Below-par Liverpool held to goalless draw with West Brom
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ByEurosport
Updated 13/12/2017 at 23:21 GMT
Premier League, Anfield – Liverpool 0 West Brom 0
Mohamed Salah sinks to his knees
Image credit: Getty Images
Liverpool missed the opportunity to return to the top four as they were held to a frustrating goalless draw by struggling West Brom at a windswept Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s side dropped to fifth after Burnley’s 1-0 victory over Stoke on Tuesday night and despite restoring Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino to the starting line-up - which also featured Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah - the Reds were unable to find the winner needed to propel them back into a Champions League spot.
Substitute Dominic Solanke, who replaced Mane on 76 minutes, thought he had broken the deadlock when he bundled home Joe Gomez's cross but referee Paul Tierney correctly ruled the goal out for handball after some deliberation.
Liverpool struggled to create many openings and when an opportunity did present itself Firmino who could only prod the ball wide from a few yards out, while Salah mis-timed a header with the net gaping and Solanke had another effort cleared off the line.
West Brom had failed to win 14 of their previous matches and it was obvious Alan Pardew set out his side to contain the free-scoring Reds, but the visitors only were a whisker away from breaking the deadlock themselves when Hal Robson-Kanu clipped the crossbar with a speculative curled shot from distance.
The hosts rallied as full-time approached but were unable to find a winner. Their second consecutive draw at home means they remain fifth, level on goal difference with fourth-placed Tottenham. Meanwhile, the point is enough to move West Brom out of the bottom three, into 17th.
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Dominic Solanke 'scores'
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TALKING POINT
A rare night off for the ‘Fab Four’: Eyebrows were raised that Jurgen Klopp selected all four of his key forwards, after leaving Coutinho and Firmino on the bench for the 1-1 draw with Everton on Sunday. But even the fantastic quartet was unable to inspire the Reds to victory on a cold, flat night at Anfield. West Brom were intent on playing with 10 men behind the ball and Liverpool simply didn’t move the ball quickly enough to earn the three points. Despite having 71 per cent of possession, they weren't able to turn their dominance into a goal.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Saloman Rondon (West Brom): The forward provided an outlet for West Brom, he led the counter-attack with terrific pace and desire when the opportunity presented itself.
PLAYER RATINGS
Liverpool: Karius 6; Alexander-Arnold 7, Klavan 6, Robertson 6; Wijnaldum 6, Can 6, Coutinho 6; Mane 5, Salah 6, Firmino 7. Subs: Gomez 6, Oxlade-Chamberlain 6, Solanke 6.
West Brom: Foster 7, Nyom 7, Evans 7, Hegazi 6, Gibbs 6, Yacob 6, Krychowiak 6, Livermore 7, McClean 7, Robson-Kanu 7, Rondon 8. Subs: Brunt 6, Rodriguez 6.
KEY MOMENTS
16’ - INCHES WIDE! Firmino should score! Salah's cross goes all the way through to the Brazilian at the back post but he prods the ball just wide. Had he squared the ball Coutinho would have had a tap-in!
29’ - OFF THE CROSSBAR! Wow, West Brom are a whisker from breaking the deadlock. Liverpool try to work the ball out from the back and end up conceding possession. Robson-Kanu tries a curled effort from 20 yards and is only denied by the woodwork.
37’ - CLOSE! Alexander-Arnold drills a low ball across the face of goal, looking for Salah. However, the Egyptian just cannot get on the end of it.
55’ - JUST WIDE! Liverpool slice their way through the visitors' defence as Firmino cuts the ball back for Mane but his first-time left-footed shot is wayward from 12 yards.
56’ - MISS! Oh my, he doesn't normally miss from there! Alexander-Arnold's floats in a cross from the right and finds Salah unmarked at the back post but the Egyptian can only head the ball into the ground and wide of the goal.
82’ - GOAL RULED OUT! Solanke bundles the ball over the line from Gomez's cross and Liverpool are ahead. Wait, no! The referee rules it out for handball. But was it intentional?! Awkward, he was celebrating for some time...
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Dominic Solanke celebrates
Image credit: Getty Images
84’ - OFF THE LINE! A long ball sails over the head of Nyom and it falls for Oxlade-Chamberlain but Foster is off his line quickly to deny him. The loose ball falls into the path of Solanke whose shot is blocked on the line!
KEY STATS
- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last nine Premier League games against West Brom (W4, D5).
- Jurgen Klopp's side are unbeaten in eight league matches, winning five.
- Liverpool have gone 15 games without defeat at Anfield in all competitions since a 2-1 loss against Crystal Palace in April.
- West Brom are winless in 15 league games since August, failing to score in half of those matches (D8, L7). This is their longest run without a top-fight victory since a 16-match streak between February 2006 and August 2008.
- Albion's only Premier League away win in 17 attempts this calendar year came at Burnley in August (D7, L10).
- Chris Brunt is the first player to make 250 Premier League appearances for West Brom.
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