away from the sixth place held by Manchester United. At the moment, the gap is five points, and West Ham has lost their last two matches in the EPL and three matches in the last five rounds.
Jurgen Klopp’s team seems to be dropping out of the title race. At least after a derby defeat to Everton with a score of 0-2, the chances of catching up with Manchester City are close to zero. Overall, Liverpool has only one win in the last four rounds of the championship, with two losses in this stretch. Moreover, these were defeats not from the top teams in the league – Crystal Palace and Everton. And the loss to neighbors Everton looks very much like a knockout blow to their pride. Liverpool is only three points behind Arsenal. But the main thing is that Manchester City is just one point behind, with two games in hand.