Good afternoon! Welcome to live coverage of this Premier League clash between West Bromwich Albion versus Liverpool at the Hawthorns. The hosts have already plummeted through the trapdoor to the Championship and they’re just waiting for someone to close it behind them, so there’s little to play for other than pride for Sam Allardyce’s men. For the visitors, this is huge; Liverpool need the full three points, otherwise their hopes of being in the Champions League next season will suffer a notable and perhaps definitive blow. Would the spiky Allardyce relish landing such a haymaker on Jurgen Klopp as a parting shot to the Premier League? You’d get short odds on ‘YES!’ if you ask me, so we could be in for a lively one. Team news coming shortly, the match gets popping at 4.30pm.
Premier League / Matchday 36
The Hawthorns / 16.05.2021
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- H. Robson-Kanu(15')
Live
Live Updates
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Updated 16/05/2021 at 17:31 GMT
16:10
More injury woes for Liverpool, as Klopp confirms that Jota will be unavailable for the rest of the season. Klopp also says his frosty recent relations with Mane have thawed, which is just as well as he'll need him in the coming week.
16:05
When Liverpool were pegged back by West Brom at Anfield in December, everything on the face of it seemed fine; they were still top, and looking in good shape to mount a strong defence of their title. The alarming drop-off thereafter has baffled Jurgen Klopp and most observers from a distance; Liverpool lost six games in a row at the previously impregnable Anfield and slid so far that they were in danger of failing to qualify for the Champions League.
Things are a little better now though; they’ve won three on the spin, inclusive of a 4-2 thumping of Manchester United on Thursday. Their closest rivals for the Champions League places, Chelsea and Leicester City have to play each other on Wednesday night, and if Liverpool can win all three of their remaining games they will nose ahead of one of them. Any slip-ups though and it’s all in peril.
16:00
It’s been a grim old season for West Brom, with only five Premier League victories. Four of those were provided by Allardyce, whose first positive result with the club was to snatch an unlikely 1-1 draw at Anfield in December, but he has been unable to wrench the club out of the relegation zone at any point since he took over. Allardyce is in bullish mood ahead of this match though, and has demanded ‘ultimate professionalism’ from his team today even though they’re already down.
15:55
No Diogo Jota today for Liverpool, he’s out of contention with an aching foot, so Sadio Mane returns to the starting line-up. In the only other change from their 4-2 win at Old Trafford on Thursday, Curtis Jones replaces Wijnaldum in midfield.
15:50
It’s a lonely shift up front today for Belgium-flummoxing Hal Robson-Kanu, who takes the sole striking role from Mbaye Diagne. In the only other change from the 3-1 defeat at Arsenal last weekend, Grady Diangana returns to replace Callum Robinson on the right of midfield.
15:45
And your visitors, Liverpool:
15:40
Here are today's hosts, West Brom: