Needing a win to keep their Champions League qualification hopes alive, the Reds only managed a draw… No, wait a minute. Alisson Becker has scored. A corner. The last action of the game. The Reds keeper hesitantly trots up into the opposition area. How many times have we seen goalkeepers do this, to absolutely no effect, futilely trying to get their heads on the ball, getting nowhere near it or getting in the way of a striker, then sprinting back to avoid the opposition putting the ball into an empty net?
Except, this time, this time, with not only Liverpool needing a goal to win the game, but also needing one to save their season, Trent Alexander Arnold – who was off the mark for the previous 94 minutes, puts in a dream cross and the Brazilian stopper meets the ball perfectly on his forehead, twisting his neck like a seasoned centre-forward and directs the ball into the corner of the net. Unbelievable. A year full of personal tragedy and indifferent form pours out from the keeper and his team-mates mob him as if he’d just saved the decisive shot in a Champions League penalty shootout.
The goal earned a victory that Liverpool barely deserved, despite creating countless chances. Perhaps it was nerves that caused Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané, Gini Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara and Trent Alexander Arnold to squander opportunity after opportunity.
A tentative start allowed West Brom to grow in confidence and on 15 minutes, the Baggies took the lead after Hal Robson-Kanu took advantage of a mix up between the Reds’ centre-halves to curl the ball into the back of the net from the corner of the area. It was a scenario Liverpool have faced so many times this season against teams from the lower regions of the league – going behind or dropping points to Fulham, Burnley, Newcastle, Brighton, Southampton and West Bromwich – and it looked as if we were in for a repeat performance.
A brillant snap shot from Salah on 33 minutes from the corner of the area, following some good hustle from Mané, levelled the score, but Liverpool failed to take a grip of the game and overwhelm their opponents. Firmino did hit the post, but other chances went flying over the bar or wide and the West Bromwich keeper hardly had to make a save.
On 71 minutes, it looked as if things were about to get a whole lot worse when a West Bromwich corner – the Baggies had troubled the Reds all game with their set pieces – resulted in Kyle Bartley heading the ball into the back of the Liverpool net; only for the linesman to raise his flag to call offside on Matt Phillips, who was not involved in the play but was deemed to be interfering with Alisson’s line of vision. It was the correct decision and credit to the linesman for having the professionalism to see the offside and the courage to make the call.
Even after this get out of jail card, Liverpool still struggled to break down West Bromwich and frustration grew as passes and crosses were overhit and ended up in Sam Johnstone’s arms or behind his goal-line.
Then, in the 95th minute, with added time up, Liverpool got a corner and Alisson Becker trotted up to the opposition area – as so many keepers have done down the years, to no effect – and…
Except, this time, this time, with not only Liverpool needing a goal to win the game, but also needing one to save their season, Trent Alexander Arnold – who was off the mark for the previous 94 minutes, puts in a dream cross and the Brazilian stopper meets the ball perfectly on his forehead, twisting his neck like a seasoned centre-forward and directs the ball into the corner of the net. Unbelievable. A year full of personal tragedy and indifferent form pours out from the keeper and his team-mates mob him as if he’d just saved the decisive shot in a Champions League penalty shootout.
The goal earned a victory that Liverpool barely deserved, despite creating countless chances. Perhaps it was nerves that caused Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané, Gini Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara and Trent Alexander Arnold to squander opportunity after opportunity.
A tentative start allowed West Brom to grow in confidence and on 15 minutes, the Baggies took the lead after Hal Robson-Kanu took advantage of a mix up between the Reds’ centre-halves to curl the ball into the back of the net from the corner of the area. It was a scenario Liverpool have faced so many times this season against teams from the lower regions of the league – going behind or dropping points to Fulham, Burnley, Newcastle, Brighton, Southampton and West Bromwich – and it looked as if we were in for a repeat performance.
A brillant snap shot from Salah on 33 minutes from the corner of the area, following some good hustle from Mané, levelled the score, but Liverpool failed to take a grip of the game and overwhelm their opponents. Firmino did hit the post, but other chances went flying over the bar or wide and the West Bromwich keeper hardly had to make a save.
On 71 minutes, it looked as if things were about to get a whole lot worse when a West Bromwich corner – the Baggies had troubled the Reds all game with their set pieces – resulted in Kyle Bartley heading the ball into the back of the Liverpool net; only for the linesman to raise his flag to call offside on Matt Phillips, who was not involved in the play but was deemed to be interfering with Alisson’s line of vision. It was the correct decision and credit to the linesman for having the professionalism to see the offside and the courage to make the call.
Even after this get out of jail card, Liverpool still struggled to break down West Bromwich and frustration grew as passes and crosses were overhit and ended up in Sam Johnstone’s arms or behind his goal-line.
Then, in the 95th minute, with added time up, Liverpool got a corner and Alisson Becker trotted up to the opposition area – as so many keepers have done down the years, to no effect – and…
