‘Big Sam’ pulls off one other stunner at Anfield in Premier League

Image Source : AP West Bromwich Albion’s supervisor Sam Allardyce shouts throughout an English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion on the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Sunday Dec. 27 A visit to Anfield has grow to be essentially the most daunting match in English soccer. Unless, that’s, you might be Sam Allardyce. “Big Sam” — as he’s extensively identified — pulled off one other masterstroke Sunday, guiding doubtless relegation contender West Bromwich Albion to a 1-1 draw at Liverpool because the champions dropped factors at residence for the primary time of their Premier League title protection. It was solely Allardyce’s second match accountable for West Brom since taking up, for his first managerial job in 18 months, with the crew within the relegation zone. Go again to April 2017 and it was Allardyce who led Crystal Palace to a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield. That stays the final time Liverpool misplaced a league sport at residence. Indeed, Allardyce is unbeaten in every of his final 4 league video games at Anfield. They have all been with totally different golf equipment — Sunderland, Palace, Everton and now West Brom — with a brief and ill-fated spell as England coach coming in between. “We kept a tight ship all the way through,” stated Allardyce, who’s out to show as soon as once more why he has a standing because the survival specialist in English soccer. Liverpool had received its first seven residence matches within the league this season, and was on its option to an eighth when Sadio Mane managed on his chest a move from Joel Matip, swiveled and struck a fierce low shot into the nook within the twelfth minute. That, although, was one in every of solely two pictures on track all match from Jürgen Klopp’s aspect, which was suffocated by Allardyce’s deep defensive set-up. It wasn’t uncommon to see West Brom have 10 males behind the ball, the next-to-last guests ending the match having had simply 22% possession. And from one in every of West Brom’s uncommon forays ahead, a cross came visiting from the precise and Semi Ajayi climbed above Fabinho to ship a header into the web off the submit within the 82nd. “People will say we are lucky,” Allardyce stated, “but that was good application from the players and they took their opportunity at the other end.” Liverpool continues to be on the right track to retain the title, sitting in first place with a three-point lead — over Merseyside neighbor Everton — after taking part in 15 video games. But Klopp’s defensive issues mounted when Matip hobbled off with a left adductor harm within the sixtieth. He was Liverpool’s solely match senior middle again, with Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez out with long-term accidents. “It is not a game we will talk about in 20 years,” a disgruntled Klopp stated. JIMENEZ RETURNS Wolves striker Raul Jimenez made a welcome return to Molineux for the primary time since sustaining a fractured cranium. He watched from the stands as teammate Romain Saiss scored an 86th-minute equalizer to safe a 1-1 draw towards Tottenham. Mexico worldwide Jimenez hasn’t attended a Wolves sport since he was injured in a conflict of heads taking part in for the crew in a match at Arsenal on Nov. 29. Wolves conceded after simply 57 seconds, when Tanguy Ndombele smashed a low shot from 20 meters previous Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio. Saiss snatched a degree for the hosts by heading in a nook from Pedro Neto. Wolves supervisor Nuno Espirito Santo has refused to offer a timeframe for Jimenez’s attainable return to motion. By conceding, Tottenham missed an opportunity to maneuver into third place, as a substitute climbing to fifth and 6 factors behind Liverpool. CONTENTIOUS CALLS It was a story of two contentious penalty calls in Leeds’ 1-0 win over Burnley. The successful aim was transformed from the spot within the fifth minute by Patrick Bamford, who was adjudged to have been tripped by Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope after latching onto a protracted ball. If Burnley’s gamers have been aggrieved at that call — replays steered Pope may need obtained a contact to the ball — they have been much more upset at not being awarded a penalty of their very own within the nineteenth when Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier got here out to gather a excessive ball and appeared to leap into the again of Burnley defender Ben Mee. Meslier dropped the ball, and Ashley Barnes swiveled to shoot into the web however a foul had already been referred to as towards Mee. “I’m incredibly frustrated,” stated Burnley supervisor Sean Dyche, whose crew is barely two factors above the relegation zone. “They’re two essential selections which have gone towards us.” SOUCEK RESCUES HAMMERS Brighton was eight minutes away from beating West Ham and pulling 4 factors away from the underside three. Then, Tomas Soucek popped as much as head in his third aim in 5 matches and earn West Ham a 2-2 draw on the Olympic Stadium. Brighton took the lead twice, by means of Neal Maupay and Lewis Dunk, with 20-year-old full again Ben Johnson grabbing West Ham’s first equalizer along with his first aim for the membership.