Liverpool vs West Bromwich Albion. The FA Cup Fourth Round.
AnfieldAttendance53,342.
Saturday 27 January 2018 19:54, UK
Liverpool will be looking to bounce back from their first defeat in 19 games in all competitions when they host West Brom in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday (kick-off 7.45pm).
Jurgen Klopp's men suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat at Swansea on Monday Night Football having won their previous five matches, scoring 15 goals in the process. That was their first defeat since losing 4-1 to Tottenham in October.
The seven-time FA Cup winners have made it to the fourth round for the seventh successive season but have been knocked out at this stage for the last two seasons, including against Wolves last year.
Although the clear underdogs for this clash, West Brom have strong FA Cup pedigree with their manager Alan Pardew, who has reached the FA Cup Final as a player with Palace in 1990, as manager with West Ham in 2006 (against Liverpool) and with Palace again in 2016.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is set to make his return in the FA Cup fourth-round tie after a month out with a hamstring injury.
Fellow midfielder Adam Lallana misses out with a minor muscle tear, defender Ragnar Klavan is sidelined by a similar injury while James Milner's dead leg will require a late assessment.
Centre-back Dejan Lovren has recovered from illness, Alberto Moreno is fit again after an ankle injury which has kept him out since December 6 while Simon Mignolet will start in goal.
Liverpool will be hosting West Brom for the fourth occasion in the FA Cup, with the Reds yet to defeat their Midlands opponents (D2 L1). They drew 1-1 in a sixth-round replay in April 1968.
Since a run of five successive FA Cup wins at Anfield between January 2012 and January 2014, Liverpool have won just two of their last seven (D4 L1), winning in the third round this season against Everton.
West Brom have progressed in just one of their last nine FA Cup ties against Premier League opponents, with six of those ties coming as a Premier League team themselves.
Liverpool are now unbeaten in 19 successive games at Anfield in all competitions (W12 D7 L0) and haven't been defeated there since 23rd April 2017 (1-2 vs Crystal Palace in the Premier League).
If I'm Alan Pardew, I'm not quite wishing my team to be out before a ball is kicked but the worst case scenario for them is a replay.
I thought they should have beaten Everton last weekend and you can get at Liverpool if you sit in and counter. I think this will be awkward again for Jurgen Klopp, especially if the big guns are left on the bench, but I see them coming past a weakened Baggies side.
Charlie predicts: 2-0 and Solanke to score first (17/1 with Sky Bet)
