LIVERPOOL v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 26th October 2013, 3pm
Anfield

MATCH NOTES

This is the 141st league and cup meeting between Albion and Liverpool. The Reds currently lead the way with 64 wins to the Baggies' 38.

Albion's last game on this date came in 2010 when Roberto Di Matteo's side beat Leicester City 4-1 in a Carling Cup tie at the Walkers Stadium.

Liverpool's last match on October 26, like Albion's, came in 2010, when they beat Blackburn Rovers 2-1 in a Premier League game at Anfield.

Albion are unbeaten in five Premier League games; their longest unbeaten run since April 2011.

The Baggies have not recorded four successive league victories over Liverpool since the 1930s and they have never won three successive games at Anfield.

Albion and Liverpool, along with Arsenal, are the only Premier League sides who remain unbeaten away from home this season.

Albion's last six games: Stoke City (A) 0-0; Arsenal (H) 1-1; Manchester United (A) 2-1; Arsenal (H, LC) 1-1 (3-4 on pens); Sunderland (H) 3-0; Fulham (A) 1-1.

Liverpool's last six games: Newcastle United (A) 2-2; Crystal Palace (H) 3-1; Sunderland (A) 3-1; Manchester United (A, LC) 0-1; Southampton (H) 0-1; Swansea City (A) 2-2.

TEAM NEWS

Albion

The Baggies have no fresh injury worries, with only Ben Foster (foot) and Scott Sinclair (hamstring) still sidelined.

Midfield duo Zoltan Gera and George Thorne still lack match fitness after their long-term injuries.

Squad from: Myhill, Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell, Yacob, Mulumbu, Amalfitano, Sessegnon, Berahino, Anichebe, Morrison, Long, Brunt, Daniels, Vydra, Dawson, Anelka, Lugano, Camp, Popov, Reid.

Liverpool

Philippe Coutinho (shoulder) remains sidelined whilst Jose Enrique (knee) could also miss out.

Lucas Leiva however is available again after missing last week’s game at Newcastle to attend the birth of his second child.

Squad from: Mignolet, Johnson, Toure, Skrtel, Sakho, Cissokho, Gerrard, Lucas, Moses, Sturridge, Suarez, Jones, Agger, Kelly, Henderson, Allen, Alberto, Ibe, Sterling.

QUOTES

Albion boss Steve Clarke:

“It will be a difficult game. Liverpool are a different team to last season and have started this season well. Our games against them last season are good memories but are no reference to what will happen this season. 

“We will go to Anfield with confidence, being five games unbeaten, including a good result at Manchester United. We’re never daunted by going to the big grounds and we go to these places with the intention of winning the game. That’s the frame of mind you have to approach these games in. You have to know that you’re good enough to go to somewhere like Anfield and compete. If you go with an inferiority complex, you’re beat before you even get there.

“Liverpool have some quality players and Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez deserve all the praise they get. Having said that, I don’t think Jonas Olsson and Gareth McAuley will be losing any sleep on Friday night worrying about facing them. Our players will be looking forward to the challenge of keeping those players quiet.

“The players who aren’t getting in at the moment are working hard every day in training to show me that they want to play. At the moment, they have to be a little bit patient. Saturday is a different game and it could be a different team that plays. The team’s not been selected yet and everyone has a chance. If it’s not this week for them, it could be next week or the week after. They have to be ready to come into the team and from what I’m seeing in training, everyone is.”

www.wba.co.uk

Liverpool boss Brendan Rogers:

"It's a difficult game for us. West Brom have shown already this season they are a good side. They've been to Old Trafford and won, so they're a dangerous team and we know from our experience last year [in the two defeats against them] that they are a threat. We also know our home games are vital for us and that in the main, apart from one game [against Southampton], we've been excellent at home. Even though the difficulty of the game is high, we need to ensure that we get the three points.

"They've got some really good players. They have brought players into the club who are quality. Stephane Sessegnon is quality. The back four have been there for a while and they are solid. Their centre-halves have been in the league now for a few years and they work well together, their full-backs know how to defend and when to get forward. Their two central midfield players are strong and aggressive and can play simple and pass the ball. And obviously they have players in the attacking areas that can hurt you as well. So we know it's a difficult game, but it's no different to the rest of the games.

"At this level, whether it's home or away, it's a really difficult game and you've just got to find the solutions to get the points and perform well."

www.liverpoolfc.com

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 15/2, Liverpool Win: 4/11, Draw: 19/5.

First Goalscorer

Albion: Anelka 9/1, Anichebe 10/1, Sessegnon 10/1, Long 11/1, Vydra 14/1, Berahino 14/1, Rosenberg 16/1, Morrison 16/1, Amalfitano 20/1, Mulumbu 25/1, Gera 25/1, Brunt 25/1, Dawson 33/1, McAuley 33/1, Yacob 33/1, Jones 33/1.

Liverpool: Sturridge 7/2, Suarez 7/2, Coutinho 5/1, Gerrard 6/1, Alberto 13/2, Moses 13/2, Sterling 15/2, Ibe 8/1, Henderson 10/1, Johnson 14/1, Enrique 20/1, Agger 20/1, Allen 20/1, Cissokho 25/1, Lucas 25/1, Skrtel 25/1, Sakho 25/1, Toure 33/1, Ilori 33/1, Kelly 33/1.

www.williamhill.com

REFEREE

Jon Moss (West Yorkshire)

Refereed three Albion games last season - The 2-0 win at home to Everton in September, the 2-0 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford in December and the 2-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield in February.

The West Yorkshire official took charge of two Liverpool games during 2012/13 - The aforementioned clash with the Baggies in February and the 0-0 draw at Swansea City in November.

Moss has issued 21 yellow cards and one red in the six games he has officiated so far this season.

TICKET INFORMATION

The game is sold out for away supporters.

WEATHER FORECAST

Partly cloudy, 14°C.

FIXTURE HISTORY

LAST MEETING AT ANFIELD

Liverpool 0-2 Albion
Barclays Premier League
Monday 11th February 2013, 8:00pm

Liverpool: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Enrique; Lucas, Gerrard; Henderson (Sterling 60), Shelvey (Borini 60), Downing (Coutinho 78); Suarez. Subs not used: Jones (gk), Wisdom, Skrtel, Allen.

Booked: Suarez 90+4 (dissent)

Albion: Foster; Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Mulumbu, Yacob; Dorrans (Lukaku 74), Morrison, Brunt; Long (Fortune 86). Subs not used: Myhill (gk), Jones, Rosenberg, Tamas, Thomas.

Goalscorers: McAuley 81, Lukaku 90+1

Booked: Reid 42 (foul), Ridgewell 69 (foul), Morrison 72 (kicking ball away), Brunt 73 (foul)

Attendance: 44,752

Referee: Jon Moss (West Yorkshire)

West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster included a Steven Gerrard penalty among a string of saves which laid the platform for the Baggies to record their first league win since Boxing Day.

The former England international denied the Liverpool captain twice, once from the spot, as well as Jordan Henderson, Daniel Agger, Stewart Downing and Fabio Borini. And when Gareth McAuley headed home West Brom's first effort on target in the 81st minute it set up their first league double over the Reds - having won 3-0 on the opening day of the season - since 1966-67, with substitute Romelu Lukaku's 90th-minute striking giving the scoreline an unbalanced look. All the promise of performances in draws against Arsenal and Manchester City was wiped away in 90 torturous minutes as Liverpool suffered their first home defeat since mid-December.

West Brom are not supposed to like Mondays. They had not won any of their previous 18 top-flight away matches on this day, a run stretching back 44 years to March 1969. However, they appeared more than comfortable in a disappointing first half which saw both teams manage just two shots on target between them. Both of those were registered by the hosts as the Baggies were not intent on showing much adventure but with Liverpool not clicking into any sort of gear they were not in much danger either. With Daniel Sturridge's thigh problem not being risked the Reds were shorn of the pacy, incisive running which caused the Premier League champions so many problems in the 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium. Replacement Jonjo Shelvey was given his first league appearance since Boxing Day, playing in the hole as Luis Suarez was restored to the out-and-out striker role but he pair failed to get in the way Sturridge has. The 20-year-old did put the ball in the net early on but was well offside, which sort of set the tone for the half which was briefly enlivened by Suarez producing a brilliant behind-the-leg cross. Agger had a header tipped over by Foster, who also caught Stewart Downing's stinging drive at the second attempt. The closest Liverpool actually came to scoring in the first half was when Steven Reid's attempted left-footed clearance of Shelvey's low cross cannoned off his standing leg and looped over the crossbar from four yards. A lack of fluidity and crispness was noticeably absent in Liverpool's passing game as the Baggies harried and hassled and tried to stifle as much of their opponents' movement as possible. Every pass from the hosts seemed half-a-yard too short or long and their control of the ball wasteful.

Improvements were made by Brendan Rodgers for the second half as Downing had a shot blocked and Gerrard's follow-up was crowded out before Henderson's cheeky close-range backheel from Glen Johnson's pass was stopped by Foster. With an hour gone more work was required and Raheem Sterling and Borini were sent on for the ineffective Shelvey and the tiring Henderson. Borini was denied by a fully-stretched West Brom goalkeeper after lashing Downing's lay-off goalwards, McAuley slid in to block Suarez's shot and the wrong-footed Foster stuck out a hand to stop Gerrard's drive. Foster denied Gerrard again moments later from the penalty spot after Suarez tumbled a little easily under Jonas Olsson's challenge, and Liverpool were made to pay when they were hit with the sucker punch nine minutes from time. Chris Brunt swung over a right-wing corner and McAuley had a free run in the area to power home a header. Liverpool went chasing the game and were exposed even later on when Lukaku, having originally been dropped to the bench, stroked home their second. Having picked up just one point from a possible 18 the victory was vital in halting the Baggies' slide down the table. It also extended Liverpool's unwanted record of still not having beaten a team in the top half of the Premier League this season as they saw West Brom leapfrog them into eighth.

Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Current Baggies' boss Steve Clarke spent 18 months at Anfield as first team coach under Kenny Dalglish. Clarke left his role in the summer of 2012 following the appointment of Brendan Rogers and two days later was named as Albion's new head coach.

Current Albion joint assistant head coach Kevin Keen worked as a coach at Liverpool under Dalglish and alongside Clarke. He moved to The Hawthorns in July 2012 after leaving Anfield.

Liverpool youngster Jerome Sinclair started his playing career in Albion's academy before leaving to join the Reds in 2011.

PAST CONNECTIONS

Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Freddie Buck, David Burrows, Scott Carson, John Chadburn, Harry Chambers, John Durnin, Bruce Grobbelaar, John Glover, Andrew Hannah, Charlie Hewitt, Tony Kelly, Chris Kirkland, Steve Nicol and David Speedie.

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS LIVERPOOL