TITLE PRIORITY FOR REDS

Liverpool focused on title, not records: Oxlade-Chamberlain

LIverpool stretched their unbeaten league run to 40 games with a 2-0 win at West Ham United on Wednesday.

In Summary

•Oxlade-Chamberlain netted his second league goal of the campaign after striker Mohamed Salah’s first-half penalty as the runaway leaders sealed a 23rd win from 24 games.

•Liverpool, who are 19 points clear, take on ninth-placed Southampton tomorrow.

West Ham United's Declan Rice in action with Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum
West Ham United's Declan Rice in action with Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum
Image: REUTERS

Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has said Liverpool are focused only on winning their first Premier League title in 30 years after they stretched their unbeaten league run to 40 games with a 2-0 win at West Ham United on Wednesday.

Oxlade-Chamberlain netted his second league goal of the campaign after striker Mohamed Salah’s first-half penalty as the runaway leaders sealed a 23rd win from 24 games.

“That’s obviously nice but teams never get to those sorts of positions and have those accolades and records by thinking about those things,” Oxlade-Chamberlain said.

“There are a lot of tough games coming up so we’ve just got to keep plodding along and doing what we’re doing to achieve what we want to do in the league. That’s the most important thing—finishing as high up as we can.

“We want to keep that going and if records come off the back of that then that’s a little bonus, but you can’t really think about those things.”

Liverpool, who are 19 points clear, take on ninth-placed Southampton tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Liverpool continued their breathless march to a first English title in 30 years, easing to a 2-0 victory at West Ham United on Wednesday to move 19 points clear at the Premier League summit.

Mohamed Salah fired them ahead from the penalty spot in the first half and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain doubled their advantage early in the second to wrap up a remarkable 23rd win from 24 games this season and stretch their unbeaten league run to 40.

In a fixture postponed from December, when Liverpool competed in the Club World Cup, they never looked under any real pressure and picked West Ham off at crucial moments, defending manfully when needed and looking a constant menace on the break.

Salah stroked home from the spot in the 35th minute after Divock Origi was chopped down from behind while Oxlade-Chamberlain finished off a lethal counter attack of the sort that has come to characterise Liverpool’s season in the 52nd.

West Ham had glimpses of goal, with Manuel Lanzini fluffing an excellent opportunity at the start of the second half and Robert Snodgrass drawing a fine stop from Liverpool keeper Alisson, but their plight looks increasingly bleak.

While Liverpool have amassed a whopping 70 points, David Moyes’s side sit 17th with 23, outside the relegation zone only on goal difference.