LFC Crash Out Of FA Cup 2-3 Against WBA

Sports - Football - FA Cup - LFC 2:3 WBA

Liverpool crashed out of the FA Cup falling 2-3 against West Brom and ending their 19-game unbeaten run at Anfield with the video assistant referee (VAR) at the centre of the attention in the late kick-off Saturday evening. 

It was a frantic first half, Roberto Firmino chipping in the opener for the Reds from close range after just five minutes, before Jay Rodriguez thumped in the equaliser just 71 seconds later.

Four minutes after that, the visitors were ahead thanks to Rodriguez again, the former Burnley forward slotting home and Albion 1-2 up, Liverpool just watching. What is defending again?

With just under twenty minutes gone, Gareth Barry thought he had made it 1-3 off Craig Dawson's through-ball, only to be disallowed eventually for offside confirmed by the VAR Andre Marriner. Close call.

Halfway through the first half, Mohamed Salah was brought down in the box by Jake Livermore, referee Craig Pawson ignored the appeal, for the VAR to cancel his decision. Another close call but correct.

It was the first time a referee had referred to the new technology to make a final decision correcting the official's first call, it took over four minutes, Barry was booked in the process for his protests.

And after all that, Firmino missed the spot kick, his right-footed shot hitting the cross-bar.

Alan Pardew was forced to make two changes before the break due to injury, losing Kieran Gibbs and Hal Robson-Kanu, replacing them with Ahmed Hegazi and Matt Phillips respectively.

But the changes did not deplete the Baggies' game, quite the opposite, they stayed on top, confusing and destroying any kind of organisation and threat by the home side.

The VAR was called for a third time before the break, Rodriguez in an offside position when Dawson's cross-shot went in off Joel Matip, but was deemed not to be interfering with play, the own goal stood, 1-3.

It was a weird back-heel clearance attempt by the Red defender, keeper Simon Mignolet not exactly strengthening his case of his position in the team with an oblivious display, his defensive colleagues not much better though.

Liverpool conceded three goals in consecutive home games for the first time since January 2007, West Brom the first away team to score three first half goals at Anfield since Real Madrid in October 2014.

Jürgen Klopp looked surprisingly calm.

The second half was less frantic, more settled, Liverpool dominating with chances and possession, but West Brom never out of control.

The visitors' stopper Ben Foster kept strong, denying substitutes James Milner and Danny Ings and defender Virgil van Dijk late on.

The stats show who was doing their job: Mignolet 0-6 Foster in saves made.

Salah did pull one back for the home side with just over ten minutes to go, becoming only the fourth LFC player this Millenium to hit 25 goals after Michael Owen, Fernando Torres and Luis Suárez. Even in Daniel Sturridge's best season, he only scored 24. And it's only January.

That's the only positive-ish stat of the match, even Klopp conceded the Reds were just not good enough and West Brom deserved to win, not blaming the referee nor VAR as other managers would have loved to place the blame, that's for sure.

How quick the form has crumbled to bits for the German's side, after the ultimate high of beating the league leaders Manchester City, to losing against the bottom side Swansea and then this, another chance of silverware out of the window.

Next, the Reds travel to Huddersfield on Tuesday, who will dare to predict the result? How good or how bad can it get for the board to make changes? To buy? To invest more? What is consistency?!

If you want more, you have to do more!!!

Liverpool Goals: Firmino 5' & Salah 78'.

West Brom Goals: Rodriguez 7' & 11' & Matip OG 45'+2'.

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 18 Moreno, 4 van Dijk, 32 Matip, 66 Alexander-Arnold; 5 Wijnaldum, 23 Can (booked 61') (7 Milner 65'), 21 Oxlade-Chamberlain (28 Ings 65'); 19 Mané (14 Henderson 65'), 9 Firmino, 11 Salah. 4-3-3
Subs not used: 6 Lovren, 12 Gomez, 29 Solanke, 52 Ward.

West Brom Team: 1 Foster; 3 Gibbs (26 Hegazi 37' (booked 85')), 6 Evans, 25 Dawson (booked 83'), 2 Nyom; 11 Brunt, 20 Krychowiak, 18 Barry (booked 26') (5 Yacob 71'), 8 Livermore; 19 Rodriguez, 4 Robson-Kanu (10 Phillips 39'). 4-4-2
Subs not used: 9 Rondón, 13 Myhill, 14 McClean, 17 Burke.

HT Stats: LFC 1-3 WBA
Possession: 65%-35%
Shots: 12-5
On target: 3-2
Corners: 2-1
Fouls: 2-4
Yellow cards: 0-1

FT Stats: LFC 2-3 WBA
Possession: 69%-31%
Shots: 23-8
On target: 8-3
Corners: 6-2
Fouls: 5-9
Yellow cards: 1-3

Referee: Craig Pawson
Man of the match: Jay Rodriguez
Ground: Anfield
Attendance: 53,342

Click here for my previous LFC match report.

All pictures, facts and stats were taken from the BBC match report, Sky Sports app, Twitter and beIN sport live match coverage.