WBA 0-2 Liverpool: Gerrard and Kuyt secure second place

Liverpool secured second place in the Premier League with a comfortable victory over battling West Brom, who were relegated at The Hawthorns.

A dire mistake by Baggies defender Shelton Martis let in Steven Gerrard to simply stride forward and put Liverpool 1-0 up on the half way line, after a bright start from the hosts.

Dirk Kuyt doubled Liverpool’s lead shortly into the second half when he skipped past Jonas Olsson and fired a perfect strike low and into the bottom corner.

As the second half went on, Jamie Carragher and Alvaro Arbeloa clashed on the pitch. Carragher fumed at the Spaniard’s lazy defending style and squared up to his teammate. Immediately, several Reds stepped in to cool things down and it was a perfect example of Carragher’s sheer determination and passion to win for Liverpool, though if a little silly.

Liverpool’s travelling fans were very vocal as ever, despite losing out on the title yesterday, whilst West Brom‘s fans, although watching their team go down to the Championship, matched the support.

The Reds just have one match remaining this season ‘“ the Anfield finale against Tottenham next Sunday, 24th May.

Good luck to West Brom next season.

  • Post Match Discussion
  • Carragher explains Arbeloa ‘bust-up’
  • BBC Sport Match Report

    West Brom were relegated from the Premier League after being beaten by Liverpool at the Hawthorns.

    Steven Gerrard robbed Shelton Martis of possession before dinking in a shot to put the Reds ahead.

    The home side were denied a penalty for a Lucas tackle on Marc-Antoine Fortune as the Baggies striker looked to turn in a Juan Carlos Menseguez cross.

    But Dirk Kuyt drove in an 18-yard shot for a Reds second before Luke Moore hit the post for the Baggies late on.

    Moore’s turn and shot came in a spell of concerted pressure from a home side as they made sure they did not go down without a fight.

    They wasted plenty of chances as they were backed by a vociferous and loyal crowd but the real curse of West Brom‘s season has been their poor defending.

    The weakness has epitomised their campaign and it again reared its ugly head to undermine their efforts, along with a brand of football pleasing to the eye, after a promising start.

    Liverpool had seen their title hopes ended after Manchester United beat them to the Premier League crown after getting the point they needed with a draw against Arsenal on Saturday.

    And, the combination of Liverpool’s deflation with West Brom‘s desperation for at least a draw to stave off relegation, saw the home side quickly take a stranglehold of the game.

    The Baggies were only denied taking the lead by a smart double save from Reds keeper Pepe Reina.

    Liverpool striker Fernando Torres inadvertently flicked on a corner to Jonathan Greening at the far post but the West Brom skipper saw his first time shot saved and the rebound blocked by the legs of Reina.

    West Brom‘s energy, enthusiasm and hunger had the visitors rocking before the Reds belatedly raised themselves from their stupor.

    Torres and Emiliano Insua had shots blocked as they tried to shoot through a crowded Baggies defence before Liverpool were gifted the lead.

    Centre-back Martis dallied on the ball and Gerrard robbed him of possession, drove through on to the home goal and lifted a shot over the on-rushing keeper Dean Kiely to score his 24th goal of the season.

    They almost went further behind but Kiely tipped over flicked Torres header form a Gerrard cross.

    The Baggies had to commit more men to attack after the break and, after being wrongly ruled onside, were nearly rewarded.

    Menseguez crossed for Fortune, who missed the ball as he fell under a challenge from Lucas with the referee waving away appeals for a spot-kick.

    The Baggies were leaving themselves short in defence and Liverpool eventually took advantage when Kuyt manoeuvred himself to the edge of the box and drove in a low shot.

    West Brom kept pressing and stretched a Reds defence which needed a lunge from Jamie Carragher to divert a Fortune shot over before the Baggies striker sent a point-blank header horribly over.

    The strain on the visitors’ defence saw an angry Carragher push team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa after being unhappy with the Spaniard’s failure to close down Fortune.

    Tempers boiled over before Liverpool closed out the win, although Carragher still appeared to be fuming after the final whistle.

    The Reds moved on to 83 points, which is their highest points total since 1987-88 when they notched 90 points on their way to the old Division One title played over 40 games instead of the current 38 of the Premier League.

    West Brom: Kiely, Zuiverloon, Martis (Borja Valero 56), Olsson, Donk, Brunt, Mulumbu (Moore 68), Greening, Koren, Menseguez, Fortune.
    Subs Not Used: Carson, Filipe Teixeira, Meite, Simpson, Wood.
    Booked: Greening, Olsson.

    Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Agger, Carragher, Insua, Lucas, Mascherano (Alonso 51), Kuyt, Gerrard, Benayoun (Ngog 73), Torres (Babel 68).
    Subs Not Used: Cavalieri, Dossena, Riera, Skrtel.
    Goals: Gerrard 28, Kuyt 63.

    Att: 26,138
    Ref: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)