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The Reds kept their Champions League dream alive following a superb 4-2 victory at Old Trafford on Thursday, while the Baggies’ 3-1 defeat to Arsenal last weekend saw them return to the Championship immediately. As the race for the top four heats up, Liverpool take on an already relegated WBA at The Hawthorns on Sunday.
Even hiring Sam Allardyce mid-season couldn’t save West Brom from going down. Heading onto their last four league fixtures, they needed all twelve possible points to save themselves from demotion, but a 3-1 loss in north London was their undoing as the Midlands club will be plying their trade in the second-tier of English football alongside Fulham and Sheffield United for the 2021-22 campaign. Emile Smith Rowe opened the scoring on the 29th minute and was succeeded by a Nicolas Pepe special six minutes later, while Willian’s free kick in the dying moments sealed their doomed fate. With a 10-point difference between them and 17th-placed Brighton with three games remaining, Allardyce and his men left it too late to salvage their top-flight status. Although the Baggies have only lost two of their last six Premier League games, they welcome Liverpool this weekend on a four-game winless run – having conceded a league-high 68 goals thus far.
It was about time the defending champions found their long-lost consistency to guarantee a top-four spot as well as Champions League football for next term. Unbeaten in their last seven Premier League outings, Liverpool have won five and drawn two in a run, which should continue for the final three games against West Brom, Crystal Palace and Burnley. The North-West derby was a huge success for Klopp’s men as they hammered their bitter-rivals 4-2 at their own backyard. Bruno Fernandes’s early strike gave United the lead, only to be denied by Diogo Jota and a Roberto Firmino brace by the hour mark. Marcus Rashford tried to bring his team back to the game with twenty minutes to spare, but the Kops did not press the panic button as Mohamed Salah put the icing on the cake moments before full-time.
Liverpool are currently fifth with 60 points and have a wonderful opportunity to put pressure back on Chelsea (4th with 64 points), should they win their game in hand at The Hawthorns.
Key Players
Conor Gallagher found himself at West Brom in a third loan move in just two seasons. The youngster has racked up 27 Premier League appearances with the Baggies and has often been a bright spot in an otherwise doomed team. His tally of 2 goals and 2 assists may not justify his capability but his average of 30.4 passes per ninety with 86.2% of those finding their intended target in a team known for its long ball tactics, should be enough for him to find a Premier League club this summer.
Sam Johnstone came through the ranks of the United academy but never reached the demanded senior-level performance for the Red Devils. Since his arrival at the Hawthorns in 2018, Johnstone has gone from strength to strength and has been in magnificent form for the Midlands side this season. Even though the Englishman conceded a staggering 68 goals in 35 games in the Premier League this term, he has has made more saves than any other goalkeeper in the English top-flight.
Arriving from Wolves as a backup, Diogo Jota has been decisive for Liverpool at times this campaign. The former Wolves forward has scored a goal every 120 minutes for his new club in the Premier League and the Champions League. With 2.6 shots per game and an average of 1.2 dribbles per 90 minutes, the Portuguese has been Liverpool’s shining light amid all the miseries they suffered.
Barely missing out for the Reds since his arrival in 2017, Mohamed Salah is his club’s leading goalscorer once again this season. Salah has netted 30 times in 48 appearances in all competitions and has been carrying Liverpool’s hopes of a top-four finish all by himself.
Prediction
Already relegated, West Brom may probably go all-out attack, hoping to exploit Liverpool’s inexperienced defence at The Hawthorns. Even after Allardyce’s future at the realm remains questionable, the 66-year-old has not lost any of his last five meetings with Liverpool as a manager and will be hoping to extend that unbeaten run on Sunday.
However, now that Liverpool are back on their scoring spree. With a top-four spot almost at their reach, the Reds are expected to head home with three massive points in their bag.
