Liverpool wasted chances to lead EPL by 3 points
Liverpool 0 - West Ham 0
Liverpool again wasted a chance to take a commanding lead at the top of the Premier League as brave West Ham forced a goalless draw at Anfield.
• Upson pleased for Zola
It is 45 years since they have won at this stadium, so this first point in nine years at Liverpool was a fine achievement.
West Ham have never been known for their defensive reliability at Liverpool, but they were magnificent as they stretched an unbeaten run to three games.
At the back goalkeeper Robert Green, England defender Matthew Upson and Welshman James Collins stood defiant.
And another Welshman, former Liverpool man Craig Bellamy, came close to breaking the deadlock with a 30-yard shot which crashed against a post.
Liverpool are back on top of the table, but by only one point, and this disappointing display follows hot on the heels of an identical result achieved by Fulham here in the previous home league game.
Liverpool dominated, but West Ham repelled the waves of attacks as they grabbed a crucial point in their own battle for survival.
Liverpool called in veteran defender Sami Hyypia and former West Ham winger Yossi Benayoun, keen to take advantage of Chelsea's defeat by Arsenal 24 hours earlier.
Robbie Keane and Andrea Dossena replaced the injured pair Fernando Torres and Fabio Aurelio, with Daniel Agger and Javier Mascherano rested to the bench.
West Ham, without a win at Anfield since 1963, brought in Hayden Mullins in midfield for ankle injury victim Lee Bowyer, in the only change from the side that won at Sunderland last time out.
Mark Noble returned to the Hammers bench after a knee injury, while Diego Tristan made his first appearance in the squad since he joined on trial two months ago.
Liverpool had two early penalty appeals turned down by referee Peter Walton when both Benayoun and then Dirk Kuyt drove the ball at Herita Ilunga from close range.
West Ham had looked nervy, and after 14 minutes Green raced from his line to punch weakly away. The ball fell to Albert Riera whose shot was blocked in the six-yard box by James Collins.
Then from a right-wing corner, Hyypia rose to head narrowly over the bar. The Liverpool pressure increased and Mullins was booked after 19 minutes when he tripped Benayoun in full flow.
Two minutes later another header from Hyypia was kicked off the line by Ilunga.
West Ham's only shot until this point had been a weak long-range effort from Julien Faubert, scooped up by Jose Reina.
But Liverpool kept plugging away, showing the sort of patience in such situations that Benitez called for after the stalemate against Fulham nine days earlier.
Steven Gerrard worked his way in from the right and fired into the sidenetting, before Bellamy - on his return to Anfield after moving to West Ham 17 months ago - almost broke the deadlock.
Bellamy picked up possession and unleashed a fine, swerving drive which crashed against Reina's right-hand post and bounced across goal to safety.
Then Green made a fine point-blank save from Kuyt's header following Xabi Alonso's corner, two minutes from the break.
Kuyt and Keane both saw shots go wide as Liverpool opened the second half on the attack. But Bellamy was still a danger for West Ham, and after running past Hyypia he was body-checked by Alonso, the Spaniard being booked.
Then Green produced a stunning save to turn over a Benayoun drive, before Alonso volleyed fiercely over from a squared Gerrard free-kick.
Four minutes later the ineffective Keane was replaced by French striker David Ngog.
West Ham fancied their chances, breaking out of defence after 67 minutes and winning a corner. And when Bellamy curled it towards the near post, Carlton Cole headed inches wide.
Liverpool then sent on Ryan Babel for Riera after 78 minutes, with West Ham by that stage hanging on as the pressure mounted.
Hyypia headed just wide from a Gerrard corner, the Kop behind Green's goal demanding that Liverpool attack more.
West Ham sent on Luis Boa Morte for Faubert with six minutes of regulation time left.
Green then produced another fine save from a close-range Kuyt effort following Gerrard's deep cross.
Bellamy and Parker created a chance for Boa Morte on the break, but he sliced his effort wide. Babel then broke to see a shot deflected over.
Upson pleased for Zola
Matthew Upson believed Gianfranco Zola was beginning to get his rewards after West Ham ground out a 0-0 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.
He told Setanta Sport: "It's a massive result: it's another clean sheet and perhaps at the end we could have nicked something.
"He (Zola) stuck to his beliefs: he had had a bit of pressure to change things.
"He has got us more organised and drilled and started to change things.
"I'm very happy here at the moment, the team are doing well, I've just got to take each game as it comes."
Former Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy hit the post with a long-range shot in the first half and he also rued the side's inability to convert their chances.
"I'd love to see Liverpool win every game for the rest of the season apart from when we play them. I'm West Ham now," he said.
"We tried to make it frustrating for them and also had decent opportunities.
"It's very difficult to get a result here because they have great players. But maybe we could have got a goal at the end."
"I would also like to congratulate all of the graduates," said Gerrard. "I think this day belongs to them more than me. I've achieved this with great help from a number of players and a number of coaches - everyone at Liverpool Football Club and at international level - and my family who have been with me from day one. 
