Liverpool crashed out of the FA Cup in the fourth round for a third successive season this evening courtesy of an action-packed 3-2 home defeat at the hands of West Bromwich Albion.
Roberto Firmino broke the deadlock after just six minutes for the home side, but Jay Rodriguez immediately responded with two goals in the space of four minutes to turn the game on its head.
VAR stole the headlines when West Brom saw a third goal disallowed before Liverpool were retrospectively awarded a penalty, only for Firmino to hit the crossbar from the spot.
West Brom did add a legal third before half time when Joel Matip glanced the ball into his own net, though, and there was no way back for the hosts despite Mohamed Salah pulling a goal back 12 minutes from time.
Find out how all of the action unfolded in an eventful contest on Merseyside courtesy of Sports Mole's minute-by-minute coverage below.
It has been a day of shocks already in the competition, with West Ham the biggest scalp to be claimed and Tottenham Hotspur currently on course to be dumped out by Newport County too. While victory for West Brom would not fall into the category of either of those giant-killings, it would certainly be an upset that Liverpool are desperate to avoid.
We will have a closer look at both teams a little later, but first let's check out the team news...
Well, the headlines from the home camp centre around a very strong front three named by Jurgen Klopp, with Mane, Salah and Firmino all retaining their places in the side.
The games have not been coming as thick and fast for Liverpool over the past couple of weeks, but with the resumption of the Champions League on the horizon it was thought that Klopp may look to rest some players for tonight's game. All of his big-hitters in attack start this evening, though.
Moreno had revitalised his Liverpool career during the first half of the season, having seemingly been on his way out in the summer, but he will now face a fight to get his spot in the team back from Andrew Robertson, who has impressed in his absence.
Mignolet's inclusion is more evidence that he has been usurped as Liverpool's number one by Loris Karius, who has been the club's cup goalkeeper throughout the season until being preferred to the Belgian in the Premier League recently. It is chances like this which Mignolet needs to take if he is to win that place back, though.
Lovren has recovered from illness and is named on the bench alongside Milner and Henderson, both of whom have also returned from recently problems to be amongst the subs today. Milner has been struggling with a dead leg, while club captain Henderson has missed the past month with a hamstring injury.
© Offside
McClean, Hegazi, McAuley, Foster and Rodriguez have all been unable to train in recent days because of the illness, but the latter two are named in the starting lineup this evening while Hegazi and McClean are on the bench.
Manchester City and Arsenal have both been credited with an interest, but it certainly hasn't turned into a saga yet and West Brom would surely only let a player of his importance leave now if they had someone already lined up as his replacement.
Hegazi, Phillips and Rondon all drop out, the latter of whom was a real handful at Goodison Park and continued to threaten the Everton defence even after being visibly upset by his unwitting role in James McCarthy's horrific leg break.
There is plenty of experience in the starting XI nonetheless, though, and Gareth Barry in particular would love to get one over on Liverpool with his Everton background.
The defeat to Swansea came out of the blue, although many fans will not have been too surprised having grown used to Liverpool's inconsistent ways in recent seasons. To have beaten the Premier League leaders before losing to bottom of the league is something which only two teams in Premier League history have ever done before, and the Reds will not be particularly proud of becoming the third.
© SilverHub
The Reds had been on their longest unbeaten run under Jurgen Klopp prior to the loss - 18 matches - and had also won their last five in a row across all competitions.
Indeed, Liverpool have been knocked out in the FA Cup fourth round in both of the last two seasons, so they will need to get over a mini-hoodoo tonight if they are to pick up the victory.
This competition remains Liverpool most realistic to win silverware this season, which may go to explain why Jurgen Klopp has named a strong lineup tonight as he continues his search for a first trophy in charge of the club.
Indeed, including the tail end of last season Liverpool's unbeaten Anfield run stretches back 19 games to April 23, making them one of only two teams - alongside Manchester City - to still be unbeaten at home in the Premier League this term.
© SilverHub
Liverpool's record here in the FA Cup has not been quite as good in recent years, winning just two of their last seven Anfield outings in this competition. However, the Reds have also only lost one of their last 13 FA Cup home games stretching back to January 2010, with that defeat coming at the hands of Wolves in this round a year ago.
However, Liverpool have not won the trophy since 2006 - aka the 'Gerrard final' - which is far too long a wait for a club of their calibre. Fans are desperate to mark their progress under Klopp with a trophy, and this is their best shot to do that this season.
Pardew himself has a decent pedigree in this competitions, though, reaching the final once as a player - with Palace in 1990 - and twice as a manager. In addition to that 2016 final, Pardew was also in charge of Palace a decade later as they lost to Manchester United.
West Brom as a club are also one of the great names in the FA Cup's long and illustrious history having lifted the trophy five times, but the most recent of those came in 1968 - when they beat Liverpool en route. One has to go back to the 1800s for West Brom's glory days in this competition, when they reached five finals and won two of them.
The Baggies have won two of their last three games across all competitions - drawing the other against Everton at the weekend - having failed to win any of their previous 21 outings, a club-record run of games without a win. Another win or draw tonight would see them stay unbeaten for four matches for the first time since August.
West Brom currently sit just three points from safety, but no team has won fewer games this season and they could risk getting cut adrift if that doesn't change soon.
The Baggies beat League Two side Exeter City in the third round this season, although this will be a huge step up in quality from that and the Baggies have only progressed from one of their last nine FA Cup ties against Premier League opposition, with six of those games coming while they were a Premier League team themselves.
Indeed, two of West Brom's three away wins all season have come in cup competitions against League Two opposition having also beaten Accrington Stanley in the EFL Cup in August. The only exception also came in August when West Brom beat Burnley at Turf Moor.
The Baggies have also won three of their last four FA Cup away games, although in the Premier League this season only Stoke have picked up fewer points on the road.
FA Cup games are always a little more difficult to call, but Klopp has named a strong Liverpool side tonight and they have been good at Anfield this season. West Brom came away with a point from here in the league, but I am backing Liverpool to get the job done tonight.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Liverpool 2-0 West Brom
West Brom actually have the superior record in the previous 10 FA Cup showdowns between the two sides, winning four of them with three defeats and three draws.
The most recent such match was that 1968 contest when Liverpool drew 1-1 at Anfield in the quarter-final replay, having also been held to a stalemate in the initial tie at West Brom. The second replay eventually took place at Maine Road, where West Brom ran out 2-1 winners.
However, they have come away with five draws from the nine meetings since then, including the most recent contest which ended as a goalless draw here in December.
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Mignolet; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Moreno; Can, Wijnaldum, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Mane, Salah, Firmino
WEST BROM STARTING XI: Foster; Nyom, Evans, Dawson, Gibbs; Livermore, Barry, Krychowiak; Rodriguez, Robson-Kanu, Brunt
Evans leaves it for Foster thinking that he is coming for it, but he isn't and that allows Salah to nip in, The Egyptian is denied by Foster, but the ball then comes back out to Firmino who produces the most delightful of chips into the empty net.
Just 68 seconds after falling behind, the Baggies are back level as Rodriguez takes the ball in his stride before smashing an unstoppable strike into the top corner. It almost rips the netting out it is so powerful, and he couldn't have placed it much better either.
Krychowiak comes forward, beating Can before playing the ball out wide left to Gibbs. The full-back plays a low cross into the box and it finds its way through to Rodriguez, who makes no mistake with his first-time finish!
6' Roberto Firmino 😎
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 27, 2018
7' Jay Rodriguez 😱
Two special goals in the space of 68 seconds! What a start 😳
📺 BT Sport 2 HD & 4K UHD pic.twitter.com/q023r4Mpu9
What is going on!?
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 27, 2018
Jay Rodriguez makes it 2-1 to West Brom at Anfield with his second goal of the game 😱
What a first half so far!
📺 BT Sport 2 HD & 4K UHD pic.twitter.com/yJfI2DNPdn
However, the referee goes to the video assistant and he chalks it off, seemingly for offside against Barry, who was standing in front of Mignolet.
The Brazilian went high and was only an inch or two off, but his spot kick smashes against the bar and comes back out as West Brom survive.
3-1 to West Brom? Not if the VAR has anything to do with it ❌
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 27, 2018
It's been ruled as offside after originally being awarded as a goal.
Here we go again... pic.twitter.com/ENXYiOnPNj
This game has it all 😂
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 27, 2018
Liverpool are awarded a penalty through VAR and the West Brom players are furious!
Roberto Firmino only goes and misses it 🙈
Get BT Sport 2 HD on now, who knows what's going to happen next 🤷♂️🙈 pic.twitter.com/f3Q56oIT8C
Dawson breaks down the right channel and fires the ball across the face of goal. Two West Brom players can't stick it in, but Matip is heading back towards his own goal and, when trying to flick it away, the ball comes off him last and goes over the line.
The VAR decision is in, and the goal stands!
At the end of it all, West Brom have a shock 3-1 lead over Liverpool at the break, but the goals have not been the main talking point from that opening 45 minutes. Instead, VAR has stolen the show so far, disallowing a West Brom goal and awarding Liverpool a penalty.
That lead lasted only 68 seconds before West Brom restored parity, though, and that goal also came in memorable fashion when Rodriguez blasted his finish into the top corner. Rodriguez then made it two in four minutes to turn the game on its head, tucking away a cross from Gibbs to make it 2-1 inside 11 minutes.
The first saw West Brom have a goal disallowed after Dawson had nodded home a corner from close range, with the video referee ruling that Gareth Barry had been interfering with play from an offside position. Shortly after that Liverpool were awarded a VAR penalty in controversial fashion after Craig Pawson had initially waved away the claims, only for Firmino to go on and hit the crossbar from the spot kick.
Once again VAR was needed and delayed the visitors' celebrations, but this time the decision went in favour of the Baggies to leave Liverpool in real trouble at half time.
3 - Liverpool have conceded three goals in consecutive home games for the first time since January 2007. Porous.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 27, 2018
Chris Brunt, that is absolutely class! 👌
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 27, 2018
On the floor after making a tackle but he doesn't let that stop him from playing a quick one-two 😂 pic.twitter.com/gxyyLzHMyL
Alexander-Arnold swings a left-footed cross into the box which Firmino can only nudge into the path of Salah, who keeps his composure to pass his finish into the bottom corner for his 25th goal of the season!
Well, ignoring all of the controversies and absurdities of many parts of that match, the bottom line is that West Bromwich Albion are through to the fifth round of the FA Cup at the expense of Liverpool, who crash out at this stage for the third successive season.
It is also a second consecutive defeat for the Reds - the first time that has happened in a year - and their first defeat at Anfield in 20 matches stretching back to April. All in all, a day to forget for Jurgen Klopp's side.
This match saw three goals in the opening 11 minutes as Liverpool took the lead before a brace from Jay Rodriguez turned the game on its head, and the Baggies went on to take a 3-1 lead into half time. Liverpool pulled one back with 12 minutes remaining but ultimately did not deserve to force a replay.
The real talking points came with the use of VAR, though, as West Brom had a goal which was initially given chalked off, before moments later the referee changed his original decision to award Liverpool a penalty. Firmino went on to miss the spot kick, but the time it took to come to the final decision is sure to fire up plenty of opinions.
We haven't heard the last of the talking points from this game!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's match as West Brom send Liverpool crashing out of the FA Cup in a game which saw the debate over VAR reach new heights in English football. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too.
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
