- 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.
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.
advertisement
advertisment
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 Team
West Bromwich Albion Team
Liverpool | West Bromwich Albion |
Corners
| 3 | 7 |
Fouls
| 10 | 8 |
Goal attempts
| 11 | 4 |
Shots off target
| 1 | 2 |
Offsides
| 7 | 3 |



90mins
Three minutes added on but its just not enough for West Brom to get back into this.