Sunday 13th December 2015, Barclays Premier League,
Anfield, Kick-Off 4:00pm |
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Liverpool |
2 -
2 |
West Bromwich Albion |
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1 - 1 |
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Henderson (21) |
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Dawson (30) |
Origi (90+5) |
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Olsson (73) |
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Managers |
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Jürgen Klopp |
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Tony Pulis |
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Starting XI |
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Simon Mignolet |
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Boaz Myhill |
Nathaniel Clyne |
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Craig Dawson |
Martin Škrtel |
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Gareth McAuley |
(Origi 79) Dejan Lovren |
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Jonas Olsson |
Alberto Moreno |
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Chris Brunt |
(c) Jordan Henderson |
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Jonny Evans |
Emre Can |
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Craig Gardner |
James Milner |
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Darren Fletcher (c) |
(Firmino 86) Adam Lallana |
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James Morrison |
Christian Benteke |
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James McClean |
(Ibe 72) Philippe Coutinho |
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Salomón Rondón (Lambert 90+3) |
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Substitutes |
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Kolo Touré |
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James Chester |
Roberto Firmino |
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Victor Anichebe |
Lucas Leiva |
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Rickie Lambert |
Joe Allen |
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Saido Berahino |
Divock Origi |
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Callum McManaman |
Jordon Ibe |
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Anders Lindegaard (gk) |
(gk) Ádám Bogdán |
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Serge Gnabry |
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Attendance:
44,147 |
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Referee:
Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire) |
Assistant 01:
Richard West
(East Riding) |
Assistant 02:
Andrew Halliday (North Yorkshire) |
Fourth Official:
Tony Harrington (Cleveland) |
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Official Matchday
Programme |
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●
James Morrison makes his 250th league appearance for the Baggies. |
●
Two defenders score for Albion in the same game for the first time since
October 2009 when Jonas Olsson and Gianni Zuiverloon netted against Watford. |
MATCH REPORT
Striker Divock Origi's
added-time deflected strike snatched a point for
Liverpool in a controversial 2-2 draw with
West Brom at Anfield. The
Belgium striker, only on the field because of a potentially serious injury to
Dejan Lovren from Craig Gardner's reckless knee-high tackle, fired in from
distance with the aid of a deflection in the sixth of eight additional minutes
after the Croatian's lengthy treatment. Manager Jurgen Klopp had previously been
critical of the fans leaving early because of lack of faith in the team's
ability to recover losing positions but not on this occasion. The German turned
around to the Main Stand and vigorously pumped the air before, at the final
whistle, gathering all his players together and walking towards the Kop
hand-in-hand in a gesture of thanks. Origi's goal secured only a point but it
felt like more than that considering what had gone before.
Despite taking an early lead
through Jordan Henderson's first goal since April 4 they were undone by two
set-pieces - a long-term Achilles heel - as goalkeeper Simon Mignolet's blunder
allowed Craig Dawson to equalise before Jonas Olsson nodded in a second. Klopp's
side thought they escaped on the stroke of half-time when an Olsson goal was
ruled out for offside, after considerable confusion created by the officials,
only for the defender to net the winner 17 minutes from time - which added to
the Gardner tackle did not add up to a great day for referee Craig Pawson and
his officials.
At least Klopp's decision to
leave out Lucas Leiva in order for Henderson to make his first league start
since August 17 paid off with a well-worked goal midway through the first half.
Philippe Coutinho, who should have opened the scoring early on after returning
to the starting line-up for the first time in six matches after a hamstring
problem, floated over a left-to-right cross which Adam Lallana headed down for
his captain to sweep home.
Liverpool had utilised the diagonal ball regularly but it was usually
aimed at Christian Benteke without much success; the closest the
Belgium international came to
scoring was when he shot wide on the turn after chesting down Alberto Moreno's
pass. The big striker had actually been more effective at the other end
defending set-pieces but his usefulness was cancelled out for West Brom's
equaliser when Mignolet pushed his compatriot out of the way as he came to claim
Chris Brunt's corner, missed the ball and saw
Dawson
ram home the loose ball. Mignolet's decision-making did not improve when he
chased a wayward Gardner cross out to the touchline, preventing it going out for
a throw-in but almost being caught in possession by James Morrison.
Added time brought the most
contentious moment of the game when assistant referee Roger West, who had
already been on the receiving end of criticism from Klopp for failing to even
make a decision when the ball went out for what the German felt was a throw for
his side, did not flag despite three players appearing to be offside when Olsson
scored. Several seconds of confusion followed with even Liverpool's players
unsure what to do next before there was clearly some intervention transmitted
via the officials' earpieces as Pawson walked over to his linesman, who only
raised his flag after the official had blown his whistle to rule out the goal.
Klopp just laughed but Baggies boss Tony Pulis was furious. Olsson finally got
his goal, nodding in Brunt's near-post corner, in the 73rd minute before Pawson
missed Gardner's reckless tackle on Lovren which left the Croatian screaming in
pain with a gashed knee and potentially worse damage. Emre Can dropped into
central defence to allow Origi to come on and, after Lallana had shot straight
at Boaz Myhill, Origi capitalised on the lengthy injury time with a rasping,
deflected drive.
Sporting Life
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