Klopp bemoans bad luck after disallowed goal
This time, the Fab Four returned to the starting line-up, but the outcome proved equally frustrating.
Liverpool drew 0-0 with West Bromwich Albion at Anfield yesterday morning (Singapore time) for their second home draw in a row, a result that saw them drop out of the top four.
Reds manager Juergen Klopp unleashed his much-vaunted attacking quartet by reinstating Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino to his starting line-up to combine with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, but they could find no way past a determined WBA defence.
The German was left to rue Dominic Solanke's disallowed late goal which would have kept them among the Champions League spots.
The ball came off the young striker's chest and hit his arm before landing in the back of the net, and referee Paul Tierney disallowed it after receiving the advice of his assistant.
"It is twice deflected and I am still not sure," Klopp said of the goal that never was.
"It is for sure his chest and then I am not sure if it's handball. We cannot take the decision back, so all good."
Solanke was left frustrated at being denied his first Liverpool goal.
"I think it was very unlucky," he said.
There wasn't much I could do. The defender kicked it on to my chest, I tried to chest it in and it has clipped my arm. The referee disallowed it but it's very unlucky.
"I thought he had given it. I was celebrating for a while. I don't know what changed his mind, but he changed his mind.
"I thought I won it. It's not nice when you are celebrating and it gets disallowed. It was annoying but hopefully, I will get a goal soon and carry on from there."
After criticism for not starting with Coutinho and Firmino in the Merseyside Derby draw last Sunday, Klopp was hoping that by reuniting his big guns he would fire up the engine again.
But the Reds could not manage a shot on target in the first half, while Albion came closest with Hal Robson-Kanu's effort striking the top of the bar.
Thing could have got worse after Solanke's bundled effort was ruled out but, luckily for them, WBA's Salomon Rondon could only hit the post in the dying seconds.
Liverpool now sit between fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur and sixth-placed Burnley, all on 31 points.
They are 18 points behind pacesetters Manchester City.
"First half, we were a little bit stiff, the passing and movement was not so good as usual," he said.
"We can do better and we have to do better but on a night like this when you are not at your best, you need a bit of luck." - WIRE SERVICES
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