15 May 2016
Liverpool finish eighth after draw with West Brom

Liverpool must win the Europa League final to secure European football next season as a draw at West Brom ensured an eighth-place league finish.

West Brom led when 17-year-old Jonathan Leko skipped free to tee up Salomon Rondon for an emphatic low finish.

Liverpool responded soon after though Jordon Ibe s fine run and shot.

Neither side could do enough after the break to win all three points, but the Baggies came closest with Rondon hitting the post with a deft header.

Reaction from Sunday's Premier League games

Relive the action from the Hawthorns

Youngsters impress

The reverse fixture at Anfield in December had been a heated affair, ending with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp declining to shake the hand of West Brom opposite number Tony Pulis.

With the Baggies long since safe and Liverpool saving themselves for Wednesday's Europa League final, this was a far tamer encounter enlivened by two excellent goals.

Leko - a constant threat during his 73 minutes on the pitch - burst between Cameron Brannagan and Joe Allen to set up Rondon with a cute reverse ball for the first, before 20-year-old Ibe cut in off his flank, swerved Jonas Olsson and buried a low shot into the bottom corner to level.

The appearance of England internationals Jordan Henderson - out with knee ligament damage since April - and Danny Ings - missing since October with a knee injury - as late substitutes drew cheers form the travelling fans.

Pre-match unity

Both sets of supporters were united in applause and acclaim before kick-off as West Brom paid tribute to the courage and tenacity of the families of those who died at the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.

The rest of the Premier League showed their solidarity with their campaign at the time of April's verdict of unlawful killing, but West Brom chose to save their salute until Liverpool's final-day visit.

Ninety-six red seats were set up in the away end, each bearing a name of a Hillsborough victim and left unfilled for Sunday's match.

Former Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert - now at West Brom - and Baggies captain Darren Fletcher laid flowers in front of the away supporters before kick-off as the 2012 Hillsborough charity single - a cover of the Hollies' He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother - played over the public address system.

Trouble ahead?

This season's on-field business is done for West Brom, but the discussions over Pulis' future are only just about to start.

The Baggies boss will meet chairman Jeremy Peace in the next few weeks to discuss the possibility of extending his contract beyond the end of next season.

Fourteenth in the league before Bournemouth replay their abandoned fixture against Manchester United, Pulis will likely point to his success in securing the West Midlands club's Premier League status several weeks before this meeting with Liverpool.

His critics may suggest that security has come at the cost of style with West Brom scoring only 34 goals this season. Only Aston Villa - with 27 - have managed fewer.

Man of the match - Jonathan Leko

What they said

West Brom boss Tony Pulis: "That has been us for seven or eight games - we needed the second goal, created the chances but have not been able to put them away. We have to have that little bit more in the final third.

"Saido Berahino, James Morrison and Chris Brunt have not played half the games that we would have liked them to this season. With the injuries and the lads we have had to call on, I think the lads have done fantastically.

"I think this is a wonderful club with fantastic tradition. We have to improve, especially at the top end of the pitch."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: "I think we deserved this point. We knew that we would have lots of problems if we gave them set-pieces because that was an area in which they could be stronger than us today.

"We created not enough real chances, but we played football, could have done a little bit better, but I am fine with the game.

We have got 60 points. We could have had more, everyone knows this. Could we have had less? No, I don't think so. If we don't play European football next season we have to use the time we have."

The stats you need to know

  • West Brom have had fewer shots on target than any other team in the Premier League with 107.
  • West Brom's Jonathan Leko is the first player born in 1999 to assist a Premier League goal.
  • Salomon Rondon has opened the scoring eight times in the Premier League this season, only Jamie Vardy (12) and Harry Kane (9) have done so more often.
  • Jordon Ibe's goal, in the 23rd minute, was the final shot on target of the game.
  • Liverpool used 34 players in the 2015-16 Premier League campaign, four more than in any previous season.
  • Liverpool have finished outside the top five for the sixth time in seven seasons.
  • Line-ups
  • Match Stats
  • Live Text

Line-ups

West Brom

  • 1Foster
  • 25Dawson
  • 23McAuley
  • 3OlssonSubstituted forChesterat 45'minutes
  • 6EvansBooked at 87mins
  • 24Fletcher
  • 5Yacob
  • 45LekoSubstituted forRobertsat 73'minutesBooked at 74mins
  • 8Gardner
  • 14McCleanBooked at 45minsSubstituted forFieldat 86'minutes
  • 33Rondón

Substitutes

  • 4Chester
  • 13Myhill
  • 17Lambert
  • 18Berahino
  • 30Sandro
  • 44Roberts
  • 47Field

Liverpool

  • 34Bogdan
  • 38Flanagan
  • 37Skrtel
  • 21Lucas
  • 44SmithBooked at 40mins
  • 32Brannagan
  • 35Stewart
  • 24AllenSubstituted forHendersonat 64'minutes
  • 33IbeSubstituted forIngsat 64'minutes
  • 9Benteke
  • 54OjoSubstituted forCanosat 81'minutes

Substitutes

  • 14Henderson
  • 22Mignolet
  • 26Ilori
  • 28Ings
  • 56Randall
  • 64Canos
  • 68Chirivella
Referee:
Robert Madley
Attendance:
26,196

Match Stats

Home TeamWest BromAway TeamLiverpool
Possession
Home33%
Away67%
Shots
Home13
Away7
Shots on Target
Home1
Away3
Corners
Home7
Away5
Fouls
Home11
Away14

Live Text

Match ends, West Bromwich Albion 1, Liverpool 1.

Full Time

Second Half ends, West Bromwich Albion 1, Liverpool 1.
Foul by Kevin Stewart (Liverpool).
Sam Field (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt blocked. Salomón Rondón (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Brad Smith.

Booking

Jonny Evans (West Bromwich Albion) is shown the yellow card.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Gareth McAuley.

Substitution

Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Sam Field replaces James McClean.
Foul by Jon Flanagan (Liverpool).
Claudio Yacob (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Gareth McAuley.
Foul by Sergi Canos (Liverpool).
Claudio Yacob (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Offside, West Bromwich Albion. Craig Gardner tries a through ball, but Salomón Rondón is caught offside.
Attempt blocked. Tyler Roberts (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from very close range is blocked. Assisted by Salomón Rondón.
Attempt missed. Salomón Rondón (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right following a corner.
Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Brad Smith.

Substitution

Substitution, Liverpool. Sergi Canos replaces Sheyi Ojo.
Foul by Danny Ings (Liverpool).
Craig Dawson (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Christian Benteke.
Foul by Jon Flanagan (Liverpool).
James McClean (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Booking

Tyler Roberts (West Bromwich Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Jordan Henderson (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Tyler Roberts (West Bromwich Albion).
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Gareth McAuley.

Substitution

Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Tyler Roberts replaces Jonathan Leko.
Danny Ings (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jonny Evans (West Bromwich Albion).
Attempt missed. Craig Dawson (West Bromwich Albion) header from very close range is too high. Assisted by James McClean with a cross following a corner.
Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Sheyi Ojo.
Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Martin Skrtel.
Attempt blocked. Salomón Rondón (West Bromwich Albion) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Lucas Leiva.

Substitution

Substitution, Liverpool. Jordan Henderson replaces Joe Allen.

Substitution

Substitution, Liverpool. Danny Ings replaces Jordon Ibe.
Foul by Christian Benteke (Liverpool).
Claudio Yacob (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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