Two goals in the final 11 minutes snatched victory away from Liverpool at the Hawthorns on Saturday in a result that changes little for either side.
West Brom remain bottom and all but mathematically down, whilst the visitors remain third and with a comfortable buffer to fifth-placed Chelsea, who are now the only team from outside the top four who can affect the Champions League qualifying places.
Liverpool have played a game more than both the Blues and third-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who were both in FA Cup action this weekend, but with a far superior goal difference (+18 to Chelsea, +8 to Spurs) and an eight-point advantage to the former, they look unlikely to be usurped by both of the London based duo.
The situation would have looked even more certain had Jürgen Klopp‘s side not buckled late defensively and their advantage – from strikes by Danny Ings and Mohamed Salah – eroded by Jake Livermore and Salomón Rondón.
Other than Ings, and back-up defenders Ragnar Klavan and Alberto Moreno, Klopp had been true to his word and named a strong line-up, despite the prospect of a Champions League semi-final first leg upcoming on Tuesday night.
Despite the quality within his selection, this was generally a disjointed showing from Liverpool, with the Championship-bound hosts enjoying more shots, including double the amount on target, more corners and regularly threatening from set-pieces, from which both of their goal duly arrived.
