Sam Allardyce grinds out another Anfield result as Liverpool drops points to West Brom
West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone made the save of the night to turn a Roberto Firmino header around his post at Anfield. Picture: Clive Brunskill/PA
Sam Allardyce, the last visiting manager to win a league game at Anfield, stole an implausible point from Liverpool after Semi Ajayi’s 82nd-minute equaliser thwarted the hosts despite the almost relentless home pressure.
An approach that could most kindly be described as “defence first” from the former England manager ended with Albion becoming just the second team to pick up a point at Anfield in 2020, matching Burnley’s draw in July.
Some sloppy defending from the hosts saw a Curtis Jones error cost a corner which allowed Ajayi to rise and meet Matheus Pereira’s cross with a powerful header that flew in via the right-hand post.
It had looked as though Sadio Mane’s early goal would see Liverpool easily maintain an unbeaten home run that dates back to April 2017 when Allardyce’s Crystal Palace won at Anfield.
And, to add to Jurgen Klopp’s concerns, the draw may have come at an added cost with defender Joel Matip, who has started less than half Liverpool’s league games due to injury, limping off in the second half and adding to his team’s concerns at the back.
It was a pragmatic approach by Allardyce, especially before the interval, as 10 Albion players remained packed behind the ball at all times and Liverpool enjoyed an astonishing 82 per cent of first-half possession.
The veteran manager’s appointment, in place of the popular Slaven Bilic, was hardly a resounding public relations success for Albion and such a display was unlikely to rectify that problem.
Yet Allardyce’s side somehow reached the interval having conceded only once, Mane’s fifth league goal of the season after 10 minutes.
On a night that smacked of so much desperation - Liverpool’s to score, Albion’s to try and stop them - the goal offered a rare moment of quality.
Matip’s through ball was controlled on his chest by the Senegal striker who turned his marker and volleyed into the goal from 12 yards, all in one movement.
It should have been the signal for the floodgates to open, thoughts instantly turning to the seven a rampant Liverpool blasted past Palace last weekend.
But for all that dominance, there was little to trouble Sam Johnstone in the visitors’ goal, even if his defenders worked overtime in dealing with relentless wave after wave of Liverpool attack.
On the left, Andy Robertson was particularly busy, with his 18th-minute corner flashing through the Albion six-yard box and just eluding Mo Salah.
Mane just missed the target, as he ghosted off the shoulder of defender Ajayi and stooped to head just wide from Jordan Henderson’s excellent ball down the middle.
A Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick was also headed out of the area to Salah who volleyed just over the target, a moment of promise but one which yet again failed to test Johnstone.
Such was Liverpool’s domination that Henderson had completed 85 passes in that first period; West Brom’s entire team had 46. And the England midfielder nearly opened the second half with a goal, firing just wide from 20 yards after good work from Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum.
At least Albion had come out for the second half with more attacking intent and, by the 51st minute, Alisson was even forced to make his first save of the night, from Karlan Grant’s long, deflected strike.
West Brom’s defiance, plus Matip’s injury, clearly frustrated Klopp who was booked just after the hour for arguing with referee Kevin Friend over one too many refereeing decisions.
Salah might have relaxed his manager moments later but planted a free header over from Wijnaldum’s cross but there was another reminder from Grant that a solitary goal was uncomfortable as he bore down on goal and was denied by Alisson’s block.
After the equaliser, there was a predictable late Liverpool charge with Johnstone making the save of the night to turn a Roberto Firmino header around his post.
Alisson 7; Alexander-Arnold 7, Matip 6 (R Williams 5), Fabinho 6, Robertson 8; Jones 7 (Oxlade-Chamberlain 82), Henderson 7, Wijnaldum 7; Salah 6, Firmino 6, (Origi 90) Mane 9.
Milner, Minamino, Shaqiri, Phillips, Kelleher, N Williams.
Johnstone 7; Furlong 8, Ajayi 9, O’Shea 7, Gibbs 7; Robinson 5 (Pereira 73, 6), Phillips 6, Sawyers 6, Gallagher 6 (Ivanovic 90), Diangana 6; Grant 5 (Austin 78, 5).
Grosicki, Harper, Krovinovic, Peltier, Kipre, Button.
K Friend 6
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