Without getting too tied down in football cliches it certainly was a scrappy game at The Hawthorns for Liverpool on Sunday afternoon. The Reds walked away with all three points thanks to a single goal from Roberto Firmino but it wasn't exactly plain sailing.
West Brom are notoriously hard to break down, Tony Pulis' sides pride themselves on defence and it's no surprise that this is the first time in Premier League history that the Reds have picked up a win away from home against a Pulis team.
Firmino's goal came right at the end of a dire first half. The Reds had topped the possession stats but with little to show in front of the net. It was ironic then when the Reds found their chance from a set piece. A free kick flicked into the box was knocked on by the tiny Lucas Leiva to Firmino who headed home past Ben Foster. For set piece specialists the Baggies looked rather deflated after conceding on the stroke of half time but they weren't out of the game.
The second half proved difficult for Jurgen Klopp's side as they looked to maintain their lead. A chance went begging after James Milner fluffed what should have been a simple effort over the bar. At the Liverpool end, Simon Mignolet made a brilliant save with his legs to deny Matt Phillips a West Brom equaliser.
Mignolet was also called into action in quick succession in the dying minutes of the game, punching the ball to safety on two or three occasions whilst under severe pressure. Watching on it felt like it was only a matter of time before the Baggies punished with a header of their own but the goal never came.
Even when Ben Foster hilariously fancied himself as a bit of a forward, Liverpool still defended to the hilt. Annoyingly, Alberto Moreno was unable to convert after stealing possession whilst Foster was still up top. The defender had a completely open goal and two Liverpool players to the right of him but he went it alone and missed the target.
The match as a whole was pretty darn boring, especially for any neutrals watching but at least the whole Ben Foster situation added a bit of excitement. What was he thinking? I mean, fair enough come up for the corner but then he just seemed to think, sack it, I'm gonna play up front. Fair play haha.
After collecting six points from two away fixtures at The Britannia and The Hawthorns, the Reds are rightly feeling pretty chuffed at the moment. These are exactly the kind of games that have thrown Liverpool this season but Klopp has managed to instruct his side to fight and gain victory in these tough fixtures.
Frustratingly, Manchester United beat Chelsea later in the afternoon meaning the Reds can't quite stop looking over their shoulders just yet but with a favourable run in to the end of the season and momentum on their side, you would hope Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool will be taking a place in the top four.
Next up for the Reds is Crystal Palace at Anfield on April 23rd.
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| Image via thisisanfield.com |
Firmino's goal came right at the end of a dire first half. The Reds had topped the possession stats but with little to show in front of the net. It was ironic then when the Reds found their chance from a set piece. A free kick flicked into the box was knocked on by the tiny Lucas Leiva to Firmino who headed home past Ben Foster. For set piece specialists the Baggies looked rather deflated after conceding on the stroke of half time but they weren't out of the game.
The second half proved difficult for Jurgen Klopp's side as they looked to maintain their lead. A chance went begging after James Milner fluffed what should have been a simple effort over the bar. At the Liverpool end, Simon Mignolet made a brilliant save with his legs to deny Matt Phillips a West Brom equaliser.
Mignolet was also called into action in quick succession in the dying minutes of the game, punching the ball to safety on two or three occasions whilst under severe pressure. Watching on it felt like it was only a matter of time before the Baggies punished with a header of their own but the goal never came.
Even when Ben Foster hilariously fancied himself as a bit of a forward, Liverpool still defended to the hilt. Annoyingly, Alberto Moreno was unable to convert after stealing possession whilst Foster was still up top. The defender had a completely open goal and two Liverpool players to the right of him but he went it alone and missed the target.
The match as a whole was pretty darn boring, especially for any neutrals watching but at least the whole Ben Foster situation added a bit of excitement. What was he thinking? I mean, fair enough come up for the corner but then he just seemed to think, sack it, I'm gonna play up front. Fair play haha.
After collecting six points from two away fixtures at The Britannia and The Hawthorns, the Reds are rightly feeling pretty chuffed at the moment. These are exactly the kind of games that have thrown Liverpool this season but Klopp has managed to instruct his side to fight and gain victory in these tough fixtures.
Frustratingly, Manchester United beat Chelsea later in the afternoon meaning the Reds can't quite stop looking over their shoulders just yet but with a favourable run in to the end of the season and momentum on their side, you would hope Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool will be taking a place in the top four.
Next up for the Reds is Crystal Palace at Anfield on April 23rd.