It was a contest that was all-too-familiar to LFC fans. LFC controlled much of the game, creating dozens of chances along the way. But their wasteful ways in front of goal cost them dearly. LFC players have hit the post 30 times this season, as the count continues to tick upward each week.
Odemwingie’s goal had an air of inevitability to it, although it’s not that West Brom was in the ascendancy at that moment. The Reds have dominated many games only to lose focus at a certain point in the second half. Opportunistic opponents have exploited it time and time again.
Dalglish’s men are stuck in eighth place in the standings, while West Brom moves up to 10th. Hodgson will be smiling at the thought of the club’s first win at Anfield since 1967.
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94th minute, 1-0 West Brom: LFC is looking like it is consigned to defeat.
West Brom has been passing the ball around with ease over the last few minutes.
91st minute, 1-0 West Brom: It looked as if the Baggies scored again, but the referee called a foul on the play.
West Brom floated a free kick into the area, and Reina came off his line to punch it way.
Two West Brom players crashed into him, allowing the ball to fall into the goal.
85th minute, 1-0 West Brom: LFC has been throwing men forward at every chance, but the Baggies have managed to keep their shape, defend as a unit and turn away most of Liverpool’s entry passes into the area.
Foster has been up to the task of keeping the Reds at bay when they manage to fire a shot on goal.
83rd minute, 1-0 West Brom: Spearing is coming off with Shelvey taking his place.
LFC has an advantage in every area except the one that counts most.
80th minute, 1-0 West Brom: Foster saves a shot from Bellamy, but spills it in front of goal.
Carroll followed up with a shot that hit Suarez.
75th minute, 1-0 West Brom: Odemwingie has given West Brom an improbable lead.
He took a pass from Mulumbu, turned, drove forward and shot between Reina’s legs.
74th minute, 0-0: Downing is coming on for Maxi.
Dalglish has injected fresh legs on both wings. Downing and Bellamy should provide loads of excellent crosses for Carroll to attack in the air.
68th minute, 0-0: LFC has been in total control of this second half created a handful of chances.
Bellamy also came on to replace Kuyt.
68th minute, 0-0: There was a crazy flurry of chances.
Foster started by saving Suarez’s shot, and LFC had a couple of follow-up shots that were cleared off the line.
63rd minute, 0-0: Johnson sets up Carroll with a teasing cross, but the big man can’t direct his header on goal.
Carroll won’t get too many chances that are better than that one. He’s got to start burying them when they come his way.
60th minute, 0-0: Kuyt hits the inside of the bar. That is the 30th time LFC has hit the post this season.
It was a speculative shot that took a deflection off a West Brom defender.
54th minute, 0-0: Suarez skips through two defenders on the goal line and elects to shoot rather than lay it off to Kuyt.
His shot went high and wide, but it’s hard to fault him for taking it on himself.
50th minute, 0-0: Henderson fires off the bar. It came off the bar and hit Foster in the back before bouncing into the path of a West Brom defender.
Halftime, 0-0: The first half comes to a close, and neither team has managed to break the deadlock.
Liverpool has had any number of chances to do it, but Suarez, Kuyt and Agger have lacked the cutting edge at the crucial moments.
41st minute, 0-0: Agger picks up a loose ball at the back post and shoots just wide.
The big Dane has found himself in some dangerous positions.
38th minute, 0-0: Johnson’s header falls straight to Odemwingie, who shoots wide of Reina.
The Reds are under siege at the moment. They need to sustain a bit of possession between now and halftime.
35th minute, 0-0: Spearing steps forward and tests Foster with a shot from distance.
34th minute, 0-0: Once again, it’s the visitors who are looking like taking the lead.
Dorrans got on the end of a corner kick and tapped a shot at Reina from close range.
The Spanish stopper is looking very sharp, turning away everything that comes his way.
28th minute, 0-0: West Brom has its best chance of the first half hour.
Brunt ghosts in and shots from close range, but Reina was more than equal to the task. His save reminds LFC fans what they have missed for the last few games.
24th minute, 0-0: Suarez has a shot from close range saved by Foster, and Maxi skies the rebound well over the bar.
The Reds have been the better team for so much of this game, but their finishing has not been good enough to beat Foster.
20th minute, 0-0: There are shouts for a LFC penalty.
Maxi took a pass from Suarez, piroutted through the West Brom defense and went down after a slight bit of contact. But the referee waved away the penalty appeal.
19th minute, 0-0: Suarez and Agger nearly combine to give the Reds a lead.
Suarez flashed a low cross across the face of goal, but Agger could not get on the end of it.
14th minute, 0-0: Brunt takes a shot from distance, but it doesn’t threaten Reina.
The LFC goalkeeper hasn’t had much to do in his first minutes back from that ban.
10th minute, 0-0: Kuyt has a chance to put the Reds ahead, but he slides his shot well wide of the far post.
Suarez created the opening with his dribbling and movement.
Pregame: Enrique has been restored to the starting 11, as the LFC defense retakes a familiar shape.
Gerrard will miss out on the game, as Spearing and Henderson will man the center of the midfield.
10 a.m.: Here are the lineups
Liverpool
Pepe Reina (25), goalkeeper
Glen Johnson (2), right back
Daniel Agger (5), center back
Martin Skrtel (37), center back
Jose Enrique (3), left back
Jay Spearing (20), midfielder
Jordan Henderson (14), midfielder
Dirk Kuyt (18), midfielder
Maxi (11), midfielder
Luis Suarez (7), forward
Andy Carroll (9), striker
Substitutes
Doni (32), goalkeeper
Sebastian Coates (16), defender
Jamie Carragher (23), defender
Martin Kelly (34), defender
Stewart Downing (19), midfielder
Jonjo Shelvey (33), midfielder
Craig Bellamy (39), forward
West Bromwich Albion
Ben Foster (1), goalkeeper
Billy Jones (28), right back
Jonas Olsson (3), center back
Gareth McAuley (23), center back
Liam Ridgewell (6), left back
Chris Brunt (11), midfielder
Youssouf Mulumbu (21), midfielder
Graham Dorrans (17), midfielder
Jerome Thomas (14), midfielder
Shane Long (9), striker
Peter Odemwingie (24), striker
Substitutes
Marton Fulop (13), goalkeeper
Craig Dawson (25), defender
Nicky Shorey (20), defender
Keith Andrews (8), midfielder
Paul Scharner (33), midfielder
Simon Cox (31), striker
Somen Tchoyi (5), striker
12 a.m. ET: Liverpool’s 2011-12 Premier League campaign is nearing its end, but the Reds still have challenges to overcome and hurdles to clear. Chief among them will be Sunday’s highly anticipated game against West Bromwich Albion.
Roy Hodgson will return to Anfield for the first time since he was ousted as LFC boss in January 2011. He has rebounded nicely from his six-month stint in charge at Anfield by guiding West Brom to heights it could only have imagined before his arrival.
Although current LFC manager Kenny Dalglish expressed his admiration for Hodgson, it remains to be seen if the Kop faithful will welcome him with open arms.
Liverpool will welcome Pepe Reina back into the fold. The longtime starting goalkeeper served a three-game ban for the red card he received at Newcastle. The Reds have options in defense now that Daniel Agger and Glen Johnson have returned to fitness. Jose Enrique could also make his return to the starting lineup after missing out on the FA Cup semifinal. Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll have shown signs of gelling into a formidable unit in recent weeks. They could spearhead the LFC attack.
West Brom will rely on the defensive solidity and belief that Hodgson has instilled in the team. The Baggies have assured themselves of Premier League survival, and Hodgson’s men will travel to Anfield looking to leave with at least a point — as six of the 10 teams in the lower half of the standings have done this season.
Peter Odemwingie and Shane Long should lead the attack. West Brom will look to absorb LFC’s pressure and hit back on the counter. It may not please most neutrals, but the strategy can be surprisingly effective.
Join us for LFC-West Brom. We’ll have all the action right at 11 a.m. ET.
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