Gerrard Twice Score from the Spot as Liverpool Climbs Back on Top

Liverpool bounced back on top of the Barclays Premier League standing following a 2-1 win at West Ham on Sunday.

Captain Steven Gerard scored two penalties- his tenth goal from the spot in the ongoing campaign- in between a Guy Demel strike from close range.

The win at Upton Park means Brendan Rodgers’ men have now notched up nine league wins in a row, the best in the division since since Manchester United recorded 11 in succession in 2008-09.

Gerrard has now scored 13 goals in the 2013/14 season while Liverpool have now scored 97 penalties in the Premier League and with Manchester City set to visit the Anfield next week, the dream of a nineteenth title could be nearing its point of realisation.

West Ham were good moving forward in the opening half-hour, but Liverpool asserted their dominance as the half wore on, only for James Tomkins to hand a Luis Suarez ball in the goal area.

Gerrard Stepped up to score his 172nd goal of his Liverpool career but West Ham equalised a minute later through a controversial Demel goal when the Ivory Coast international poked home from a corner kick.

Referee Anthony Taylor and his assistant Stuart Burt had to indulge in a lengthy conversation before giving the goal, after the linesman had raised his flag for an offside.

Scores were leveled at a goal apiece at half-time and Gerard said after the match: “That’s what the linesman flagged for but the referee overruled him.

“It was a huge setback for us but we were determined. We want this really bad and we showed that in the second half. I’m not convinced that we will win the league yet. We have five games left and they are all huge. If we beat Man City next week then all that will give us is three more points.”

The England international scored his second penalty of the night to surpass Kenny Dalglish (172) as Liverpool’s sixth best goalscorer ever.

The resultant play was another big call on referee Taylor’s part as Adrian brought down Jon Flanagan on his follow-through, after getting to the ball cleanly.

“You can see it’s clearly a foul,” Gerrard added.

Andy Carroll made life difficult for Liverpool’s central defencive pairing in Martin Sktrtel and Mamadou Sakho, and nearly scored when he climbed to meet Mohammed Diame’s right-wing cross, heading towards goal the effort then came off against the crossbar.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers: “Andy Carroll is the best in the air in Europe. I thought Martin Skrtel was brilliant to deal with that today. It was a foul by him for the West Ham goal though, the linesman gave a foul so it was disappointing to get a goal given.

“The second penalty was a penalty. Jon Flanagan touches it past the keeper, the keeper gets a slight touch on it but he then brings down Jon.”