LIVERPOOL were denied a third-straight Premier League with as West Brom salvaged a late point at Anfield.
- Final score: Liverpool 1 West Brom 1
Follow all the latest reaction with our live blog below…
THANKS FOR JOINING US
That’s all for tonight, as Liverpool fail to move five clear points at the top of the table after Semi Ajayi’s header cancelled out Sadio Mane’s early opener.
The Reds round off 2020 with a trip to Newcastle on Wednesday, before travelling down to the south coast to visit Southampton for their first game of 2021.
West Brom meanwhile host Leeds and Arsenal in their next two.
That’s all for now though.
Thanks for joining us, it’s been a pleasure.
PREM TABLE
A valuable point for the Baggies, but they are still five points adrift of safety as it stands.
AS IT STANDS
Liverpool stay top of the table, but fail to extend their lead to five points.
MATCH REPORT
Plenty to talk about from this evening’s game, as Sam Allardyce remains four games unbeaten at Anfield in his last four games.
Liverpool took the lead early on through Sadio Mane, and had plenty of the ball, but couldn’t extend their lead.
West Brom were much improved after the break, and looked dangerous on the counter attack.
The equaliser came through a brilliant Semi Ajayi header as West Brom grabbed a vital point from the league leaders.
CLICK HERE TO READ OUR MATCH REPORT FROM TODAY’S GAME
MATCH STATS
Despite Liverpool’s dominance in possession, West Brom had more efforts on target than the home side.
SAM SPEAKS
Sam Allardyce thinks this was the key to taking a point from Anfield:
“I think really good organisation and a team trying their best to nullify the best team in this league on their own patch, and what a fantastic job they did of it.
“It’s all about staying in the game when you come here and not opening too much and just allowing Liverpool to breeze through you [and] win three, four or five nil.
“We kept that tight ship going for a long period of time which I thought was very good considering after we went a goal down so early on in the game.
“But the resilience of the side gave us an opportunity to create more in the second half, to get up the pitch better in the second half, to pass the ball better in the second half, which ultimately resulted in one fantastic chance for our centre forward, Karlan Grant, who unfortunately didn’t quite take it, and then big Semi came up and fired in a great header to get us a fantastic point here today.”
STUTTERING
Liverpool haven’t been the imperial force they were last season, but still find themselves top of the table.
JURGEN’S REACTION
Here is what Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has to say on this evening’s draw:
“Our own fault, I don’t think anybody can expect that a team plays like West Brom tonight in the first half, like a six-four [formation] or whatever it was.
“So I think we did ok to be honest, we scored the goal, didn’t give anything away, especially no set pieces and second half obviously we didn’t do exactly the same again.
“They had already in the first five minutes of the second half they had like three counter attacks, we gave them easy simple corners, I don’t think too many free kicks but corners, too many, and it was actually the only thing they wanted to have tonight and we gave it away so that’s our fault and that’s why it’s only one point instead of three.”
ANDY’S ANALYSIS
Here’s what Andy Robertson has to say at full time:
“Once you start getting slack you get what you deserve. West Brom came here with a game plan, they were happy with 1-0 at half time, and you know when you come up against a Sam Allardyce team that they want to stay in it as long as they can and take the one chance that they get, and they did that.
“So you know they got what they deserved and we got what we deserved because [the] first half was good.
“[In the] first half we dominated the ball, stopped counter attacks, counter pressed really good, created a lot of chances, and then second half it was like we didn’t want to do it again.
“[We] tried different things, which wasn’t working, we all went slack I think every one of us made a mistake in the second half which can’t happen, go and win the game 1-0, go and keep the clean sheet and go and get the three points so that’s something we’ve got to learn from and like you said credit to West Brom for the way they played the second half.”
ON THE LATE SAVE
“It was a great save.
“To be honest I didn’t have that much to do in the game.
“It was close and thankfully I tipped it round the post and it was good to make that save and carry on and get the draw.”
SUPER SAM
These are the post match thoughts of West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone:
“Look it’s difficult to come to places like this, you know we dug in deep, we ran for 94 minutes.
“It was tough at times, especially in the first half, and we got an equaliser which is a great point away from home.
“Like you said it feels more like a win.”
INCREDIBLE
Sam Johnstone denies Roberto Firmino a late winner with a stunning save.
Credit: Reuters
Credit: AFP
EQUALISER
Here’s a look at Semi Ajayi’s goal that secured an unlikely point for the Baggies.
RESOLUTE BAGGIES
A point at the Etihad and a point at Anfield in West Brom’s last two away games.
Those are the kind of results that could prove vital come the end of the season.
FULL TIME: LIVERPOOL 1-1 WEST BROM
For some bizarre reason, Liverpool go short from the corner in the 95th minute, and unsurprisingly Kevin Friend blows his whistle for full time.
West Brom nick a point at Anfield!
LIVERPOOL 1-1 WEST BROM
94. Liverpool corner.
One last roll of the dice for Liverpool!
LIVERPOOL 1-1 WEST BROM
93. Robertson crosses this time, but there’s far too much on that it and sails out for a West Brom goal kick.
That might be that.
LIVERPOOL 1-1 WEST BROM
92. Henderson crosses into the box, but Johnstone will take that all day.
He drops to the floor as he catches it to eat away a few precious seconds for the Baggies.
LIVERPOOL 1-1 WEST BROM
90. Rhys Williams gets on the end of the corner, but it’s well over the bar.
Four added minutes are held up by the fourth official as Divock Origi replaces Roberto Firmino, and Branislav Ivanovic replaces Conor Gallagher.
LIVERPOOL 1-1 WEST BROM
89. WHAT. A. SAVE.
Oxlade Chamberlain picks out Firmino at the back post with a wonderful ball.
Firmino does everything right, heading the ball back across goal, but Johnstone leaps down to his left to tip it round the post for a corner.
That is an incredible save.
LIVERPOOL 1-1 WEST BROM
87. Furlong gets tight to Sadio Mane, stopping him from spinning in the box.
Mane goes down, appealing for a penalty, but Kevin Friend waves play on.
LIVERPOOL 1-1 WEST BROM
85. Alexander Arnold crosses in from the right.
It takes an awkward deflection on its way through to Johnstone, who has to backpedal and stretch to catch the ball and prevent it from bouncing over him and into the net.
LIVERPOOL 1-1 WEST BROM
84. Liverpool corner.
The home crowd urges their team forward as Pereira concedes a corner.
West Brom deal with it well though and the Reds have got six minutes left to find a winner.
LIVERPOOL 1-1 WEST BROM
83. Liverpool substitution.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is on to replace Curtis Jones.
LIVERPOOL 1-1 WEST BROM
82. West Brom go short from the corner, before Pereira swings a ball into the box.
It’s an inch perfect cross, onto the head of Ajayi, who leaps above Fabinho and powers a header in off the post.
West Brom equalise at Anfield!
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
