West Brom v Liverpool: Live matchday blog
Roberto Firmino's header in first-half stoppage-time gave Liverpool a 1-0 victory over West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns to bolster the Reds' push for a top-four finish.
The boss' reaction...
Jürgen Klopp spoke of his delight with Liverpool's concentration and fighting qualities after their hard-earned 1-0 win.
Click on the image of the manager below to read a full transcript from his post-match press conference at The Hawthorns...
A big win!
Here's our match report - penned by the fingertips of Sam Williams - from a hard-fought victory at The Hawthorns.
And here's how the table is looking after our win...
The story of Liverpool's 1-0 win at West Brom in Opta widgets...
Full Time
Firmino's goal gives Reds victory
Liverpool hold out for what could prove to be a huge three points at The Hawthorns as Roberto Firmino's last first-half header gives us a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.
Chance!
Incredible scenes here as Liverpool break forward from a corner through Moreno. With Foster stranded because he'd gone up for the set peice, the Spaniard shoots from distance but the ball rolls agonisingly wide.
Tense last few minutes here.
Substitution
Coutinho goes off to be replaced by Moreno in this final few moments.
Four minutes of added time to be played and West Brom arer applying late pressure...
Brunt drills a cross into the area and Fletcher meets it at the back post, but his header loops well wide.
Substitution
The Reds make a change and Sturridge is on for Origi, who has really put a shift in up front.
Chance
Huge let off for Liverpool as they give the ball away cheaply and Rondon breaks forward before playing Phillips in on Mignolet's goal... but the Reds 'keeper comes to the rescue with a fine save.
Livermore arrows a ball across the Liverpool box, but no-one is on hand to turn it in for the home team.
A succession of free-kicks and corners into the West Brom area doesn't yield a second goal for the Reds.
Yellow Card
Lucas is booked for a trip on McClean.
Matip meets Milner's free-kick with a header at the back post, but he guides it off target.
Yellow Card
Evans is shown a yellow after a foul on Coutinho.
Substitution
Now a double swap for the hosts and Robson-Kanu and Yacob make way for Rondon and McClean.
Substitution
The Baggies make a change - Chadli is off and Morrison is on.
Liverpool have the ball in the back of the net for a second time as Origi emphatically slams a header beyond Foster after Firmino nodded back to him from Lucas's ball into the area; however, the flag is raised and our No.11 was deemed to be offside.
Chance!
James Milner should probably have put Liverpool 2-0 up here as the visitors cut through their hosts and Firmino hangs a ball to the back post, where the skipper scoops a volley over unmarked.
Origi tries to curl one into the top corner from the edge of the area, but he's off target.
Yellow Card
Robson-Kanu is booked for a kick on Can.
Kick-Off
We're back under way at The Hawthorns.
Yes, Bobby!
Half-time betting odds
Liverpool: 2/9
Draw: 9/2
West Brom: 16/1
Fancy a flutter? Click here to place your bets with BETVICTOR.
Here's the story of the first half in numbers...
Half Time
The Reds lead 1-0 at the break thanks to that late Firmino header.
Goal
GOAL! ROBERTO FIRMINO!
Liverpool have the lead on the stroke of half-time as Lucas flicks Milner's free-kick on and Firmino arrives at the back post to nod beyond Foster from close range.
Get in!
Yellow Card
Brunt goes into the book for hauling back Origi after the striker had wriggled away from him.
Robson-Kanu chests a pass forward into space on the edge of the Liverpool box before drilling low at Mignolet.
Firmino does magnificently to win the ball back from Fletcher in midfield before laying it off to Coutinho, who cuts inside and curls over the bar.
Now at the other end, Firmino hoists a ball over the West Brom defence and Coutinho arrows a volley off target as the Reds broke quickly.
Another let-off for Liverpool as Chadli sweeps certain to sweep Phillips' hooked ball across the box into the back of the net, but he completely - and thankfully - misses his kick at the back post.
Match shot
Chadli escapes behind Clyne and speeds forward to reach Brunt's pass; however, he's thwarted by Matip's excellent challenge inside the box.
Chance!
Coutinho pounces on a wayward pass on halfway and surges forward before sliding in Firmino, who strikes wide of the far post by a matter of inches with his left peg.
Phillips cuts in from the right onto his left foot, but gets his shot all wrong and is sails harmlessly away from Mignolet's goal
Early chance for Hal Robson-Kanu, but he fails to connect properly after Phillips' shot-turned-cross found him unmarked eight yards out.
Kick-Off
We're under way
Here we go, then. Emre Can kicks the game off.
Come on you Reds!
The Reds are out...
...to begin their warm up.
With just half an hour to go until kick-off here at The Hawthorns, here's a reminder of how the teams line up...
The Reds arriving at The Hawthorns a short while ago...
Behind closed doors...
...a look inside the Liverpool dressing room at The Hawthorns.
TEAM NEWS
Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Lucas Leiva come in to Liverpool’s starting line-up as Jürgen Klopp makes three changes from last weekend’s win at Stoke City.
Coutinho and Firmino, of course, came off the bench to wonderful effect at the bet365 Stadium, and both are deemed fit enough to start this afternoon.
Their fellow Brazilian Lucas, meanwhile, replaces Ragnar Klavan in the Reds’ team, with the Estonian ruled out due to a knee injury.
Liverpool team: Mignolet, Clyne, Lovren, Matip, Lucas, Milner, Can, Wijnaldum, Coutinho, Firmino, Origi.
Subs: Karius, Moreno, Gomez, Alexander-Arnold, Grujic, Woodburn, Sturridge.
Tributes were paid across Liverpool FC sites and the city at 3.06pm on Saturday afternoon in memory of the 96 children, women and men who lost their lives in the Hillsborough tragedy on the 28th anniversary of the disaster.
16 years ago today...
Tony Pulis in the West Brom matchday programme: “It’s another huge challenge in front of us this afternoon with the visit of Liverpool who are on a very good run of late and will be looking to consolidate their place in the top four.
“Welcome to Jürgen Klopp, his staff and players, and especially to the Liverpool supporters on what is always a very significant weekend for their football club with the marking of the anniversary of the tragedy at Hillsborough.”
Baggies captain Darren Fletcher writing in the official matchday programme: “Certainly the visit of Liverpool will concentrate the mind because they are in really good form at present and they’ll be looking to capitalise on the spot they’ve currently got in the Champions League places.
“But we enjoyed that kind of challenge in the recent games against Manchester United and Arsenal and we need to rise to it again because we need to put some points on the board again after those back to back defeats [to Southampton and Watford].”
Weather
A look to the skies
For those heading to the match today, we're looking at temperatures of 11 degrees celsius come kick-off with a big chance of light rain.
Stats all, folks
Lucas Leiva's next appearance will see him join Martin Skrtel in sixth place on the club's all-time Premier League appearance list. His next game will be his 242nd.
Want more facts and figures ahead of today's game? Head here.
Dejan Lovren's take
“All of these last six games are like finals for us, we need to take as many points as possible."
Read more from Liverpool's No.6 on the importance of the run-in here.
Good morning and welcome to Liverpoolfc.com's live matchday blog for today's Premier League meeting with West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.
The Reds are aiming to extend a six-match unbeaten run in the Midlands this afternoon - stick with us to see if they can do it!