West Brom had never taken a Premier League point from this fixture; not even scored a solitary goal. Then, led by the man turfed out of Anfield after just six traumatic months, they rise from a goal behind to claim an emotional, potentially critical victory in the struggle for survival.
One man’s training ground ennui is another’s inspiration. At Liverpool, players took badly to Roy Hodgson’s repetitive formation drills. At The Hawthorns, they’ve introduced a sorely needed solidity to a pleasantly creative side.
“I don’t take any particular pleasure in that [victory] at all because I made a lot of friends when I was at Liverpool,” said Hodgson, his team now 12th, four points cushioned from the drop zone. “The great pleasure I take is in beating Liverpool Football Club, because at West Brom that’s not something we do very often. Today we did it and we deserved to do it.” Hodgson was not wrong. Never less than precisely organised, always a threat through Peter Odemwingie, his new charges refused to accept defeat.
Deprived of Steven Gerrard after a new, as yet unidentified, injury preparing for the game, Liverpool’s other shortfall was at full-back; one exacerbated when Glen Johnson pulled a hamstring chasing Chris Brunt.Shunted out to the left of a back four comprised entirely of central defenders, Daniel Agger quickly joined Johnson with a strained knee tendon.
West Brom used the possession ceded to them to garner confidence. Shifting Jamie Carragher one way then the other, Odemwingie fired angled balls at goal. Pepe Reina athletically gathered strikes from him and Steven Reid, then kept out a Martin Skrtel back header.
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Then came an undeserved Liverpool opener as Abdoulaye Meite misread an unthreatening centre, allowing Andy Carroll to gather and launch a deflected shot at goal. From the corner, Skrtel leapt high above Paul Scharner to head in Raul Meireles’ precise delivery.
Reina saved once more from Brunt before his makeshift defence overexposed him. On the edge of the area Odemwingie applied sleight of body to Sotirios Kyrgiakos to draw an unnecessary foul. Betraying his anxiety, Brunt quickly drove the penalty past Reina for West Brom’s first Premier League against Liverpool.
Twice more was Reina required to turn away efforts from the persistently excellent Odemwingie. Worse was to come. Jonas Olsson’s thumped clearance was wonderfully controlled by Odemwingie, who sent the hapless Kyrgiakos toppling to the turf. Sprinting on towards the six-yard box, he swivelled past Reina, whose trailing leg brought a penalty. Brunt’s kick was as emphatic as the Hawthorns roar.
Kenny Dalglish asked why the second spot kick had been awarded by the linesman. “If you don’t get penalties for that then penalties might not exist,” parried Hodgson.
Skrtel missed with a header; Luis Suarez stared in disbelief as first Carson then Nicky Shorey clawed shots off the line. “Thanks for the grey hairs,” read Liverpool’s banner to their former manager. They weren’t thanking Hodgson for yesterday’s.
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West Brom: Carson 7, Reid 7, Meite 5, Olsson 7, Shorey 7, Brunt 8, Scharner 4, Mulumbu 7, Thomas 7 (Jara 90+2min), Cox 6 (Fortune 74min), Odemwingie 8
Liverpool: Reina 7, Carragher 5, Skrtel 7, Agger 6 (Wilson 24min, 6), Johnson 6 (Kyrgiakos 8min, 6), Kuyt 5 (Cole 87min), Lucas 6, Spearing 5, Meireles 7, Carroll 6, Suarez 7