Liverpool Player Ratings vs West Brom
The sight of the ball taking a deflection into the West Brom served as a welcome relief for Liverpool fans after having stared at consecutive league defeats. The performance in itself was dodgy with a lot of players putting in underwhelming performances. In this segment, we score the performance of the Reds line-up against West Brom.
Simon Mignolet- 3.5 (Flop of the game)
There is growing agony at the club about his performances and the performance today further instilled the belief in the Kop that to move ahead they need to get an upgrade on the Belgian. He has been horrendous at set pieces and it comes as no surprise that West Brom scored both their goals from a set piece. He was let flapping for the first goal and did not help matters for the second goal, unaware of the quality of the set piece put in by Brunt.
Nathaniel Clyne- 7
Consistent as ever, Clyne put in another impressive shift at the right flank, assisting the attackers going forward while ensuring that West Brom didn’t make progress from the right. However, his crossing should improve a bit for the side to truly make good use of Benteke’s aerial abilities.
Martin Skrtel- 6
A game in which Skrtel doesn’t give us a heart stroke are few and this game was not one of those rare occasions. While he could not have done anything to stop the first goal, we believe he was at fault for the second goal letting his man run in the box unchecked.
Dejan Lovren-6
It was a pity that Lovren had to leave the pitch in absolute agony. He seems to be in fine form over the last few weeks and the injury might disrupt his return to his best. He was calm and composed on the ball and made some crucial interceptions and tackles. However, it should not be forgotten that he was bullied by the West Brom players for their second goal despite being the first to get to the ball.
Alberto Moreno- 7
Moreno has truly turned it around under Jurgen Klopp. Not only does the Spaniard bring attacking impetus, he also brings defensive solidarity. He created 4 chances in the game apart from making 3 crucial tackles. The only area of concern according to us is his ability in front of the goal, either waiting just a tad bit longer or going absolutely wayward.
Emre Can- 7
The big burly German continues to function as the engine of this Liverpool side. And with Henderson back into the side, he definitely had a lot less running to do. His passing was accurate, he showed calmness in tight spaces and pushed forward from the deep. Even when pushed into Central defence, he performed with admirable calm for a player who was rattled into all evening by the opponents.
Jordan Henderson- 7.5
The Liverpool captain capped the performance with a brilliantly worked goal. He pushed and probed the West Brom defence with his runs, passes and vision and was one of the few Liverpool players who didn’t seem to put a foot wrong during the game.
James Milner- 6
While we admire his work rate, we believe that there are some serious limitations to his game at the moment, which are pegging back the side. Yes, he did some brilliant running but his performance in attack as well as defence can at the best be described as mediocre.
Adam Lallana- 8
Lallana’s performance over the last few weeks have been a pleasant surprise and he continued with his fine form in the evening. He created 3 chances while ensuring that he did his fair bit of dirty work in the middle of the park. The only issue we have with him was that miss when his side were trailing.
Philipe Coutinho- 7
What a beautifully weighted pass that was to set up the first Liverpool goal. The Brazilian looked in fine form coming back from an injury, threading dangerous passes, making smart runs and bringing his teammates into the game. All in all, it was another solid outing for him.
Christian Benteke- 4.5
The Belgian had another disappointing outing in a Liverpool shirt. He did not thwart the opposition with any half-chances that came his way. However, the bigger concern was his inability to work in tandem with his teammates. For us, Origi brought in a lot more to the side despite a rather short outing.
Substitutes-
Ibe- 6
The Englishman was on the pitch was just less than 20 minutes and turned out to be menace for the West Brom defence, pegging them back at every opportunity. However, his crossing and final ball still need to be worked upon.
Firmino-5
After showing signs of his promise, Firmino has fallen down the pecking order at Anfield, although with another uneventful outing for the Reds under his belt.
Divock Origi- 6.5
The Belgian contributed more to the attack during his short while than his compatriot Benteke. His movement on and off the ball is improving, lending some teeth to the Liverpool attack. Of course, it was his shot that got deflected into the net. So another reason to love him.
Match Highlights
