Sadio Mane’s swift spin and finish put the away team ahead midway through the first half at the London Stadium but parity was quickly restored by Michail Antonio, who found the net via a post after a short free-kick.
And despite half-chances at either end in the second period, no further additions to the scoresheet materialised and Jürgen Klopp’s side were forced to settle for a point.
Team news
Klopp made three changes to his starting XI in the capital, with Fabinho, Adam Lallana and James Milner brought in to the line-up.
Jordan Henderson (muscle), Dejan Lovren (muscle) and Georginio Wijnaldum (knee) were absent from the matchday squad due to injury.
First half
The Hammers made much of the early running and twice came close to profiting from the space being found inside the right channel of the Liverpool defence.
Chicharito broke free in that region in the third minute and after stepping inside his marker to create a shooting chance, curved an effort narrowly wide of the right-hand post.
The clock showed 10 when hesitation from a cross into the Liverpool box spun the ball out to the arriving Aaron Cresswell just outside the left corner of the area – and the full-back angled a sweet low hit back across goal inches off target.
Chicharito drew a careful save from Alisson Becker with a rising wallop from the opposite side of the pitch as Manuel Pellegrini’s men sensed a breakthrough could be theirs.
But, 22 minutes in, it was the visitors who opened the scoring.
Lallana’s immaculate control and quick feet on the right touchline freed Milner to roll a pass to the front post and Mane. The No.10 artfully rolled around Issa Diop and planted a confident left-foot finish beyond Lukasz Fabianski.
The lead was short-lived, however.
West Ham’s free-kick routine released Antonio, running off Naby Keita left to right, and he directed a precise shot off the far post and into the net to equalise.
They might have edged ahead before the interval, too, but an unmarked Declan Rice sent a looping header too high from Felipe Anderson’s set-piece delivery in the final opportunity of the half.
Second half
There was keenness to Liverpool’s movements immediately after the restart and neat approach work by Mane and Lallana teed up Mohamed Salah for a prod too straight at Fabianski.
It was a stretched game by the hour mark and Salah’s jink through a series of bodies off the right flank brought the Egyptian into a position for a trademark curler that was caught by the goalkeeper.
Klopp’s charges were having to balance their desire to push for a second goal with awareness of West Ham’s evident threat on the counter-attack.
The manager turned to Xherdan Shaqiri and then Divock Origi off the bench as the match moved into its final quarter, though hearts were momentarily in mouths when Mark Noble lifted a strike just over at the other end.
Genuine goalscoring opportunities were few and far between, though, despite Liverpool’s increasing residence in the West Ham half.
And their pressure did not yield a way through the hosts’ defence in the closing stages, Origi’s last-minute one-on-one stopped by Fabianski, meaning the advantage at the Premier League summit is now three points.