Our match pack for Sunday's Premier League clash between West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool includes team news, statistics, manager quotes, odds & our prediction.
The game kicks off at 1330 BST at The Hawthorns, live on Sky Sports 1.
West Bromwich Albion v Liverpool: Team news
West Brom boss Tony Pulis should have a fully fit squad to choose from for the visit of Liverpool on Sunday.
There are some players nursing the usual bumps and bruises but nothing that should hamper Pulis' team selection.
Few changes to the starting line-up are expected but the likes of Chris Brunt, Hal Robson-Kanu and James McClean could come into Pulis' thinking.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and fellow midfielder Adam Lallana are still not fit to return.
Henderson was expected to begin training this week but his foot injury is still giving him problems, while Lallana (thigh) is not expected back with the squad until the week after next.
Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho will return to the starting line-up after being rested at Stoke but manager Jurgen Klopp has to decide whether to retain the 3-5-2 formation he introduced last week or revert to his preferred 4-3-3.
Teams
West Brom (from): Foster, Myhill, Rose, Nyom, Dawson, Marc Wilson, Kane Wilson, McAuley, Evans, Brunt, Galloway, Yacob, Fletcher, Livermore, Morrison, Field, Phillips, Harper, McClean, Chadli, Rondon, Robson-Kanu, Leko.
Liverpool (from): Mignolet, Clyne, Lovren, Matip, Klavan, Milner, Can, Wijnaldum, Coutinho, Firmino, Origi, Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Moreno, Gomez, Lucas, Grujic, Sturridge, Woodburn, Wilson.
West Bromwich Albion v Liverpool: Manager quotes
Tony Pulis (West Bromwich Albion)
On his return against Liverpool: "I was hoping you wouldn't bring that up.
"But let's hope that record (against Liverpool) continues this weekend as well.
"They are just a team I have always done well against. In comparison with Arsenal, I've always done well when I've played against Arsenal at home.
"You get the team organised and well set up and let them enjoy the challenge, irrespective of whether it's Liverpool, Leicester or Chelsea."
On transfer targets: "The target is to get as many points as we can and make this club as attractive as we can.
"Next weekend we've obviously got the Man City game that has been cancelled (due to the FA Cup) and every member of staff will be out watching games.
"We're planning already for next year, we're trying to put plans in place, we don't want to be behind the ball game. We want to target players as early as we can before the mad season starts."
It's difficult getting them in the door early because you have to negotiate deals, process and everything else, but we will do our best.
"The most important thing is to target the ones we want and be very clever with what we do because we haven't got the finances other clubs have got.
"But we need the players in and that's the bottom line. We need to be bringing a few players in."
Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
On the importance of Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino: "It's very important that players can play together, but if they are only two then it's pretty difficult still.
"Gini Wijnaldum said it after the game, I think - yes, they had a big impact on the game, that's 100 per cent true, but the whole team played better in the second half.
"If we would have played like that in the first half and Roberto and Phil would have been on the pitch, I can only imagine if the difference would still have been that big. But with all playing better and these two highest quality players on the pitch, we could change the game. That was fantastic, really good.
"That they are really, really good friends - maybe best friends - and it helps us a lot... that they play together in the Brazil national team helps us... that they are both so unbelievably skilled helps us a lot. But, again, if they tried to do it alone... no chance. It's about fitting in the game, fitting in the team and obviously they are that good that they would fit in nearly each team. It's good to have them here."
On the points needed to finish in the top four: "I don't think about it. What we can probably say is that if we would win all the rest of the games then we would be in the Champions League.
"I think it's pretty sure - even when a few teams have (played) less games than we have because they play against each other they cannot get all the points. But it will be difficult enough. The challenge of West Brom is big enough and has all our respect and all our concentration. That's what we are doing.
"We should be at our best because West Brom have played an outstanding season. We know about their qualities, we know about their style, we know that they are really experienced - maybe the most experienced team in the Premier League. That's another thing. And they play at home. A lot of things which cause us work.
"But we've nothing else to do, so we go there and we want to show again that we have really big targets this season, we want to go for it and we'll really fight for the result."
On Steven Gerrard: "There is not a real announcement in this moment, but what I can probably say is 'yes'.
"He is doing a real job at the academy at the moment with his presence and everything, being around and giving advice and leading little or bigger sessions and all that stuff.
"They all enjoy it a lot. He especially enjoys it a lot. Yes, he will be the coach of a youth team next season, I'm pretty sure. But we will tell you exactly which team when we want to tell you."
West Bromwich Albion v Liverpool: Our prediction
David John writes... When you can call on Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho from off the bench you may as well utilise them and a goal each in the second half last week at Stoke put a smile on Jurgen Klopp’s face after Liverpool’s come-from-behind success.
They were certainly off the pace in the first period at the Bet365 Stadium and could have had a much tougher task if Marko Anautovic had dialled in his compass a bit better but three points keeps the Reds in the thick of the action for a top-four finish.
A similar sort of challenge lies ahead at The Hawthorns against Tony Pulis’ group of grafters and Klopp will hope that additional touch of quality in the vital areas can prove the difference.
Coutinho in particular has looked right back to his best following a long injury lay-off since an instrumental role in the Merseyside derby and he and Firmino need to be pivotal performers once again with no Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana or Jordan Henderson to call on.
A moment of brilliance from either Brazilian could turn the tide in their team’s favour but they are up against an uncompromising backline that will give no quarter and certainly won’t be overawed physically.
That said, the Baggies' quest for a record haul of points in a Premier League season has rather stalled of late following back-to-back defeats and four in their last six outings.
They have, however, managed to win over half of their home games and the way they dealt with Arsenal (3-1) a month ago gives every indication there is a good chance of getting back in the groove and moving within one win of reaching 50 points.
It was not for lack of effort they failed last week against Southampton as they piled on the pressure late in the game in a bid to grab a point but could not force the ball over the line from a stack of late chances.
I would anticipate another good deal of endeavour and application and Pulis – who has a remarkable record against Liverpool wherever he has coached – will be keen to exploit the continued weakness of the visitors from set-pieces.
I may have been tempted to side with the hosts again but West Brom-Draw in the Double Chance market is odds-on so I will sit this one out with the encounter ending all square getting a tentative nod.
Prediction: West Brom 1-1 Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Liverpool: Opta facts
Since Steve Clarke led West Brom to a Premier League double over Liverpool in 2012/13, the Baggies have not won any of their following seven games against them (D4 L3).
The Reds are looking for their first Premier League victory at the Hawthorns since October 2011, where they picked up a 2-0 win under Kenny Dalglish (D3 L1 since).
Three of West Brom’s four goals against Liverpool under Tony Pulis have been scored by defenders (Craig Dawson, Jonas Olsson and Gareth McAuley).
After keeping 10 clean sheets in their first 11 Premier League games against West Brom, Liverpool have since kept just one in 10 league meetings since then.
West Brom have scored the most goals corners (14) and no side have scored more headed goals (14) than the Baggies this season in the Premier League.
West Brom average the fewest successful passes per game in the Premier League this season (218); an average that is less than half of Liverpool’s (477 per game – the second best average).
The Baggies have averaged the lowest ball possession figure in the Premier League this season (36.5%) – a category they were also bottom of in 2015-16 (39.4%).
Philippe Coutinho has now scored in three successive Premier League appearances but he’s never netted in four appearances in a row in the competition.
Tony Pulis’s side have failed to score in five of their last six Premier League matches and have secured just four points in this run (W1 D1 L4).
Since Jurgen Klopp first took charge in October 2015, Liverpool’s Premier League matches have produced the most goals (203) and have seen the highest average of goals per game (3.3).
West Bromwich Albion v Liverpool: Sky Bet odds
Liverpool are marginally odds-on for the victory at 17/20 with Sky Bet as West Brom are considered 16/5 outsiders, while the draw is priced at 13/5. Jurgen Klopp’s men remain well odds-on for a top-four finish following their comeback win last weekend while the Baggies are 8/1 to end up in the bottom half following back-to-back losses. Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi share favouritism in the first goalscorer betting while Salomon Rondon is rated the hosts’ main threat at 13/2, although Gareth McAuley (18/1) and Craig Dawson (25/1) are sure to be of interest given their aerial prowess.
