West Brom 0-1 Liverpool: Premier League as it happened

That is all for this blog, thanks for following along. Be sure to stay with IBTimes UK for live coverage of a heavyweight clash between Manchester United and Chelsea from Old Trafford.

Goodbye for now.

Things got a little nervy at the end there, but a goal from Firmino wins the day for Liverpool for the second match in succession. A fifth victory in seven games sees Klopp's men reclaim third place from Manchester City ahead of next weekend's visit of Crystal Palace to Anfield.

As for West Brom, a fifth defeat in seven keeps them eighth and four points ahead of Southampton and Watford, both of whom have games in hand. The Baggies' putrid scoring run continues. They will now have a fortnight to lick their wounds before returning to action against Leicester City on 29 April.

Full-time

West Brom 0-1 Liverpool

Mignolet punches clear and Georginio Wijnaldum wins a crucial header on the edge of the Liverpool box.

Foster still lingers in the opposition half as West Brom throw everything forward in search of a last-gasp equaliser.

With Foster stranded upfield, Liverpool swarm forward and quickly win possession. Alberto Moreno, sent on in place of Coutinho, carries the ball forward before shooting wide of an open goal.

He was still a long way out, mind.

A long throw is dealt with by Can and Foster jogs forward after Phillips earns another Baggies corner.

Four minutes of added time signalled by the fourth official as Milner concedes a corner. Can rises highest to clear away for a throw-in on the nearside.

With 82 minutes on the clock, Liverpool make their first change. Klopp withdraws Origi in favour of Daniel Sturridge.

After Can blasts a shot into orbit, Rondon shows great strength to hold off the German and send Phillips scampering through beyond Nathaniel Clyne.

One-on-one with Mignolet, the former QPR winger is denied by a confident close-range stop. That was comfortably West Brom's best chance of the game so far.

Coutinho's whipped free-kick towards the near post is headed behind by McAuley. West Brom survive the subsequent corner and have just under 15 minutes remaining to find an equaliser.

Livermore tries to grab the initiative, but drags a low shot well wide.

Lucas brings down McClean and becomes the first Liverpool player to be booked.

Foster flaps unconvincingly at a Liverpool cross and Jonny Evans is cautioned for hacking down Coutinho near the byline.

Milner's latest free-kick is nodded wide by Matip.

Pulis makes all three of his changes in a matter of minutes, with Chadli, Yacob and Robson-Kanu making way for Morrison, James McClean and Rondon.

Coutinho shoots over instead of playing in Firmino.

Goa...no!

An offside flag against Firmino means that Origi's close-range header will not stand.

A lesson in how not to volley from Milner, who fires over the bar from close range after being set up nicely by Firmino.

That should have been 2-0.

Origi ignores an overlapping runner and bends a shot wide of the far post after being teed up by Firmino.

Robson-Kanu races clear in the Liverpool penalty area but is flagged for offside yet again. He really needs to start glancing across that line.

A typically animated Pulis roars in frustration after a throw-in is awarded Liverpool's way in front of the dugout.

Liverpool fail to capitalise on another free-kick and Robson-Kanu joins Brunt in the book for a foul on Can.

We are back underway at The Hawthorns.

An incredibly dreary first 45 minutes lit up by that late Firmino header. The Brazilian has now surpassed his tally of Premier League goals from last season.

Half-time

West Brom 0-1 Liverpool

For all the talk of West Brom's set-piece prowess, Liverpool notch the opener from a free-kick right on the stroke of half-time following that Brunt foul on Origi.

Milner's searching delivery is flicked on by Lucas and Firmino peels off his marker at the back post to head home his 12th goal of the season from close range.

Goal: West Brom 0-1 Liverpool (Roberto Firmino)

Origi receives possession from Milner out wide and turns Brunt before having his shirt pulled by the Northern Irish midfielder.

Moss goes to his pocket for the first time this afternoon. Yellow card.

Milner has a chance to deliver a dangerous free-kick from the right wing. However, his poor ball is easily cleared by Brunt.

Lucas and Robson-Kanu tussle and Pulis looks incensed as the free-kick goes against his side.

Five minutes remaining until the interval. This is not shaping up to be a classic.

Robson-Kanu, in behind Lovren, takes a chipped Livermore pass down on his chest before shooting weakly at Mignolet. He should have done much better with that.

Firmino comprehensively outmuscles Darren Fletcher and finds Coutinho. He struggles to outwit McAuley and curls a right-footed shot into the stands.

An excellent first-time pass from midfield releases Robson-Kanu, who is caught offside once more. He was clean through there.

Divock Origi then looks to test Forster with a tame long-range effort that is easily saved. A shot on target at last!

West Brom fans appeal in vain for a penalty and Can does well to halt the run of Phillips.

Milner appears to be limping a little here. Something to keep an eye on.

Mignolet bravely punches clear a West Brom corner as Dawson looks to head in at the near post. Moss blows for a foul and the pressure is relieved.

Liverpool quickly move forward and a speculative drive from Lucas is blocked by Yacob.

Chances at both ends.

An unmarked Chadli, under pressure from Firmino, somehow fails to make contact with Phillips's lofted ball to the back post. Coutinho then pulls an effort wide.

Still no shots on target to speak of.

Can's deep, looping cross to the back post is plucked out of the air by Foster. Lucas gets a ticking off from the referee for a meaty challenge on Jake Livermore.

Firmino wins a corner on the far side but West Brom quickly head the ball clear.

Emre Can has been busy during this opening 20 minutes and concedes a free-kick by barging Dawson to the ground.

A quick, hopeful pass intended for the run of Phillips is then scooped up by Mignolet.

Foster confidently claims a loose ball in the West Brom box. A quick counter-attack ensues and Matip makes a well-timed sliding challenge to thwart Nacer Chadli.

A powerful volleyed cross from Brunt then flies behind for a Liverpool goal kick.

Coutinho seizes on an extremely careless pass from Yacob. The Brazilian playmaker steams forward before teeing up compatriot Firmino, who fizzes a low shot agonisingly wide of the far post.

Close.

The quick and tricky Phillips cuts inside from the right flank and beats James Milner before lashing a wayward shot over the crossbar.

Craig Dawson is somewhat fortunate to avoid a yellow card for a handball in the middle of the park.

Liverpool knock the ball around patiently in search of an early opening. A long pass forward from Lovren is headed away by the evergreen Gareth McAuley.

Liverpool fail to clear their lines and a stumbling Robson-Kanu pokes well wide after a mishit shot from Matt Phillips falls kindly into his path.

The Welsh international then looks to get in down the left channel, but is stopped in his tracks by Simon Mignolet and the offside flag.

After a minute's silence, we are underway. Can Liverpool claim their second away league win of 2017 and further boost their chances of Champions League qualification?

Or will West Brom halt their latest annual post-40 point slide? They won only one of their last seven games last season.

The teams emerge from the tunnel and we are almost ready to go. Jon Moss is today's referee.

10 minutes remaining until kick-off in the West Midlands.

Liverpool are six points clear of fifth-place Everton ahead of kick-off and today's contest arguably represents the toughest of their remaining six matches.

"If we win all the rest of the games it's pretty sure we'll be in the Champions League," Klopp remarked. "Teams who have less games than us play each other, so they cannot get all the points.

"West Brom have all our respect and all our concentration. We will try to be at our best. West Brom play an outstanding season. Last two or three results they didn't score, but nothing we should think about.

"Maybe they are the most experienced team in the Premier League. They play at home. A lot of things that cause us work. We will fight for the result. That's the only thing I think about."

What are the chances they add to that formidable tally today? Defending set-pieces has not exactly been a strength of Liverpool's during Klopp's tenure to date...

Today's programme is in homage to long-serving defender Jonas Olsson, who ended his nine-year association with West Brom last month in order to secure a move back to Swedish football with Djurgarden IF.

West Brom do not have a match next weekend as their scheduled trip to Manchester City had to be pushed back due to the latter's FA Cup semi-final date with Arsenal at Wembley.

Such a break will offer the club's staff a chance to embark on various scouting missions in preparations for a busy summer transfer window.

"We are off [next week], every member of staff is off watching games," Pulis told reporters. "We are planning already for next season, we are trying to put things in place. We don't want to be behind, hopefully this year we want to be getting players in or targeting players as early as we can before the mad season starts.

"It's difficult getting them in the door early cos you have to negotiate deals and prices and everything else but we'll do our best. The most important thing is to target the players we really want and be very clever in what we do and how we do it because we haven't got the finances other clubs have. But we need players in and that is the bottom line, we need to be bringing a few in."

Here's Pulis on that strong home record against Liverpool:

I was hoping you wouldn't bring that up. But let's hope that record 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.

Klavan's injury and the prospect of Lucas once again being deployed as an unconvincing central defender rather compounds the absence of Mamadou Sakho, who is currently earning rave reviews for his stellar form during a productive loan spell at Crystal Palace.

The Eagles are no doubt keen to retain the Frenchman's services on a permanent basis this summer, although Klopp has confirmed that the loan agreement contains to option to buy.

Quick confirmation from Liverpool on the reason for Klavan's omission:

Coutinho and Firmino do start for Liverpool as expected. Teenage duo Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ben Woodburn make way, while Lucas is expected to feature alongside Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren as one of three centre-backs due to a knee injury sustained by Ragnar Klavan.

In the rugged Estonian's absence, Joe Gomez is promoted to substitute.

Pulis makes three changes to the team beaten at home by Southampton last weekend courtesy of a first-half strike from Jordy Clasie, with Allan Nyom, James Morrison and Salomon Rondon all dropping to the bench.

Chris Brunt, Claudio Yacob and Hal Robson-Kanu come in. The latter will lead the line.

Stay tuned for confirmed lineups from both camps...

Liverpool will remain without Sadio Mane for the remainder of the season after the influential forward underwent surgery to correct meniscus damage in his left knee suffered during the Merseyside derby defeat of Everton.

England duo Jordan Henderson (foot) and Adam Lallana (thigh) are not yet ready to return. Here's what Jurgen Klopp had to say regarding their fitness this week:

[They are] better, but not good enough for the weekend.

With Jordan, it was clear from the beginning that it's not a fixed time until he is back. We have to wait until he feels absolutely nothing, that's how it is. That's what we are still waiting for. In all of what he is doing at the moment, he feels nothing, but we have to make steps still, steps to go.

With Adam, it is a little bit easier to say. I am pretty sure after the Crystal Palace game, he will probably be in normal training and that means then [for Watford] he is in the squad or we can think about him then.

For the Watford game again, with Jordan it could be next week in training, could be the week after, but I think we are in a good way with him also. Everything will be good and I am pretty sure he will have a few games in this season.

Long-term absentees Adam Bogdan, Ovie Ejaria and Danny Ings are also still sidelined.

Brazilian duo Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino are both expected to return to the starting XI this afternoon after coming off the bench to instigate that dramatic turnaround at Stoke last time out.

West Brom could have a fully-fit squad to choose from today as they look to arrest their recent slump in form, with Tony Pulis, who is unbeaten in eight home league games against Liverpool as a manager, confirming that one or two players would need to be assessed ahead of the match.

"There are still one or two little bruises and knocks," he said during Friday's pre-match press conference. "We'll look at them today, the big decisions will be made tomorrow which is good for us."

We should also mention that there will be a minute's silence held before kick-off today in memory of Tracey Wilkinson and Baggies supporting son Pierce, who were killed in a shocking attack at their home in Stourbridge last month.

West Brom have stated that husband and father Peter Wilkinson, who underwent surgery after also being stabbed, is determined to attend the game.

Greetings and a very warm welcome to IBTimes UK's latest live coverage of the Premier League.

An eagerly anticipated heavyweight clash between Manchester United and Chelsea is on the agenda for later today, but first we pay a visit to The Hawthorns where Liverpool, now six games unbeaten and fresh off a first top-flight away win of 2017 at Stoke, seek to reclaim third place from Manchester City with a win against an out-of-form West Brom side who have claimed only four points from the last 18 available and are once again finding it incredibly difficult to score.

This afternoon's match comes on a particularly poignant weekend for Liverpool, with yesterday marking the 28th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.

Families of the 96 fans who tragically lost their lives attended a prayer service at Liverpool Cathedral and the squad marked the occasion at Melwood. 2016's memorial service was the final one to take place at Anfield.