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  • Keane (34), Keane (43), Arbeloa (90)
  • Date:2008-11-08
  • Kick-off:17:30
  • Venue:Anfield
  • Attendance:43451
  • Referee:Walton, P

Live Commentary

90mins

West Brom beaten by a Liverpool side who put in a good performance.

90mins

LIVERPOOL 3-0 WBA. Alvaro ARBELOA adds an extra gloss to Liverpool's win after a mistake from Paul Robinson, brilliant finish from the Spaniard.

90mins

Three minutes added on but its just not enough for West Brom to get back into this.

89mins

Baggies corner but Liverpool clear easily.

88mins

Mascherano puts in a heavy challenge on Robinson and gets a yellow card, West Brom win a free kick which Brunt takes but despite a good delivery the Baggies can't do anything with it.

87mins

An opportunity falls to Kuyt but his snap shot is poor and he could have done better.

86mins

Mascherano plays the ball to Benayoun who has an excellent chance to cross to Torres but the Israeli puts his cross behind Torres who can't reach it.

84mins

Brunt whips in a nice cross but Agger clears for a WBA corner, Brunt takes the corner but Liverpool defend well and clear.

83mins

Torres finds Babel who's got the pace on Gianni Zuiverloon, he gets his cross in but Kuyt miss controls and it goes out for a WBA goal kick.

80mins

Steven Gerrard replaced by Xabi Alonso as Benitez makes his final change.

78mins

Fernando Torres looking to make an impact, right on the edge of the penalty area he gets a shot away but Carson does well to deny him a goal.

76mins

Koren hits a sweet cross into the Liverpool penalty area but Reina does well to claim.

75mins

Liverpool look to have wrapped things up now, WBA have hardly had a shot and the Reds will regain top-spot until tommorow at least.

71mins

Fernando Torres replaces goal hero Robbie Keane for Liverpool.

70mins

Brunt's effort from the free kick swerves around the wall and into the side netting, excellent attempt from the former Sheffield Wednesday man.

70mins

Chris Brunt replaces Ishmael Miller, the Baggies have a free kick after Mascherano is judged to have fouled Vallero. Brunt will take the kick I think.

69mins

A mistake from Gianni Zuiverloon lets Aurelio cross to Dirk Kuyt but his shot is deflected and Carson gathers easily.

67mins

Alvaro Arbeloa booked for a foul on Filipe Teixeira, I'm not even sure it was a foul let alone a booking.

65mins

Ryan Babel replaces Albert Riera for Liverpool.

63mins

Some good play from Luke Moore down the Baggies left side but again Mascherano is there to clear the danger.

62mins

Bagies win their second corner in a row, Valero launches it in but Kuyt clears.

60mins

I can't see West Brom getting back into this, Liverpool look strong and Carragher and Mascherano are in top form today.

59mins

Robbie Keane gets past Ryan Donk far too easily but Carson is there to save the day for West Brom, nice work from Keane.

58mins

Keane caught offside by the linesman, he waggles a finger at the official but he was offside.

57mins

What an opportunity for Ishmael Miller! I don't think he expected the ball to come to him and he fluffed his shot wide, really should have scored.

56mins

...and Filipe Teixeira replaces Kim Do-Heon.

56mins

Albion makes two changes as Luke Moore replaces Roman Bednar...

55mins

Riera goes down under a challenge from Koren in the West Brom penalty area but he went down too easily and the referee rightly says no foul.

54mins

West Brom in possesion but Liverpool cut out the danger, they don't look too concerened about getting forward Liverpool and they're happy to soak up the pressure.

52mins

Gianni Zuiverloon finds Robert Koren who has West Brom's first effort of the half, the spanish keeper makes the save look easy but it was a good shot from Koren.

50mins

Mascherano again puts a stop to a Baggies attack, the Argentine is so important to the Reds and he has been excellent today.

48mins

Paul Robinson's limping a bit and the Baggies full-back might have to come off now.

47mins

Dirk Kuyt and Liverpool play a nice one two before Kuyt finds Arbeloa but West Brom defend well and clear.

46mins

Neither side have made any changes and Liverpool are on the attack straight away but Donk does well to win the ball from Keane.

45mins

Liverpool get the second half underway and they'll be hoping for more of the same, West Brom will need to change tact if they are to get anything out of this.

45mins

Half time and West Brom don't deserve to be two goals down, I don't think theres any way back for the Baggies now but stranger things have happened.

43mins

LIVERPOOL 2-0 WBA. Liverpool get on the break quickly and the ball is played to Robbie KEANE who places a neat shot past Scott Carson.

43mins

Reina fumbles a Greening cross and it goes for a WBA corner, Liverpool break and they're on the attack.

40mins

Riera's cross is blocked out excellentley by Gianni Zuiverloon in the West Brom box.

38mins

Liverpool look so much stronger after scoring and seem to have put that sluggish start behind them, halftime can't come soon enough for the Baggies.

36mins

Keane again gets possesion in the WBA box but Donk clears for a corner. Gerrard takes but Carson eventually gathers.

34mins

LIVERPOOL 1-0 WBA. Robbie KEANE opens his LIverpool account after Gerrard set him up. Gerrard played a beautiful pass to Keane who lifted the ball over Carson with his left foot to hand the home side the lead.

32mins

Liverpool break through Aurelio but his pass to Kuyt is too long and it runs out for a goal kick.

30mins

Gerrard's corner is well defended by West Brom and they clear to safety.

29mins

Kuyt passes to Gerrard who sets up Benayoun, his shot comes off Olsson's arm and out for a Liverpool corner. The Kop screamed handball but it was never a penalty.

26mins

West Brom win a corner but Greening's delivery is poor and Liverpool clear.

25mins

Fairly even encounter so far, Liverpool perhaps edgeing it but West Brom are causeing them problems when they get forward.

22mins

Kuyt's shot is blocked by Olsson and West Brom clear.

20mins

Liverpool win a throw in an attacking position, Aurelio plays a cross in but Carson catches.

19mins

Kim Do-Heon is dispossesed by Mascherano as WBA tried to break.

18mins

Jonas Olsson (WBA)

18mins

Riera puts Kuyt through but his shot is blocked by Koren, let off for West Brom.

17mins

Arbeloa delivers a cross into the Liverpool area after some sloppy play from Koren but Carson gathers.

16mins

Miller plays in Valero but he scuffs his shot and Reina catches easily.

16mins

Agger brings Miller down on the half-way line and Albion win a free kick.

15mins

Miller wins a corner for West Brom. Valero takes it short to Greening but his cross is poor and the ball goes out for a Liverpool goal kick.

13mins

Aurelio takes the corner and it's a good cross but Koren clears for West Brom.

13mins

Olsson loses the ball to Benayoun who heads straight towards the Albion box, Greening does well to tackle Benayoun and it's a Liverpool corner.

11mins

Riera sends Kuyt on the attack for Liverpool, Kuyt finds Arbeloa who crosses in but it's cleared, only as far as Mascherano though who plays in Keane but his shot is poor and it's a let off for West Brom.

9mins

Gerrard nearly catches the Baggies out with a quick free kick but Koren intercepts the pass too Keane and kills off the move.

9mins

West Brom look the more lively of the two sides so far but Liverpool are yet to get going.

5mins

WBA win a free kick out on the right hand side, Greening crosses into the Liverpool box but it falls to Arbeloa who clears.

4mins

LIverpool look uncharacteristically subdued and West Brom have made the better of the opening stages, Valero in particular looks dangerous for the Baggies.

2mins

Gianni Zuiverloon tries to take the ball down the right flank but is dispossesed by Fabio Aurelio.

2mins

Miller sends a ball towards Valero but it's too close to Reina and the Liverpool keeper gatjers easily.

1mins

Olsson sends a ball down the left chanel towards Bednar but Liverpool clear.

0mins

WBA get thins underway at Anfield, West Brom playing an attacking 4-4-2 formation and we could be in for a few goals.

0mins

Fernando Torres will have to settle for a place on the bench as Liverpool try and regain top-spot. The Baggies sit in the bottom three going in to this but only need a point to get out.

Match Preview

Liverpool's title credentials will come under the microscope when they entertain West Bromwich Albion at Anfield on Saturday evening.

On paper, the game appears to be a home banker with the Reds flying high at the top of the table and the visitors languishing down in 19th place.

However, following last weekend's 2-1 loss at Spurs - Liverpool's first defeat of the season - all eyes will be on Rafael Benitez's side to see if they can bounce back in the style of genuine champions.

The Reds remain level on points with Chelsea at the top of the table, but anything other than a three-point haul on Saturday will lead to questions about their ability to mount a serious title challenge.

Tuesday's Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid provided more questions than answers as the Reds pushed and probed for 90 minutes but got out of jail when Steven Gerrard won and converted a highly-debatable stoppage-time penalty to secure a 1-1 draw at Anfield.

Five-goal top-scorer Fernando Torres is set to return on Saturday after missing the last six games with a hamstring injury picked up while on international duty with Spain.

Meanwhile, four games without a win during which time they have conceded 11 goals has left an out-of-sorts West Brom side firmly entrenched in the relegation places.

Tony Mowbray's side were expected to produce the strongest challenge of any of the three teams promoted from the Championship last season, but instead the Baggies already look to be heading towards a relegation dogfight.

Albion seem incapable of keeping a clean sheet - they have conceded in eight of their 11 games this season - while their failure to find the net on a regular basis has led to a number of frustrating narrow defeats.

Last weekend they conceded an 89th minute equaliser to draw 2-2 at home with Blackburn Rovers as they threw away two points which would have moved them into a comfortable mid-table berth.

Ahead of the trip to Anfield, defensive duo Leon Barnett (knee) and Abdoulaye Meite (calf) have been ruled out.


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Match Report

Liverpool surged to the top of the Premier League with a convincing 3-0 win over a West Bromwich Albion side who failed to show anything at Anfield.

Two first-half strikes from Robbie Keane secured an easy three points for the Reds, who go above Chelsea for 24 hours at least.

Still trying to justify his £20million price tag, the first chance fell to Keane after 13 minutes when a neat throughball from Javier Mascherano found the striker unmarked inside the box with his back to goal.

Unaware of the amount of space he had, Keane quickly spun and shot but the weak effort posed little threat to Scott Carson.

Liverpool started to pile the pressure on to the visitors and long-range efforts from Mascherano and Dirk Kuyt were getting closer to the mark.

Having been camped in the West Brom half, it was only a matter of time before the Reds made a breakthrough and it came in the 34th minute when a quick counter from the halfway line was neatly finished by Keane to open his Premier League account for his new club.

A strong interception from Jamie Carragher in the centre circle sent the ball straight to Gerrard, who was given time to pick his pass and after letting the ball roll across his path, Keane finished with his first touch over the sprawling keeper.

The home side went searching for another from the restart and eight minutes later a quick break from a West Brom corner released Keane to net his second of the match and fourth of the season.

A fumble from Pepe Reina saw the Liverpool keeper spill a routine catch inches wide of his own post but, having not beaten the first man with the corner, the Reds swiftly passed their way up field and a ball to Keane saw him skip around Carson and finish with his left into an open goal.

The second half started where the first left off with the home team throwing everything at a nervous looking West Brom defence and it took a few minutes before they carved open another chance.

With Gerrard pulling all the strings in the middle of the park it was him that released Albert Riera down the left who whipped over a deep cross searching for Kuyt, but good defending from Paul Robinson held the striker away from the ball at the back post.

On a hat-trick, Keane was proving to much for the Baggies back four and his persistence on the hour-mark found him out-muscling the towering figure of centre back Ryan Donk, but his touch took the ball to close to Carson who smothered the ball easily.

Despite having the match of his short Liverpool career, Keane was once again substituted before full time with Fernando Torres coming on following his injury lay-off.

Almost resigning themselves to defeat, West Brom had even more salt rubbed into the wounds after a lacklustre pass from Robinson led to the ball finding Alvaro Arbeloa, who dispatched an accurate shot into the top corner for his first goal of the season in the 90th minute.

Liverpool

West Bromwich Albion

Corners

37

Fouls

108

Goal attempts

114

Shots off target

12

Offsides

73

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