Liverpool increased West Ham’s relegation worries with a 2-1 win in the English Premier League on Tuesday.Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch scored at Upton Park to move to 49 points — eight points behind league leader Manchester United and two points back from Chelsea, who both play on Wednesday.West Ham stayed in 17th place with 20 points.Kuyt took a cross from Peter Crouch and sent the ball in off the crossbar in the 46th minute for the Dutchman’s 10th goal of the season. Crouch made it 2-0 in the 53rd with a long-range strike into the top corner.Blanco Kepa pulled back a goal for West Ham on his club debut in the 77th. Kepa joined West Ham on loan from Spanish club Sevilla last week.Also on Tuesday, Reading beat Wigan 3-2, Sheffield United beat Fulham 2-0 and Portsmouth played out a goalless draw with Middlesbrough. Reading rallied to their win over Wigan. Former England forward Emile Heskey had beaten the offside trap to score the opener for Wigan in the third minute past Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann.Reading leveled in the 31st with a header from Ivar Ingimarsson, and Shane Long headed the home side into the lead in the 51st. Leroy Lita scored Reading’s third goal in the 88th minute. Denny Landzaat scored Wigan’s second goal in the 90th.Jonathan Stead and Michael Tonge scored for Sheffield against Fulham.
