Liverpool are agency favourites to beat West Brom on Sunday afternoon, however Sam Allardyce can be out to make historical past repeat itself at Anfield.
The Reds have loved the (very) uncommon luxurious of per week with out a sport following their 7-0 dismantling for Crystal Palace final Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp‘s males sit high of the Premier League by 4 factors, and with a beneficial run of fixtures arising, this could possibly be their alternative to drag away.
This weekend, it’s the flip of relegation-threatened West Brom to try to finish Liverpool’s lengthy unbeaten dwelling run, with Allardyce the final supervisor to style victory at Anfield within the league throughout his Palace days.
Forward of the sport, we spoke to author Paul Suart (@PaulSuartWBA) to get his opinion on each groups and the way Sunday’s match will play out.
How would you assess West Brom’s begin to the marketing campaign?
Fairly disastrous actually.
Most followers thought Slaven Bilic had achieved nicely to re-sign many of the mortgage gamers that helped him win promotion, however it was universally felt he wanted extra star high quality and gamers with confirmed Premier League pedigree to make West Brom aggressive on their return to the highest flight.
In some ways, his fingers had been tied by a shoestring funds.
Their dismal begin to the marketing campaign, a hangover from the tail-end of final season and rumblings of discontent behind the scenes – key defender Ahmed Hegazi was bought with out Bilic’s blessing and after the UK switch window had closed – has come as no actual shock.
Likewise, the choice to sack Bilic.
The Croatian did a superb job in profitable promotion a 12 months forward of schedule and was a vastly likeable determine on the membership, however outcomes are the be all and finish all and Albion’s below Bilic had been poor for a protracted time frame.
Three wins within the remaining 11 Championship video games final season was adopted by a run of just one win in 13 Premier League matches, leaving the Baggies nineteenth when Bilic was sacked, albeit after a spirited 1-1 draw at Man Metropolis.
Do you assume the Baggies will beat the drop?
The title race and top-four battle is as open because it has been for a few years, however it seems a bit of extra predictable on the different finish of the desk.
The relegation scrap already seems to be between simply 4 groups – Sheffield United, Fulham, Brighton and West Brom.
Leeds might get dragged in, however they’re averaging over a degree a sport and I believe they may dig out sufficient outcomes to outlive.
Burnley are on no account out of it, however Sean Dyche has a powerful and settled again 4 and is aware of how you can grind out outcomes, so I believe they are going to be superb and can in all probability end mid-table.
4 groups preventing for one place – the chances aren’t nice for any of the managers down there.
The one approach Albion can escape is that if they make 4 or 5 glorious signings within the January switch window, however I actually don’t envisage that occuring.
So, in reply to your query, no I can’t see the Baggies staying up.
How glad are you with the appointment of Sam Allardyce?
His CV speaks for itself – ‘Fireman Sam’ has damped down flames at West Ham, Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Liverpool’s neighbours Everton.
His exploits as a superb man-manager at membership stage clearly earned him a shot on the England job, too.
There’s little question he’ll enhance sure gamers at The Hawthorns and he has the clout to draw some high expertise within the switch market, however I simply don’t assume he’ll be capable to ship fairly sufficient.
Who’ve been West Brom’s three greatest gamers up to now this season?
Three gamers immediately spring to thoughts.
Regardless of having been an ever-present in Albion’s final two league campaigns, Man United academy graduate Sam Johnstone has taken greater than his justifiable share of flak from followers.
A string of fairly good shows within the high flight will certainly have received spherical lots of the doubters, although.
Johnstone has been in breathtaking type, and with out him, Albion’s objective distinction and factors tally can be much more unpleasant.
Like Johnstone, centre-back Semi Ajayi has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water.
He has been the one defender Albion followers have been capable of depend on to win a great proportion of non-public duels. Not unhealthy for a participant who value £1.5 million when he signed from Rotherham 17 months in the past.
The one different participant in credit score this time period – with maybe the exception of rookie defender Dara O’Shea – is central midfielder Conor Gallagher, on mortgage from Chelsea.
Albion have been indebted to his superhuman endeavour within the centre of the park and his calmness in entrance of objective.
The 20-year-old scored the winner in opposition to Sheffield United and was on the scoresheet per week later within the 5-1 drubbing by Crystal Palace.
The truth that he’s West Brom’s joint-highest scorer this time period says all of it actually.
Switching our consideration to Liverpool, do you continue to see them because the crew to beat?
Earlier than the season I assumed Man Metropolis would stage a fightback to win the title and that big-spending Chelsea would make it a three-way tussle.
A 3rd of the best way by way of, I’ve altered my considering considerably.
The way in which Liverpool dismantled Palace, only a week after Tottenham laboured to a draw on the identical floor, despatched out a transparent message.
Greater than that, it made me reassess and type the view Jurgen Klopp’s males are undoubtedly the crew to beat.
Fabinho has effortlessly slotted into the reasonably sizeable footwear of Virgil van Dijk to the purpose you virtually neglect concerning the influential Dutchman.
His absence hasn’t actually been felt to this point, which spells large bother for Liverpool’s title rivals.
Looking forward to Sunday’s sport, who do you concern most for the Reds?
Liverpool have so many threats it’s arduous to pin down one and even three!
I do know he’s been struggling for type of late, however I nonetheless assume Sadio Mane is essentially the most harmful ahead within the Premier League.
Maintain him quiet, as groups have not too long ago, and you’ve got then acquired Mohamed Salah and a resurgent Roberto Firmino to shackle, to not point out the laser-like crosses from both flank by way of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.
I actually like what I’ve seen of younger Curtis Jones recently, too.
He was good in opposition to Spurs and if his speedy rise continues he might nicely stake a late declare for the England squad at subsequent summer time’s Euros.
The place do you see the important thing battles happening?
I believe most of your interviewees pick a midfield scrap or spotlight the enormity of the duties going through their crew’s defenders in opposition to Liverpool’s fearsome front-three.
So I’m going to go in opposition to the grain and say Karlan Grant vs. Joel Matip.
If West Brom are to face any probability of a freak end result they should be scientific when, or certainly if, probabilities arrive. Grant has to try to get some change from Matip, as a result of I doubt he’ll discover Fabinho in a beneficiant temper.
Albion will even have chief instigator Matheus Pereira again from suspension. The silky Brazilian scored on his final go to to Merseyside – a 5-2 defeat at Everton in September.
His capacity to journey shortly with the ball can be important if West Brom are to maneuver up the pitch, whereas his imaginative and prescient and passing vary might trigger issues if his crew can achieve any significant final-third possession.?
All of that additionally is dependent upon whether or not or not Allardyce throws him straight again in, after all.
Lastly, hit us together with your prediction…
As a lot as I’ve tried to be optimistic, I can’t see something aside from a complete victory for a crew who’re simply so dominant on their very own turf.
Liverpool 4-1 West Brom.