WEST BROMWICH ALBION v LIVERPOOL
Barclays Premier League
Sunday 2nd February 2014, 1:30pm
The Hawthorns

MATCH NOTES

The game will be the 142nd league and cup meeting between Albion and Liverpool. The Reds currently lead the way with 65 wins to the Baggies' 38.

Albion's last game on this date came in 2008 when Tony Mowbray's side beat Burnley 2-1 in a League Championship clash at The Hawthorns with goals from Boštjan Cesar and Roman Bednar.

Liverpool's last match on February 2 came in 2011, the Reds beating Stoke City 2-0 in a Premier League game at Anfield.

Albion have won just one of their last 14 games.

If selected, Baggies' captain Chris Brunt will make his 200th start for the club.

Only during the 2004/05 season have Albion won less games in the Premier League at this stage of the season.

Albion have conceded the opening goal in 14 of their 23 league games; only Cardiff (15) and Fulham (18) have a worse record. Meanwhile, only Manchester City (18) have scored the first goal on more occasions than Liverpool (17).

Albion's last six games: Aston Villa (A) 3-4; Everton (H) 1-1; Southampton (A) 0-1; Crystal Palace (H, FAC) 0-2; Newcastle United (H) 1-0; West Ham United (A) 3-3

Liverpool's last six games: Everton (H) 4-0; Bournemouth (A, FAC) 2-0; Aston Villa (H) 2-2; Stoke City (A) 5-3; Oldham Athletic (H, FAC) 2-0; Hull City (H) 2-0

TEAM NEWS

Albion

French striker Nicolas Anelka will miss the game against one of his former clubs after having seven stitches in a knee injury suffered in the midweek defeat at Aston Villa.

Stephane Sessegnon also misses the game due to his groin injury whilst new signing Thievy Bifouma signed too late to figure.

Squad from: Foster, Myhill, Reid, Olsson, Popov, Ridgewell, Lugano, McAuley, Dawson, Jones, Yacob, Morrison, Sinclair, Brunt, Dorrans, Amalfitano, Mulumbu, Gera, Anichebe, Vydra, Berahino.

Liverpool

Midfielder Joe Allen looks likely to return for Liverpool after missing the last two games because of a abductor muscle problem.

However, Reds’ manager Brendan Rodgers will have to do without Daniel Agger, Mamadou Sakho, Jose Enrique, Glen Johnson and Lucas Leiva who are all unavailable due to injury.

Squad from: Mignolet, Kelly, Skrtel, Toure, Flanagan, Gerrard, Henderson, Sterling, Coutinho, Suarez, Sturridge, Jones, Cissokho, Smith, Allen, Alberto, Moses, Ibe, Aspas.

QUOTES

Baggies' boss Pepe Mel:

"Suarez is in fantastic form, there aren't many players like him. In my opinion he is in the top one or two forwards in the world at the moment. But just as important as Suarez is Steven Gerrard, because it's Gerrard who provides the passes for Suarez in the first place.

"Liverpool are a big team, of course, but they are a different team to Aston Villa. Liverpool use more build-up play whereas Aston Villa play long with Benteke, with us having to play against the second balls (from his flick-ons). It was a difficult game for us. Liverpool, though, are more like Everton and play in the same way.

"It isn't that Liverpool is a better or easier game for us than Aston Villa, it's just that it's a different type of opponent. For me, Aston Villa played, very, very well but Liverpool play a different game. Liverpool use more build-up play while Villa get the ball forward quicker. It's not that one is better than the other, it's just different.

"I believe we're strong enough to avoid relegation. For me it's important only to look in front of us and focus on the next game. We need the points, of course, but we need to produce a lot of hard work to get them."

Liverpool boss Brendan Rogers:

"If I look back at my time here over the last 18 months, I look back at the first game we played against West Brom and where we were at then was we had some talented players, but we were very much a group of individuals.

"Over the course of 18 months, we've implemented a method to our play and we have become a team. We're understanding the game much better in terms of how we want to work and how we want to play. The important trait in any successful team is character, and we have got that in bucket loads.

"It's something that makes me very happy, but we've still got a way to go."

www.skysports.com

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 9/2, Liverpool Win: 4/6, Draw: 13/5.

First Goalscorer

Albion: Anichebe 8/1, Berahino 9/1, Vydra 10/1, Morrison 16/1, Brunt 16/1, Sinclair 20/1, Gera 20/1, McAuley 25/1, Mulumbu 25/1, Amalfitano 25/1, Lugano 33/1, Jones 33/1, Dawson 33/1, Yacob 33/1.

Liverpool: Suarez 11/4, Sturridge 4/1, Aspas 7/1, Gerrard 7/1, Coutinho 7/1, Sterling 8/1, Moses 9/1, Ibe 10/1, Alberto 11/1, Henderson 14/1, Allen 20/1, Skrtel 25/1, Cissokho 25/1, Kelly 33/1, Flanagan 33/1, Sakho 33/1.

www.williamhill.com

REFEREE

Kevin Friend (Leicestershire)

Friend has refereed just one Albion game so far this season - the 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton on the opening day of the season.

The Leicestershire official has yet to take charge of a Liverpool game during 2013/14 - the last time he 'reffed' the Reds was back in April for their 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Anfield.

Friend has issued 59 yellow cards and one red in the 19 games he has officiated so far this season.

A full run down of Friend's record when taking charge of Albion games can be found here

TICKET INFORMATION

A strictly limited number of tickets are still available for home supporters to purchase from the East Stand Ticket Office.

WEATHER FORECAST

Sunny intervals, 6°C.

FIXTURE HISTORY

LAST MEETING AT THE HAWTHORNS

Albion 3-0 Liverpool
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 18th August 2012, 3:00pm

Albion: Foster; Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Mulumbu, Yacob; Morrison (Brunt 81); Gera (Fortune 68), Long (Lukaku 68), Odemwingie. Subs not used: Myhill (gk), Jara-Reyes, Dawson, El Ghanassy.

Goalscorers: Gera 43, Odemwingie 63 (pen), Lukaku 77

Booked: Fortune 75 (foul)

Liverpool: Reina; Kelly, Agger (Carragher 60), Skrtel, Johnson; Allen, Lucas (Cole 68, Carroll 78); Gerrard; Downing, Borini, Suarez. Subs not used: Jones (gk), Adam, Henderson, Shelvey.

Sent-off: Agger 59 (denying goalscoring opportunity)

Booked: Johnson 42 (foul), Suarez 45+3 (dissent) Lucas 57 (foul), Carroll 90+3 (foul)

Attendance: 26,039

Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)

West Brom stunned 10-man Liverpool with a resounding victory to mark the start of the Steve Clarke era in style in this Barclays Premier League encounter at the Hawthorns. A superb strike from Zoltan Gera, Peter Odemwingie's penalty plus a header from on-loan newcomer Romelu Lukaku made it a miserable day for new Reds boss Brendan Rodgers. Liverpool also had defender Daniel Agger sent off early in the second period and looked a shambles at the back in the final half hour. Their day was summed up by striker Luis Suarez, who could have had a hat-trick before Liverpool were swept aside after Agger's dismissal. Albion, who also saw Shane Long miss a spot-kick, got to grips with the midfield area with James Morrison an inspirational figure. But for Rodgers this was a reminder that there is much work to do before Liverpool re-emerge as a potent force.

Albion started brightly and Liam Ridgewell was only just too high with a 20-yard drive while Long's chip flew over the bar after he dispossessed Lucas Leiva. But the first save of note came from Baggies keeper Ben Foster who parried away a powerful 20-yard drive from Suarez after a weaving run. The home side were fortunate to win a free-kick when Long stumbled over Martin Skrtel, but Steven Reid was unable to take advantage as his set piece was deflected wide. Suarez looked sharp and turned inside Gareth McAuley before forcing another save out of Foster. He should have scored after half an hour when heading over from the edge of the six yard box after attacking a Glen Johnson centre. Albion came back strongly in the final minutes of the half which culminated in them taking the lead after 42 minutes. Glen Johnson was booked for a foul on Peter Odemwingie and, although Reid's free-kick was deflected wide, the resulting corner led to the deadlock being broken. Morrison's centre was headed away by Skrtel but Gera seized on the ball and in an instant flashed an unstoppable rising shot past Pepe Reina from 20 yards out. Suarez's frustration boiled over in first half injury-time when he was yellow carded for dissent.

Liverpool started the second half on the offensive and Suarez floated a free-kick wide after being brought down on the edge of the box by Youssouf Mulumbu. But the Baggies weathered the initial storm and doubled their lead from the second of two penalties awarded them in the space of six minutes. The Reds were reduced to 10 men after 58 minutes when Agger pulled back Long just inside the box only for the Republic of Ireland striker's weak spot kick to be saved by Pepe Reina. But referee Phil Dowd awarded another penalty when he adjudged that Skrtel had tripped Long although this seemed a harsh decision. This time Odemwingie took the spot-kick and hammered the ball past past Reina. Suarez missed a golden chance to reduce the arrears when he shot over from six yards after Foster had dropped a Steven Gerrard corner. But Albion were now carving chances at will and Morrison shot wide with the goal at his mercy before substitute Lukaku put the icing on the cake for Albion after 77 minutes. Mulumbu's shot was deflected into the path of Ridgewell and his lovely lob to the back post was headed in at the far post by the on-loan Chelsea player.

Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Baggies' striker Nicolas Anelka spent a short time on loan at Anfield during the 2001/02 season.

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