Liverpool vs West Brom preview, team news, kick-off, prediction

James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri may return for Liverpool; Jake Livermore begins a three-match suspension for West Brom; watch Liverpool vs West Brom on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 4.15pm on Sunday; kick-off 4.30pm

Sunday 27 December 2020 16:37, UK

Team news and stats ahead of Liverpool vs West Brom in the Premier League on Sunday, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 4.30pm.

Team news

Liverpool could welcome back midfielders James Milner and Xherdan Shaqiri into the squad for the visit of West Brom.

Milner has missed the last six matches with a hamstring injury while Shaqiri has been sidelined by a muscle problem since the November international break.

Fellow midfielder Thiago Alcantara is edging closer to a return after more than two months out with a knee injury but will not be fit for this game.

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West Brom skipper Jake Livermore begins a three-match suspension following the midfielder's red card in the 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa, Albion's first game under new boss Sam Allardyce.

Matheus Pereira is back available after completing a three-game ban of his own.

Kyle Bartley, Conor Townsend, Sam Field and Hal Robson-Kanu remain sidelined.

How to follow

Liverpool vs West Brom will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 4.15pm on Sunday; kick-off at 4.30pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Free highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

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Watch the Premier League live on Sky Sports

At least 146 Premier League games will be shown live on Sky Sports in the 2020/21 season. The Premier League has further increased the number of televised games this season from 200 to 231, with over half of the extra fixtures set to be shown live on Sky Sports.

Overall, Sky Sports will be showing at least 146 Premier League matches live throughout the 2020/21 season, continuing to bring you all the latest twists, turns and shocks at the home of the Premier League. There will also be two additional midweek programmes - one will be played across the weeks commencing January 11 and 18 and the second will be in the week commencing May 10. All of these games will be broadcast live.

You can also follow the action with our dedicated live blogs on the Sky Sports website and app, and watch free match highlights from every game shortly after full-time on our digital platforms and YouTube channel.

Jones Knows Prediction

Can you imagine the smile on Big Sam's face if he was to become the man to break Liverpool's 66 game unbeaten home run? It would be the ultimate 'mic drop' moment.

West Brom are 25/1 to do so. And, honestly, I'd probably still be apprehensive of backing them if you offered me 250/1.

Liverpool's staggering run will be ended by someone soon but there will be other days for that project. Here, they will simply carry too much firepower.

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With the rapid schedule of games on the horizon, there's a strong probability Liverpool will ease off the gas in the second period once the game is sewn up in order to rest some limbs. Klopp's boys, who will be fresher than they have been all season after an eight-day rest period between games, have scored more first-half goals than any other Premier League side this season (17), so are placed to go for West Brom's throat in the early knockings of this one.

That makes the 2/1 for the most goals to come in the first half an interesting angle to consider.

JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 2-0 (7/1 with Sky Bet)

Opta stats

After winning 10 of their first 11 Premier League meetings with West Brom (L1) by an aggregate score of 28-2, Liverpool have won just four of their last 13 against the Baggies (D6 L3).
All four of West Brom's Premier League victories against Liverpool came in a five-game spell between April 2011 and February 2013, with Roy Hodgson and Steve Clarke in charge of the Baggies for two wins each.
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 10 league meetings with West Brom, though six of these have ended level (W4). The Reds have also won all 14 of their Premier League home games against promoted sides under Jürgen Klopp, scoring 41 goals and conceding just seven.
West Bromwich Albion have lost 29 of their last 34 top-flight matches against the reigning champions (W2 D3), losing 83% of their Premier League games against such sides (P24 W2 D2 L20).
This will be West Brom's 18th Premier League match against a side starting the day top of the table (W1 D4 L12), with their only win in their previous 17 coming against Chelsea in May 2015, who had already been crowned champions.
Liverpool have lost one of their last 52 home Premier League matches against newly promoted sides (W42 D9), a 2-1 defeat to Blackpool in the 2010/11 season.

Pitch to Post Review: What if Man Utd actually clicked? Plus: Arteta's stats debunked

Manchester United are in contention having barely performed this season - how good could they be if they actually clicked?

In the last Pitch to Post Review of 2020, Jasper Taylor is joined by Gerard Brand and Ben Ransom to discuss Manchester United's chaotic 6-2 win over Leeds, and whether in fact Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side are title contenders (04:12). As for Leeds, we analyse Marcelo Bielsa's unapologetic style, and whether it can last (13:00).

The shambles at Arsenal continues as they are beaten at Everton, and after Mikel Arteta channels his inner Rafa Benitez with a list of statistics, the panel provide some other damning metrics (16:47).

In the Regional Review, Adam Bate discusses West Brom, Aston Villa and Wolves (32:59), and in part four we look at Tottenham's defeat by Leicester as Jose Mourinho was played at his own game to cap off a bad week (42:36).

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