Liverpool play the percentages

Liverpool nearly got away with it. They so nearly did.

Jurgen Klopp may have been making all the right noises before this game, but nobody was fooled.

When the teamsheet dropped, Tuesday's Champions League clash against Roma was very much on the mind of the Liverpool boss.

Nobody could blame the Reds boss for such an approach.

And when Liverpool , not without a struggle, forged into a 2-0 lead with 18 minutes to go, it appeared entirely justified.

That they couldn't quite hold on against a West Bromwich Albion team who, with relegation facing them in the face, threw everything at them during the closing stages will surely grate.

Of course, the draw ensured the faintly ridiculous fact Klopp's side failed in three attempts this season to beat the team destined to finish bottom of the Premier League.

But the manager won't be overly worried.

Liverpool rarely ventured out of second gear while edging a point nearer securing a top-four berth. Four more would almost certainly be enough, five will guarantee Champions League qualification.

“No injuries, minimum effort, just don't concede silly set-pieces,” said one former Reds player as he passed through the press room afterwards.

It was difficult to disagree.

Salah just can't stop scoring

Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool at The Hawthorns on April 21, 2018 in West Bromwich, England.
Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during the Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool at The Hawthorns on April 21, 2018 in West Bromwich, England.

The records keep tumbling for Mohamed Salah.

Another tasty chip, akin to his coolly-taken strike at Manchester City in the Champions League last week, moved him on to 41 goals in 46 games.

His 31st top-flight goal of the season, it also saw him equal the Premier League record of most goals in a 38-game campaign, previously set by Alan Shearer, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez.

Salah also equalled a club record by scoring in his 23rd league game in a season, matching the previous best of Roger Hunt who achieved the feat in Division Two.

And with Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane in FA Cup action this weekend, it nudged the Egyptian further clear in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot.

In the final analysis here, it proved an invaluable goal, at the time appearing a match-clinching strike but ultimately safeguarding a point for the visitors.

Salah, like most of his colleagues, played well within himself, careful to avoid injury which, given the close attentions of Kieran Gibbs and Egyptian compatriot Ahmed Megazi, wasn't always a given.

Even when he's not at it 100%, Salah still scores. Liverpool will hope he's saving his best for the Roma reunion in midweek.

Ings getting better

Danny Ings celebrates the opener during the Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool at The Hawthorns on April 21, 2018 in West Bromwich, England.
Danny Ings celebrates the opener during the Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool at The Hawthorns on April 21, 2018 in West Bromwich, England.

Whichever way you look at it, 931 days is a long, long time.

Back in October 2015, Brendan Rodgers was Liverpool manager, Trent Alexander-Arnold was still at school and it had been mere months since Gini Wijnaldum had scored an away goal.

That, though, was the last time Danny Ings had found the target at any venue at senior level when he stepped out at The Hawthorns for only his second-ever Premier League start under Jurgen Klopp.

So when, four minutes in, the striker swept the ball home beyond West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster, the outpouring of emotion was very, very real.

Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane may have scored 83 goals between them this season, but none of them were greeted with quite the sheer unbridled joy and delight at Ings' overdue strike.

The forward, hugely popular among his team-mates, was mobbed, the frustrations of two serious knee injuries pouring out of him.

Understandable rustiness was evident when Ings later misjudged a header in a good position, but he drew a fine save from Foster with another chance before the break and should have had a penalty after it.

Oh, and the striker was also punched by Ahmed Megazi when on the ground, one of many incidents missed by myopic referee Stuart Attwell.

For Ings, however, that goal will surely work wonders. Once again, the season is ending far too soon for him.

Officials not VAR-y good

Video Loading

When Liverpool met West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup back in January, the game was dominated by VAR.

The big calls that initially went against the Reds that evening were overturned on viewing a replay, not that it made any difference to Liverpool's exit.

Klopp is a rare advocate of VAR. And matters would definitely have been altered here had the system been in place, so dire were some of the decisions of referee Stuart Attwell and his assistants.

Ings should have had a penalty. Megazi should have seen red for his punch on the player. And it was highly debatable Jordan Henderson fouled Jay Rodriguez for the free-kick that led to West Brom's equaliser.

Liverpool, though, had to play to the whistle. And plenty will be made of them twice leaking from set-pieces.

That, though, overlooks a few important facts: West Brom are very good at dead-ball situations, Liverpool's defence was much-changed, and before this game the Reds had conceded just one goal from set-pieces in 25 Premier League matches.

With Alberto Moreno making his first Premier League start since November, Joe Gomez back after a month out and Ragnar Klavan beginning a second game since New Year's Day, it was always going to be tough going.

For 78 minutes, it looked like Liverpool's makeshift rearguard had done enough. Finally, though, the Baggies pressure told.

The Italian job awaits

Eusebio Di Francesco during the game against Barcelona

So, to Roma and the Champions League.

For the first time since the draw was made eight days ago, the focus can now entirely be on Tuesday's semi-final first leg.

This draw to West Bromwich Albion may not have been the best preparation, but it will have at least given the Reds a gentle kick up the backside there remains work to be done both home and abroad.

Not that there is any suggestion Klopp and his players are over-confident. Far from it. After all, Roma will have viewed Liverpool as their preferred semi-final opponents, just as many Reds fans consider the Italians.

Klopp raised eyebrows with his post-match protestations about the pitch at The Hawthorns, but it was perhaps good man-management.

Indeed, there would have been no point in publicly criticising his players ahead of the club's biggest game in years.

By making the post-match patter about him, he's allowing his players to turn their attentions on the coming days.

It's the start of a huge few weeks for Liverpool Football Club.