West Bromwich Albion will live to fight another day as they came from 2-0 down to salvage a point against high-flying Liverpool. While Darren Moore’s side wouldn’t have been relegated mathematically with a loss it certainly would’ve sent them on their way, but now, they’ll have a renewed sense of optimism and a glimmer of hope heading into the rest of this weekend’s games.
The Reds were always going to have one eye on their Champions League tie against Roma midweek, but for long portions of the game, you could tell which of the two sides were challenging to become Champions of Europe. It was always going to be a game of many big moments, and while it may not have been pretty at times, the dynamic between the two teams made for a fascinating 90 minutes.
Top flight thrills
The visitors started off like a house on fire with Danny Ings scoring his first league goal in what feels like an eternity, proving that there may still be value in him as a Premier League player. For much of the first half, and the second, Liverpool looked in control of the situation despite having rested names like Lovren, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Firmino and more.
Alas, things ironically started to unfold after Mohamed Salah doubled Liverpool’s lead, with the Reds going into ‘on the beach’ mode which allowed the Baggies back into the game. Jake Livermore scrambled in the first goal of the resurgence with just over 10 minutes remaining, and with the renewed atmosphere at The Hawthorns in full force, Salomon Rondon nodded home the equaliser from a poorly defended corner.
Final Thoughts
While some fans won’t think all too much about the Reds’ collapse today, others will look at it as a sign that they’re still capable of such a capitulation at this level. Of course, they’re still making great progress under Jurgen Klopp, but they’ll need to cut out these simple mistakes if they want to become a consistent force in English football again.
Results elsewhere this weekend could still confirm West Brom’s passage into the Championship, but for now, they can be proud of how they’ve handled themselves over the last few weeks. On the other hand, Liverpool will turn their attention towards one of the biggest games in the club’s recent history as they host Roma in their Champions League semi-final first-leg at Anfield.
Match Report
West Brom: Foster (7), Nyom (8), Dawson (7), Hegazi (6), Gibbs (7), Livermore (7), Brunt (8.5), McClean (7), Phillips (8.5), Rodriguez (7), Rondon (7.5)
Subs: Burke (6), Robson-Kanu (6), Evans (6)
Liverpool: Karius (6), Gomez (8), Klavan (6), Van Dijk (6), Moreno (5.5), Henderson (6.5), Wijnaldum (6), Milner (7), Mane (6.5), Ings (7.5), Salah (7)
Subs: Lovren (6), Firmino (6), Oxlade-Chamberlain (7)
Yellow Cards: Moreno
Red Cards: N/A
Goals: Livermore, Rondon :: Ings, Salah
Referee: Stuart Attwell
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