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From any reasonable point of view, Liverpool must be considered a huge favorite to beat West Bromwich Albion at Anfield on Sunday. The visitors have lost nine and have won just one of their first 14 Premier League games this season, conceding a whopping 29 goals and scoring just 10 in the process.
They also sit firmly at the bottom of the Premier League’s ‘expected points’ table, as calculated using expected goals for and against, so their underlying performance is the worst in the league by quite a margin. considerable.
However, Liverpool will not need to remind you that there is no banker in this league, and that everyone has to win three points. Regardless of the quality difference to the opposition, any team is capable of surprising, as Liverpool found at Craven Cottage recently, and as West Brom demonstrated by keeping Manchester City at the Etihad.
After the resounding demolition of the Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park last weekend, Liverpool should approach it with confidence and with the team in better health than at any other time in recent months.
However, to maintain their 100% league record at home so far this season, they will have to beat the last manager to actually win a league game at Anfield, back in April 2017: Sam Allardyce. His first outing in charge of the Baggies ended in a crushing 3-0 loss to Aston Villa, and he will be determined to correct that against Liverpool. If he’s really capable of doing something about it, we’ll see soon …
This is what our writers chose to keep an eye on in today’s game.
Mark Wakefield
I’m really interested in seeing how Klopp takes on an Allardyce team once again. It is the first time he has faced Liverpool since his days at Everton, and a lot has changed since then.
Liverpool have found themselves struggling in the past to deal with teams that sit deep and play on the counter. Now, they have shown that they are more than capable of dealing with various threats, so there is nothing West Brom can do that should come as a surprise.
The team practically picks itself, especially on the defensive and front line, but the midfield will always seem to be a topic of conversation before games. With players returning from injury, there are so many options available to Klopp that it is impossible to predict who will get the nod.
You’d think Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum are nailed, but what about the other place? Naby Keita did very well last time against Crystal Palace, but will we see him start back-to-back in league games?
Then there’s Curtis Jones, who has been a revelation ever since he broke into the team. When he plays, it seems like you always get at least a seven or eight out of 10 from him. It may not be correct to say that it is inescapable right now, but when everyone is in shape, you are certainly betting on being included in the starting eleven.
And now Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is fit and available. Liverpool have certainly missed his outspokenness and his ability to carry the ball from midfield and throw attacks at times, and that could be something that works well against West Brom.
Regardless of which team Klopp puts in, there certainly should be more than enough to deal with the Baggies. However, the magic of soccer means anything can happen.
Joel rabinowitz
For what feels like the first time in quite a while, I can’t wait to see Roberto Firmino play soccer again. I don’t want this to sound too harsh for a player who has been so great for Liverpool for so long, but it has felt like hard work to watch him at times this calendar year, and you feel like it has been very difficult for him. at certain points as well.
We all know how important it is to the system and that its role involves much more than goals, but yet when you are a forward and repeatedly struggling to get the ball into the back of the net, it is impossible. overlook, and it will inevitably affect your confidence.
Even all the things that Firmino is usually so brilliant at – moving, creating opportunities, pushing from the front – have not been as apparent as one might expect for extended periods in 2020.
However, in recent weeks Firmino has Really got going, and I wonder if scoring some goals for Brazil has helped him get his mojo back in any way. You saw how much that latest win against Tottenham meant to him with the celebration, and it was brilliant to see him follow up with a sublime double against Crystal Palace last weekend.
The composure and quality he exhibited for both goals was exceptional, and his complete game was so skillful and crisp, a real joy to behold. My hope is that he can continue to build on the platform that he built himself and continue for the next few weeks, maintaining the level of consistency that we know very well he is capable of.
If he does that and the goals and assists keep flowing, it will make an immeasurable difference for Liverpool as we move into the New Year. No team can be taken lightly in this league, of course, especially one with a new manager at the helm, but on paper, West Brom at home is the kind of game that you would think will present a great opportunity for players like Firmino. . blooming.
They will almost certainly be looking to sit deep and defend in numbers, so your smart movement will go a long way in opening up spaces and unlocking that compact low block.
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