Allardyce revels in stifling Liverpool

LONDON • Anfield is a fearsome proposition for any team to visit yet it is a ground Sam Allardyce loves playing at.

West Bromwich Albion drew 1-1 against Liverpool on Sunday, leading to the Premier League champions dropping points at home for the first time this season.

Big Sam is now unbeaten at Anfield in his last four top-flight visits, each with different teams, and has won two more points than any other manager against Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

Allardyce masterminded Liverpool's last home loss - dating back to April 2017 - and while he did not pull off another win, the Baggies boss left the Reds manager rocked.

"It does (feel like a defeat) but we have a point more than before so that's completely fine," Klopp told reporters. "The boys are more angry than anything else because they know it wasn't perfect but that's it... now we have to play the next game in three days (at Newcastle).

"We have to be disciplined as well, in a different way. We have to do both, being offensive, active, creative and defend... In the end, we drew a Premier League game, that can happen."

He also had a dig at West Brom's negative formation, which stifled Liverpool's free-flowing attack.

"It is an incredible challenge when you constantly face 10 men (behind the ball) and I don't think anyone can expect a team that plays like West Brom in the first half, like a 6-4 or whatever it was," he told Sky Sports.

"To be fair, West Brom did their job inside 90 minutes. West Brom deserved the point tonight because we didn't finish the game. It is difficult to create.

"In the end, everyone knows and feels we should have and could have done better tonight."

While Klopp's men still top the table with a three-point lead over Merseyside rivals Everton, of bigger concern was his short-handed team suffering more injuries.

A muscle problem kept Naby Keita out against West Brom and the Guinea midfielder will miss the Newcastle trip. Joel Matip also picked up an adductor issue against West Brom that is likely to hasten Klopp's search for reinforcements when the transfer window opens on Saturday.

"Joel is injured and it's not the first time a centre-half is injured," said the German, who is without long-term absentees Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez. "It's of course not good, especially now as he was in a really good shape again but we can't change that."

Allardyce suffered a 3-0 home loss to Aston Villa in his first game last Sunday, but with a full week of training, the former England manager was able to transmit his ideas to the team. West Brom still have a mountain to climb if they are to avoid relegation. They sit 19th on eight points from 15 games, five adrift of safety with 17th-placed Burnley having a game in hand.

However, Allardyce, who managed seven Premier League clubs without getting relegated before joining West Brom, believes the promoted side made the right choice in turning to him to get out of their predicament after sacking Slaven Bilic earlier this month.

"It was superb today and we came out with a precious point for us," he said. "There is a lot of defending you have to do against a quality team with a fantastic home record. To the man, we frustrated Liverpool as much as we could. We had to take the sting out of them in the first half. Liverpool always take the game to you. People will say we are lucky but that was good application."

REUTERS