Liverpool moved back up into third place in the Premier League table on Sunday, as they ground out a 1-0 win against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.At the end of a dreary first period, Roberto Firmino nodded home a set piece in stoppage time to give the visitors a crucial lead. The standard of play didn't lift after the interval, although Simon Mignolet was on hand with a late stop to keep out Matt Phillips.The three points puts the Reds two points clear of Manchester City in third spot having played a game more. Theyre now nine points ahead of Everton, who occupy fifth spot.Here is a look at how both sides lined up for this one, courtesy of their official Twitter accounts:As is often the case in matches involving Tony Pulis West Brom teams, the first period was from an enjoyable spectacle, with neither side able to conjure anything of note.Firmino was played in by Philippe Coutinho, but flashed a left-footed shot wide of Ben Fosters post. At the other end, Hal Robson-Kanu should have done better when he found space on the edge of the box.Just as a forgettable half looked set come to an end, Liverpool struck in stoppage time. A set piece from the right was crossed in by James Milner and Lucas Leiva helped it on; at the back post, Firmino was alive to the chance and had the simple task of nodding past a helpless Foster.Per Squawka Football, the Brazilian has been excellent in front of goal in 2016-17:It gave Liverpool a lift going into the break and that showed early on in the second half, when the Reds should have killed the contest off.First Divock Origi curled a shot wide from the edge of the box when he should have hit the target. James Milner definitely should have seconds later when in acres of space at the back post, although he skewed his volley well wide.Nevertheless, Liverpool were in total control of the game, per theMatch of the DayTwitter feed:West Brom, meanwhile, were struggling to create anything in the final third, with Pulis making three changes to try to liven up his dull attack. However, the hosts lacked any impetus of any kind, allowing the visitors to coast through large spells of the match.It was one of those substitutions, Salomon Rondon, who created West Brom's best opening of the match, as he played Matt Philipps through on goal. The winger should have finished, but Simon Mignolet was out quickly to shut down his shot.As noted by former Norway internationalJan Age Fjortoft, given the 'keeper had had very little else to do, it was a great stop:It was the only real chance West Brom could muster, and although they piled long balls forward in the latter stages, Liverpool rarely broke sweat in seeing the victory out. Eventually, they should have extended their lead on the break with Ben Foster forward from a corner, but Alberto Moreno shot wide from distance with the net unguarded.Although this was far from Liverpools best performance, its another crucial victory as they look to secure a place in the top four. All eyes will be on Old Trafford later in the day to see if Manchester United can respond against league leaders Chelsea.After the match, the Liverpool account posted the following snap of the side celebrating the win: Reds skipper Milner praised the teams application for picking up three points at a testing venue."It was a great win, they're a tough team to play against," he told BBC Sports Match of the Day. "To get three points and defend well, we probably could have seen the game off a bit earlier, but we're pleased with how we ground it out."Those sentiments were echoed by Klopp on Sky Sports (h/t BBC Sport). "We had two, three, four more chances. It feels fantastic because it is such a tough place," he said. "If the ball is in the air, what can you do' It is not about football, but they play football too. All three points is really special for us."
Click here to read full news..
