Barely time to restart the game as Alan Wiley brings it to a close with West Ham taking a deserved three points against an abject Liverpol side, Benitez's position under real threat now.

Noble buires the chance to all but win for West Ham, sending Reina the wrong way as Upton Park rocks with celebration from the Hammers fans.

West Ham win a penalty after a very clumsy challenge by Carragher on Ljungberg after the Swedish midfielder had got away from Carragher.

Aurelio takes an inswinging corner and picks out the diminutive Kuyt whose header isn't the best, sending it wide of the target.

Xabi Alonso is booked after pulling back Mullins who had just got away from the midfielder.

Its all gone fairly quiet here at Upton Park, both sides seem happy to settle for a point at the moment, a result which wouldn't help either side.

Carlton Cole is brought off to be replaced by Jonathan Spector.

Aurelio has a go from the edge of the penalty area but can only drill it high and wide.

West Ham fail to deal with a Liverpool corner from Gerrard who puts an inswinging corner into the box which is met by the head of Hypia but it goes wide.

Noble causes more problems with another corner, this one falling to Neill who snatches at it, driving it straight past the left hand post.

Its end-to-end stuff now, Lucas has a chance with a header but he can only send it straight at Green who holds it with ease.

Noble swings in a corner from the right which is met by the head of Cole who heads it wide from 12 yards, another chance going begging.

Great chance for Torres which you would expect him to put away, but his right-footed effort from six yards is pushed away by Green

Yossi Benayoun comes off and is replaced by Ryan Babel.

Fernando Torres goes into the book after showing some dissent.

Cole decides he's going to have a go from long range, but his shot is no better than Gerrard's, Cole's shot flying wide from 25 yards out.

Liverpool are having a real go now, Gerrard trying his luck again with a 25 yard drive, this one flying wide of Green's right hand post.

MCartney swings in a freekic from wide on the left which Reina is forced to punch away under the challenge of Cole.

Benayoun takes the corner but its another poor delivery from a Liverpool player, the ball gliding over everyones heads and going out of play on the far side.

Lucas nearly makes an immediate impact trying his luck from the edge of the penalty area, but its blocked by Neill as it goes behind for a corner.

Gerrard tries a powerful drive from 25 yards out but hits it into the back of Kuyt who then tries to control it but is deemed to be in an offside position.

Liverpoolmake a change of their own with Harry Kewell, who has been very quiet, coming off and Lucas Leiva joining the game.

Its a double change for the Hammers with Luis Boa Morte coming off and Matthew Etherington coming on.

West Ham make an attacking change with Dean Ashton coming on for Lee Bowyer.

Gerrard swings in another corner for Liverpool towards the far post but nobody can reach the cross and it goes out of play for a West Ham throw.

Another Noble freekick causes problems for Liverpool, this time Boa Morte picks up the ball and crashes it just wide of the right hand post, another good chance for the Hammers.

Gerrard swings in cross which Neill heads away but doesn't head it very far and Alonso swings another cross in 30 seconds later which this time Neill does deal, heading it upfield.

Torres thinks he is through on goal after a nice ball from Gerrard but the linesman's flag goes up to stop the Spaniard.

Ljungberg tries to find claret and blue shirt but its not a great cross, Hypia heading it away with ease.

Liverpool win a corner which Gerrard swings in but Green does well to claim the ball under pressure.

Thats more like it from Liverpool, Kuyt gets a low cross into the box for Kewell who drives his shot just wide of Green's left hand post.

McCartney pumps a long ball into the box from a freekick but puts too much on the long ball as it flies out of play for a goal kick.

The second half gets underway here at Upton Park with Liverpool hoping they can work their way back into this game.

Alan Wiley brings a cagey first half to a close with Liverpool fading away after a bright first five minutes before West ham dominated the rest of the half, coming very close on two occasions.

West Ham come close again, a Noble inswinging corner finds Cole who turns and shoots but can only hit it straight at Finnan who clears upfield.

Handball by Kewell in the centre of the park but referee Alan Wiley chooses to do nothing about it even though I thought it was a booking for deliberate handball.

Noble puts an outswing corner into the box towards the near post but Torres it back in his own penalty area doing the defending as he heads it away.

Noble swings in the resulting freekick towards the penalty spot but its headed away by Gerrard as Liverpool manage to deal with set piece.

Fabio Aurelio becomes the first name to go into the referee's notebook after tripping Ljungberg.

Ljungberg tries to get a low cross into the box, looking for the on rushing Cole but a good block by Carragher cuts out the cross.

West ham are still forcing themselves on the game and at the moment Liverpool can't find a way to counter act the pressure they are being put under.

West Ham on top now and Alonso nearly heads it past his own goalkeeper, another Noble freekick isinadvertantly flicked on by Alonso onto the crossbar and over.

Bowyer whips in a deep cross after finding himself out wide, but its a poor cross, the ball sailing over everyones heads and is picked up on the far side by Finnan.

Noble swings in a freekick from the left looking for the lankey Cole but Torres does well to nod it away from danger.

West Ham work their first shot of the game and it turns out to be the best chance of the game with Boa Morte managing to blaze his shot over the bar from 10 yards with Reina beaten.

Harry Kewell gets down the flank on his 250th career start and curls in a cross looking for Torres but the Spainish striker can't reach the ball as Green is quick off his line to claim it.

Bowyer slams into Gerrard with an unnecessary challenge in the centre of the park, lucky not to get a booking for that.

West Ham starting to put some pressure on the Liverpool backline but its standing strong at the minute, even Havant & Waterloovile had penetrated it by now!

Yossi Benayoun comes very close to opening the deadlock, turning and nearly chipping Green but can only send it over the bar from 12 yards out.

Fernado Torres tries his luck early on from a long way out but can only drill it into the side netting.

Referee Alan Wiley gets the game underway here at Upton Park

Liverpool XI: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Aurelio, Benayoun, Gerrard, Alonso, Kewell, Torres, Kuyt

Liverpool make 8 changes to the team that avoided humiliation against Havant & Waterloovile at the weekend. Gerrard, Reina, Carragher and Torres all start as they look to close the gap on fourth place Everton.

West Ham XI: Green, Neill, Ferdinand, Upson, McCartney, Ljungberg, Noble, Mullins, Bowyer, Boa Morte, Cole

West Ham welcome back Dean Aston and Matthew Etherington to the squad after the pair recovered from their respective injuries, both starting on the bench. But the treatment room is still full at Upton Park with Bellamy, Zamora and Gabbidon still out.