Pellegrini backs players after Hammers draw

Manuel Pellegrini says he had no doubt West Ham were capable of producing the performance they did against Liverpool.

Underdogs against the Premier League leaders, and hampered by injury problems, the Hammers battled to a 1-1 draw and were unlucky not to win.

Michail Antonio equalised after Liverpool had gone ahead through a goal by Sadio Mane, which should have been ruled out because James Milner was in an offside position in the build-up.

And Hammers boss Pellegrini was disappointed his team did not end up with all three points.

“Absolutely we are disappointed – no doubt,” he said in his post-match press conference.

“We played in the way I like this team to play. Maybe no-one believed we could do it, but I was absolutely sure and I trust in the players that we can play in the way we did.

“I am very happy with the performance. I think we did a complete performance against a team that has the best defence – we attacked well.

“And in defending, they had two or three shots but they were easy saves and they had two chances that were offside and they scored one.

“That’s why I’m not happy with a point. It doesn’t matter that it was against Liverpool who are top.”