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The Baggies are still bottom seconds in the table, but gave their chances of survival a huge boost by becoming the first away team to score even a point at Anfield in the league this season in Sam allardycesecond party in charge.
Sadio Mane had given Liverpool a lead in the 12th minute, but Jurgen Klopp’s men lived to regret not putting up more than one dominant display in the first half to give the chasing group in the title race an unexpected boost.
The defending champs move three points clear at the top of the table, but only four points separate Everton in second from Southampton in ninth.
The highlight of Sunday’s tie game at Anfield. #LIVWBA | #LFC https://t.co/JpXTvpuavc
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) 1609106401000
Allardyce was the last away coach to win a Premier League match at Anfield, when he was in charge of Crystal Palace in April 2017, and the former England manager is now undefeated in his last four away matches against Klopp’s men. with three different clubs.
The Baggies set out to limit the kind of damage Crystal Palace suffered in a 7-0 hammer blow inflicted by Liverpool last weekend, but they were barely able to get out of their half before the break.
Mane ended his longest nine-game goalless drought as a Liverpool player against Palace and showed his sharpness in the face of goal is back with a brilliant touch to control and finish off a pass from Joel Matip in the 12th minute.
That could and should have opened the floodgates for Klopp’s men given their level of control before the break.
Shared points at Anfield. #LIVWBA
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) 1609093333000
A series of dangerous crosses by Andy Robertson failed to find the finishing touch, while Mane walked away from Jordan Henderson’s pitch.
However, Liverpool’s failure to put the game beyond West Brom’s reach led to a nervous second half.
The Reds suffered another central defender injury when Matip stopped with a muscle problem and had to be replaced by 19-year-old Rhys Williams, with Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez absent with long-term injuries.
Williams was penalized for an innocuous foul in his first appearance, prompting a furious reaction from Klopp, who saw the German cautioned by referee Kevin Friend.
Despite their humble position in the table, West Brom has already taken points away from Manchester City and Chelsea this season and was extremely unfortunate not to take at least one point away from Manchester United.
Allardyce’s game plan to stay in the game as long as possible worked perfectly when West Brom started threatening in the fourth quarter.
Karlan Grant edged Williams to clear the goal with 20 minutes remaining, but Alisson Becker opened brilliantly to block.
Ajayi was denied his first Premier League goal when his goal away from City in a 1-1 draw earlier this month was credited as an own goal by Ruben Dias.
But he repeated the trick and this time he took credit with a powerful header inside the post that this time left Alisson defenseless.
Liverpool have become used to winning games at the end of the last two seasons, the most recent when Roberto Firmino’s header in injury time beat Tottenham 2-1 in their last outing at Anfield.
The Brazilian was about to do it again when he died, but his head butt down was brilliantly solved by Sam Johnstone.
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