Sahin Shows His Match Winning Instincts

Eleven changes from Sunday’s home defeat to Man Utd. Downing, Henderson, Sahin, Coates, Assaidi and Pacheco looking to stake their claims and the youngsters Wisdom, Robinson, Yesil, were hoping to catch the eye of Brendan Rogers. One notable inclusion on the bench was 16 year old Jerome Sinclair. Jamie Carragher would be Liverpool’s shop steward for the night.

Any attempt for Liverpool to control the game from the start was literally thrown away when Brad Jones, making a rare start, let slip a free kick which Gabriel Tamas tucked away from close range. The early goal threw the team of their stride and West Brom sensing the possibility of wrapping up the tie early were on the front foot.

The Liverpool midfield finally took control allowing Assaidi to attack down the left. An early foray saw the young winger glide by the right back delivering a superb near post cross which Yesil making his first start, should have dispatched, but headed wide. But to be fair his movement had to be admired.

The dominant passing and pressing game was now back on kilter. The equaliser was not long in waiting. Sahin, letting go a drive from fully 25 yards which Foster seemingly diving over as the ball squeezed under him and into the back of the net for the player’s first goal for the club. Liverpool as is their wont this season began to dominate possession with Assaidi and Downing seeing more of the ball as the half went on with aforementioned looking particularly lively and delivering into dangerous areas.

Assaidi starting on the front in the second-half again whipping in another telling cross which Yesil was only inches from making contact with coming in on the back of the defender. Yesil fired in a quick snap shot from range which Foster was very lucky to see ricochet over the bar. Within a minute Pacheco curled a magnificent angled shot which clipped the bar with Foster beaten all ends up.

Brad Jones pulled off a fine diving save from a stinging drive from Lukaku. With Liverpool dominating possession this was against the run of play, but one began to wonder whether yet again what all the possession would amount too with West Brom looking for all the world like the away side. Dani Pacheco, looking like the payer we so want to succeed, picked up the ball on the half-way line, drifted past his marker and surged through before unleashing a shot which Foster could only palm away for a corner.

Coates almost found the net from a free-kick, only denied by a reaction save from Foster from his close range volley. As one would expect from the home side, West Brom in the last quarter of the 90 minutes began to come into the game looking physically stronger. Rodgers immediately counter-acted bringing on Sinclair (becoming the youngest player in Liverpool history at 16 years and 6 days) and Suso for Pacheco and Yesil in attempt to close out the match.

With his first meaningful touch of the ball, the innately gifted Suso picked the ball and drove into the heart of the West Brom defence. Where some may have shot he showed maturity beyond his years to play in Assaidi on the left, who in turn role the ball across the area for Sahin to finish high into the net. It was nothing more than Liverpool deserved and Sahin the conductor at the head of affairs showed his ability to get on the end excellent moves.

Liverpool were well worth the win. Showing an attacking prowess and verve often passing with an intricacy and speed of movement and getting players into the key areas to provide an end product.

Man of The Match: Sahin – At the head of affairs, controlling the game with his neat passing and helping the youngsters regain their belief after going one-down.

Special mentions to Assaidi who looked a class act, Pacheco who looked like the talent we all know and Yesil who led the line well for his fist start. Suso, for picking up the speed of the game immediately and delivering the killer punch.

Stewart Downing: Any more performances like this and the left-back position maybe his only option,

LINE-UPS - West Brom v Liverpool

West Brom: Foster, Jones, Olsson, Tamas, Ridgewell, Mulumbu, Dorrans, Thorne, Rosenberg, Fortune, Lukaku. Subs: Luke Daniels, Yacob, Long, El Ghanassy, McAuley, Dawson, Berahino. Liverpool: Jones, Wisdom, Carragher, Coates, Robinson, Henderson, Sahin, Downing, Pacheco, Yesil, Assaidi. Subs: Gulacsi, Wilson, Fernandez Saez, Sterling, Coady, Sama, Sinclair. Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland)