Hammers stall United's title march

Equaliser ... Robin van Persie celebrates his goal against West Ham Source: Matt Dunham / AP

Robin van Persie's late goal earned Manchester United a 2-2 draw with West Ham at Upton Park to inch them closer to the Barclays Premier League title.

United were twice forced to come from behind for a share of the spoils with goals from Antonio Valencia and van Persie cancelling out efforts from Ricardo Vaz Te and Mohamed Diame.

The draw leaves United 13 point clear at the top of the table, while the point all but secures West Ham's Premier League safety.

West Ham started on the front foot and in-form striker Andy Carroll went close to scoring after just five minutes when he fired in a shot from the edge of the box which flew just wide of the far post.

The home continued to push forward and they made their early pressure count on 16 minutes when Ricardo Vaz Te found the net from close-range with his first goal since October. Matt Jarvis beat Rio Ferdinand down the right before hanging up a cross to the far post for Carroll to head back across goal to allow Vaz Te to nod the ball home from four yards out.

After a slow start United finally sprung into life just past the half hour mark as Antonio Valencia drew the visitors level with his first league goal of the season. Shinji Kagawa was the architect of the goal as he played a neat one-two with van Persie to get into the West Ham box before crossing for Valencia to fire home the simplest of finishes inside the six-yard box.

The first half ended in controversial fashion when Carroll caught David De Gea with robust aerial challenge from a West Ham corner much to the annoyance of Sir Alex Ferguson on the sidelines.

United really should have taken the lead seconds after the restart when Wayne Rooney picked out van Persie inside the box with a perfect pass and he headed the ball down into the path of Phil Jones only for the youngster to get his shot all wrong in front of goal.

The impressive Carroll was inches away from restoring West Ham's lead on 52 minutes with an ambitious left-footed half volley from 30 yards out which flew just wide of a worried De Gea's goal.

Three minutes later West Ham hit the front again with a stunning strike from Diame. Guy Demel found Diame on the edge of the box and he brilliantly turned Rooney before firing an unstoppable left-footed shot into the bottom far corner to send the home fans into raptures.

United went close to equalising for a second time on 63 minutes when van Persie picked out Rooney from a well-worked corner and his shot was kicked off the line by Gary O'Neil.

The league leaders drew level on 13 minutes from time when van Persie was on hand to fire high into then net after Kagawa's superb effort came off both posts.

United threw everything at West Ham in the closing stages, but the closest they came to a winner was when Jussi Jaaskelainen produced a smart save from substitute Javier Hernandez's header.

Read more: http://www1.skysports.com/football/live/match/284612/report

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Hammers hold Reds to Anfield draw

Dogfight ... Liverpool had plenty of chances but couldn't find a way through the Hammers. Source: AP

Liverpool's hopes of qualifying for Europe suffered a blow as they were held 0-0 by West Ham at Anfield on Sunday.

Brendan Rodgers's side had plenty of possession but struggled to break down a resilient Hammers team that actually came closest to scoring when Jack Collison saw a header cleared off the line.

The result means the Reds remain in seventh, while Sam Allardyce's side edge closer to the safety of mid-table in their first season back in the Barclays Premier League.

Philippe Coutinho had spoken in the build-up to the game of his growing understanding with Luis Suarez and the little Brazilian was at the heart of Liverpool's best work before the break.

Although the home side dominated possession, chances were few and far between and it was West Ham with the best opening of the first half - created and spurned by Mohamed Diame.

The midfielder wriggled clear of two men in the corner then evaded a third before dancing past Steven Gerrard and Stewart Downing only to blaze over from close range.

Downing was substituted shortly afterwards with an injury and was replaced by Daniel Sturridge with the former Chelsea man adding more impetus to the Liverpool attack.

But despite plenty of pressure, with Suarez forcing a good save from Jussi Jaaskelainen down low, the Reds found the Hammers in resilient mood and the visitors got to the break all-square.

Liverpool upped the tempo after the interval with Gerrard to the fore as he saw a cross well cleared by Guy Demel before having a shot blocked on the line after clever play by Suarez.

The Reds skipper then thought he'd won a penalty in front of the Kop but, despite loud protestations, it was shown that James Tomkins got a slight touch on the ball after sliding in.

West Ham remained an intermittent threat on the break and nearly stole the points when Collison beat Pepe Reina with a header from a left-wing corner that Lucas somehow cleared off the line.

Liverpool huffed and puffed but they could find no way past a spirited West Ham defence led by the combative James Collins and the away side held on for a deserved point.

Rodgers was unwilling to criticise his players after the game, instead focusing on the impressive build-up play.

"We obviously played very well," he told Sky Sports. "I thought some of our game today was very good."

Allardyce was just as happy with his own side and felt the Hammers might even have claimed all three points.

"I am absolutely delighted with the point but also a little disappointed we didn't win this game."

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