Liverpool will face West Brom on Sunday afternoon at the Hawthorns, knowing nothing less than the full three points will suffice. It’s the result the Reds got against rivals Manchester United on Thursday night amidst a great deal of pressure and unrest, but as West Brom showed fellow top-four hopefuls Chelsea, they are not to be taken lightly despite being headed for the Championship.
Jurgen Klopp will keep his men motivated and focused on the importance of securing the Champions League next season. Here are three players who could help lead the way with a Man of the Match-type display.
DM Fabinho
The first player to focus on is defensive midfielder Fabinho, whose importance to the team was made clear on Thursday night. Liverpool are winners in five of five matches when the Brazilian starts in the middle of the park, and he and Thiago Alcantara have quite good chemistry when it comes to taking control together.
Fabinho is the key man to watch for the Reds, because he will go head-to-head with West Brom’s best player, attacking midfielder Matheus Pereira. The Brazilian is known for being the star of the show for relegation sides, as he was similarly excellent for FC Nurnberg in Germany before getting a bigger spotlight in England at West Brom.
It’s up to Fabinho to help keep Pereira under wraps. That’s not an easy task, considering the player’s 10 goals and 5 assists. But it is a potentially match-winning one from a Liverpool perspective.