West Bromwich Albion hold a frustrated Liverpool to a goalless draw at The Hawthorns to keep themselves away from the relegation zone in the Premier League table.
Liverpool have moved up to fifth, but their hopes of sealing a Champions League spot are drifting away as they reside six points behind Manchester City with five games left to go.
Jordon Ibe and Craig Gardner came the closest to breaking the deadlock, but it wasn't to be as both sides had to settle for a point.
Discover how the game unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute text updates below.
2.00pmHello all! With just over a month to go until the Premier League season comes to an end, things are starting to take shape with regards to the title, Champions League places and relegation. Here, we're focusing on two teams who fall into two of those categories (sort of). West Brom looked to have fallen into the relegation dogfight following three defeats in a row, but they've pulled themselves to eight points above the drop after beating Crystal Palace last weekend.
2.01pmThis afternoon's opponents Liverpool still have an outside chance of catching Manchester City in fourth place. The reigning English champions have a seven-point cushion, but the Reds have a game in hand given that they spent last weekend playing in the FA Cup semi-final, which unfortunately for them, ended in a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at Wembley.
2.03pmNow, before we delve into the match-up between these two sides, let's have a look at who the managers have picked to represent them at The Hawthorns this afternoon. Starting with the hosts...
2.05pmWEST BROM XI: Myhill; Dawson, McAuley, Lescott, Brunt; Gardner, Fletcher, Yacob, Morrison; Berahino, Anichebe
SUBS: Rose, Baird, Olsson, Gamboa, McManaman, Sessegnon, Ideye
2.10pmTony Pulis has made just one change to the team that secured victory over Palace as Chris Brunt has returned to the squad to replace Chris Baird. As expected, Saido Berahino and Victor Anichebe lead the line, with Craig Gardner, Darren Fletcher, Claudio Yacob and James Morrison lining the midfield. Craig Dawson was a doubt for the match due to a knee injury, but the defender has been included in the starting XI, with Jonas Olsson taking a spot on the bench. Gareth McAuley and Joleon Lescott complete the back line. Goalkeeper Boaz Myhill continues as cover for the injured Ben Foster.
2.12pmThat's the home team sorted. So, who will be lining up for Liverpool...
2.13pmLIVERPOOL XI: Mignolet; Johnson, Skrtel, Lovren, Can; Ibe, Gerrard, Henderson; Sterling, Coutinho; Balotelli
SUBS: Jones, Toure, Manquillo, Lallana, Allen, Borini, Markovic
2.16pmThree changes have been made to the Liverpool side who lost to Villa, and the big news is that Mario Balotelli has been handed a starting spot up front. Joe Allen has been sacrificed for the striker, who has failed to find form at Anfield since his summer move. Glen Johnson has also been preferred to Alberto Moreno, who isn't in the matchday squad, while Jordon Ibe replaces Lazar Markovic.
2.19pmSome positive news for the Reds as Adam Lallana is handed a place on the bench after around a month out with a groin problem. As expected, Simon Mignolet takes his place in goal, while Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren and Emre Can join Johnson in defence. Steven Gerrard will skipper the side and take his place in midfield alongside Jordan Henderson, with Ibe on the wing, while Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho will provide attacking threat, just behind Balotelli. There are no places in the squad for Daniel Sturridge, Lucas Leiva or Mamadou Sakho, who are all nursing injuries.
2.21pmIt's a big day for Steven Gerrard as he is reaches a milestone 500th Premier League appearance.
Steven Gerrard makes his 500th Premier League appearance for #LFC today pic.twitter.com/J2Rj2NJnMg
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 25, 20152.22pmNow, as the Baggies are hosting this afternoon's fixture, let's begin with their manager Tony Pulis, who interestingly admitted this week in an interview with The Telegraph that he is 'annoyed' that he is widely regarded as a coach who just comes in to save teams from relegation. He's managed to successfully carry out that task at both Stoke City and Crystal Palace, and when he was appointed West Brom manager in January, it looked as though he would have to do the same thing at The Hawthorns.
2.24pmAs it stands, the Baggies are relatively safe given their eight-point gap from the bottom three, and a win today would only strengthen their position further. Despite his credentials, Pulis is not best pleased about how he is portrayed as a coach.
In the interview, he said: "It's annoying and disappointing that people think I just keep clubs up. It's a compliment in some respects and something you work very hard over a period of time to achieve to get that recognition.
"But what I get frustrated about is that everybody talks about me never being relegated, nobody talks about the fact I've been promoted out of every league in England.
"I've taken a club, Stoke, that was mid-table in the Championship to an FA Cup Final, into the last 32 of Europe. I get a little bit frustrated that people say I'm the one to get when things aren't going so well."
2.29pmFor today's match in particular, while West Brom have lost their last two games at home, overall, they have been decent in front of their fans having earned 21 of their 36 points on home soil. The team have managed to strike twice in their last two games, but Saido Berahino, who was recently alleged to have been pictured inhaling laughing gas - much like Liverpool's Raheem Sterling, who is playing today, has not found his shooting boots of late. The last time that the England Under-21 international scored was six games ago back in early March.
2.32pmIt's not only scoring that has been an issue over the season - Pulis is yet to oversee a game where his side have won without conceding. However, interestingly, only Chelsea and Southampton have kept more clean sheets than the Baggies in the Premier League this season. That could become a factor in today's match given that Liverpool have struggled for firepower of late. I'm sure that Pulis will have one eye on their fixture list after this game, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal coming up, so a win would be massive today.
2.35pmAs fans begin arriving at The Hawthorns, West Brom's Instagram page has captured a few of those peculiar half-and-half scarves that seem to be becoming popular at Premier League grounds these days. Surely there aren't many neutral supporters that go to matches, though?!
2.38pmNow, let's switch to the visitors. Where do we start? It wasn't long ago that Brendan Rodgers was deemed the best thing since sliced bread during Liverpool's 13-game unbeaten run in the top flight, but an FA Cup semi-final exit later, as well as losses to Manchester United and Arsenal, and questions over Rodgers's job have begun rumbling yet again. Jurgen Klopp, who is due to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season, has been linked to the Anfield hotseat, but Rodgers has waved away the speculation by telling reporters this week:
"At a club like Liverpool, there'll be many names mentioned - that's the marker of being at such a huge and respected club. There's absolutely no problem if that happens. If you lose a couple of games, there'll always be people linked to the club.
"Do I expect to be manager next season? Very much so, yes. I don't think there's anyone better. That's the reality of how I see it. Three months ago I was a tactical genius, performing to a good level.
"We lost a couple of games, some important games, and now you're not so good. But that is football, that's what will happen, people will speculate."
2.40pmSo, with Rodgers's future seemingly up in the air (sort of), it was welcome news to Liverpool fans to hear that vice-captain and possible future full-time captain Jordan Henderson signed a new long-term deal, reportedly worth £100,000 a week, on Thursday. Player contracts have been a major talking point around Anfield this season. After Raheem Sterling decided to reject a £100,000-a-week deal and put talks on hold until the summer, there were suggestions that the Reds could lose a number of their first-team talent. But with Henderson signing, and rumours suggesting that Martin Skrtel and Jordon Ibe will be next, perhaps the future without Steven Gerrard doesn't look so gloomy.
2.44pmOn the pitch, it's been an unusual season for Liverpool. In the previous campaign, they blitzed everyone with the attacking trio of Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez to finish two points behind eventual champions City. However, after losing Suarez to Barcelona and Sturridge's numerous injury woes, it's been a rather lacklustre campaign, with Philippe Coutinho only really being the shining light in an attacking sense. Summer arrivals Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli have failed to impress, and despite spending more than £100m on nine signings last summer, you feel that Rodgers may want to dip into the market again when the season comes to a close.
2.46pmDespite Steven Gerrard's influence on the pitch becoming less and less as the season has progressed, the absence of the talisman will be felt next season when he leaves Anfield for the City of Angels Los Angeles in the summer. Many around Merseyside were hoping for a fairytale send-off for Gerrard by winning the FA Cup on his 35th birthday on May 30, but they stumbled at Wembley in the semi-finals and that dream was dashed. While top four is still a possibility, it's unlikely that City will drop many points, so a Europa League place may have to be the silver lining. Although, with Southampton on the same points and Tottenham Hotspur currently one point ahead, the Reds face a battle to finish fifth.
2.49pmHEAD TO HEAD: The positive for Liverpool is that they have dominated fixtures between these two sides in recent history, with 68 wins, while West Brom have claimed 38 and 39 meetings have ended in draws. Earlier in the season, Liverpool claimed a 2-1 win at Anfield, but in this fixture at The Hawthorns last season, Victor Anichebe sealed a point for the Baggies with a second-half goal to make it 1-1 on the day. Also, Tony Pulis has never lost a home game against Liverpool in the Premier League.
2.54pmPREDICTION: At the end of the 90 minutes, I believe that Liverpool will come away with three points, but that's only if Rodgers's side are on top form! They will be desperate to respond to their FA Cup exit, but I don't think that this will be a straightforward game. The Baggies have the advantage of being at home and with Liverpool's defence being suspect of late, I expect the hosts to score. As I say, if the Reds are on song, then I can see them coming away with a 2-1 win, but at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if the game ends in a 1-1 draw!
2.56pmRight, we're a matter of minutes away from kickoff. Both teams are out on the pitch and are ready and raring to go!
2.58pmBefore we get underway, both teams will hold a minute's silence to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the tragic Bradford City stadium fire.
1 minKICKOFF! The visitors Liverpool get us underway, kicking from right to left...
1 minLiverpool get an early free kick as Balotelli is brought down in West Brom's half. Gerrard pings it out wide, but Brunt manages to get their first to clear the ball.
2 minIbe shows his intent early on by storming into the box from the right-hand side. The youngster manages to get his cross in, but the ball is eventually cleared. The visitors have had all of the possession in these early stages.
4 minLiverpool are being allowed plenty of space by the hosts, so you feel as though the Baggies message to their opponents is, 'can you break us down?'. The Reds have proven in recent games that they have struggled to do so.
6 minIn a moment of attack from West Brom, Dawson runs down the right and whips in a cross into the box, but the ball flies over Anichebe, who is waiting to connect. Shortly afterwards, the hosts get a free kick in Liverpool's half. The ball eventually falls to Gardner, who goes for a powerful strike, but he misses the target.
7 minSterling moves away from his marker to launch a cross into the middle of the box, but Brunt gets there first to regain possession for the home side. Morrison charges forward and plays it back to Fletcher, but the midfielder loses possession.
9 minInterestingly, the Liverpool players have switched positions in these early stages. Can has found himself in midfield, with Gerrard dropping into the right-back spot. Some mind games from the visitors?
10 minIbe runs across the edge of the box and plays it back towards Coutinho. The Brazilian lines up a shot, but Yacob charges it down before the playmaker can unleash an attempt at goal.
12 minBalotelli wins back possession for Liverpool in the Baggies' half with a well-timed tackle, but after a one-two with Sterling, the striker goes for a shot, but it's a limp effort and McAuley is able to block it.
13 minAfter a spell of pressure from Liverpool, Johnson wins a corner off Gardner by taking the ball to the byline, but the set piece ends with the ball in the hands of Myhill, with no-one in a Liverpool shirt attacking it.
14 minA lovely ball in behind from Coutinho finds Sterling, who runs across the edge of the box to play in Ibe, who knocks it back towards Henderson. The midfielder then sends the ball into the area, but Brunt leans in clear the ball away from danger.
16 minSkrtel sends it long as he spots the run of Balotelli, but McAuley follows his opponent and is able to put him under enough pressure to put him off. Myhill ends up gathering the ball with ease.
17 minAt the other end, West Brom win a free kick in Liverpool's half. Gardner delivers the ball into the box searching for Lescott, but it's a little too strong from the midfielder as Lescott struggles to reach it and the ball goes out for a goal kick.
19 minDawson gets to the ball before Sterling after Henderson sends it into the box, and in doing so, the West Brom defender gives away a corner. When the ball comes in, Lescott gets to it first, but the danger isn't cleared completely. Liverpool send the ball back in and it's flicked on by Skrtel towards Balotelli, who fails to latch onto it and the ball bobbles out for a goal kick.
22 minBerahino puts pressure on Johnson with the ball bouncing around awkwardly. The Baggies striker is able to pounce when Johnson fails to control the ball, but when Berahino's away, his touch is too hard and the ball goes out of play.
24 minWest Brom are doing the job of frustrating their opponents well. While Liverpool have had the majority of possession, they have failed to create any goal-worthy opportunities. Coutinho shows the frustration by sending in an ambitious ball into the box, but there's nobody there to receive it and it bobbles out.
25 minBoos ring around The Hawthorn as the referee decides against booking Sterling for a handball. Gerrard unleashed a pass to the youngster but as he jumps to receive it, his hand connects to the ball first before it bounces out for a throw-in. I suppose the argument for not booking him as that he wasn't preventing a Baggies player from getting the ball.
27 minSome more pressure from Liverpool as West Brom pack players into the box. Balotelli charges his way through and draws a foul from Berahino and the referee blows his whistle to signal a free kick on just outside of the box.
27 minCLOSE! Gerrard, Balotelli and Henderson all stand over the ball, but it's the skipper who goes for it. The midfielder gets the ball over the wall, but his effort is just too high and it dips over the crossbar.
29 minCoutinho comes close to embarrassing Myhill after spotting the goalkeeper off his line. The Brazilian goes for goal from the halfway line, but his effort misses the target. Pulis wouldn't have been best pleased if the Baggies conceded in that manner!
29 minAt the other end, the ball flies towards Anichebe in the area, but he's surrounded by Skrtel and Lovren, both of whom prevent the forward from latching onto the ball.
30 minThere's been some decent tackling from the home side so far this afternoon, but once they get possession, they seem to be giving it away rather cheaply. Pulis will want to stamp that out swiftly.
31 minLiverpool are struggling to break down the Baggies' back line, so some of the players are trying their luck with long-range efforts. This time, Can goes for it - he drills the ball towards the goal, but it's bobbling along the ground as it heads there. Myhill drops to his right, but there's no need as the ball misses the target.
33 minSome nervy moments for Liverpool's defence as Morrison knocks the ball towards Anichebe, who is charging into the penalty area, but as Lovren hooks it away, Anichebe catches the defender and the referee blows for a free kick. The home fans are not best pleased with that!
35 minIt's a wasted effort for Gardner as he manages to find space on the edge of the box. Instead of sending a low pass to the options around him, he knocks it over towards the near post, but it fails to trouble Mignolet.
36 minCHANCE! The game has opened up slightly here. Balotelli takes a swipe at the ball as it bounces towards him, but his effort was always going high and it soars over the crossbar.
38 minOn the counter attack, Morrison hits the ball with the outside of his boot and sends it over the top, leaving Berahino to chase. The Englishman gets to it before Lovren and sends it back towards Gardner, who disappoints with a cross that finds nobody.
39 minAt the other end, Sterling goes down in the box after receiving slight contact from Dawson. At the time, Gerrard swung in a cross looking for his young teammate. Despite hitting the floor, the referee waves away a penalty. The England international looks a bit annoyed, but he doesn't protest much.
41 minMcAuley launches it long towards Berahino. The ball bounces awkwardly in front of Mignolet, but the Liverpool shot-stopper is able to grab the ball before the West Brom forward can connect to it.
43 minDawson gives it away to Sterling. Liverpool try to pick a way through and the ball eventually falls to Johnson on the left, who sends it into the box, but Balotelli fails to sprint for it and Brunt manages to clear with ease.
44 minWest Brom are on the attack now, but Berahino's pass to play in Brunt is poor and the ball bobbles out behind the line for a goal kick. During that attack, it seems as though Lovren hurt his shoulder as the defender is seen clutching that area. He seems okay to continue at the moment, though.
45+1 minMore boos from the West Brom fans as Gerrard is given a free kick after claiming that Yacob pulled him down. Balotelli goes for a long-range effort towards goal, but it's poor and the chance goes missing.
45+1 minHALF-TIME: West Brom 0-0 Liverpool
3.49pmWell, let's hope the second half is more thrilling! I must be honest, it has not been the best 45 minutes of football that I have seen... Nothing can separate the sides at half-time and there are barely any opportunities to speak of at this stage. Steven Gerrard's free kick that dipped over the bar is arguably the closest that we have come to the deadlock being broken.
3.54pmFrom the offset, it became clear that West Brom's mission was to frustrate Liverpool. They gave the Reds plenty of space and put plenty of bodies behind the ball to prevent the visitors from breaking them down, and that's exactly what's happened in the first 45 minutes. Liverpool have not produced any quality as yet to trouble Myhill in between the sticks, and they resorted to long-range efforts, but they weren't good enough.
3.55pmFrom a West Brom point of view, they're holding their shape well, but once they have possession, it's been a struggle to keep hold of the ball, and they too have failed to create any meaningful chances. We didn't have one shot on target during that entire half!
3.58pmFor Liverpool, they need a bit of flare and maybe some individual brilliance could make the difference. However, at the moment, Sterling, Coutinho and Balotelli are failing to provide it. West Brom may have some hope on the counter attack, but they need to do better when they get their chances. Craig Gardner has wasted a few opportunities to provide balls for Berahino and Anichebe, so he will want to address that for the second half.
4.00pmRight, the teams are returning to the pitch for the second half. Hopefully we'll have a more entertaining 45 minutes, and a shot on target, at least!
45 minRESTART! West Brom begin the second half, kicking from right to left...
47 minLiverpool begin in the same manner that they did in the first half. They try some intricate passes in West Brom's half, which eventually falls to Ibe on the right. The ball is eventually knocked out for a Liverpool throw, but Can gives it away.
48 minIbe does well to knock the ball back to Henderson while under pressure from Brunt and Morrison. The midfielder hits it to Coutinho, who gives for a shot from the edge of the box, but his attempt is blocked.
49 minThere's a tussle between Skrtel and Berahino as the West Brom forward tries to chase down the ball, but the referee penalises Berahino for pulling the Liverpool defender back during the run. The match official hasn't pleased the home fans much during this game, and whenever a decision goes the Baggies' way, ironic cheers ring around the crowd.
51 minA nice ball in from Coutinho finds Balotelli, who knocks it out wide to Sterling. The youngster drives at Dawson, but the West Brom man does well to out-muscle the England international and wins possession for his side.
51 minA nice ball in from Coutinho finds Balotelli, who knocks it out wide to Sterling. The youngster drives at Dawson, but the West Brom man does well to out-muscle the England international and wins possession for his side.
53 minSterling gets penalised for pushing Gardner in the Reds' half. The Liverpool man isn't happy, but the free kick is given. Gardner sends in a better delivery than his first-half attempts as it finds the head of McAuley, but his effort isn't strong enough and the ball bounces behind the line for a goal kick.
55 minCHANCE! A real scramble here as Coutinho gets a shot at goal from the edge of the box, but it's knocked back out by Myhill. The ball only goes as far as Henderson, who tries to stab it in, but Lescott does well to clear.
57 minCHANCE! At the other end, Brunt storms down the left and sends in a perfect cross searching for Gardner. Johnson is caught napping, but the midfielder's effort blasts into the side netting. We appear to have a livelier game on our hands now!
59 minIt's been an interesting battle between Sterling and Dawson, but the West Brom man is doing well so far. Sterling charges at him again and drives towards the byline, but the Liverpool star overhits the ball and sends it behind for a goal kick.
60 minSome decent play between Henderson and Sterling on the edge of the area. The former plays it across to Coutinho, who swings an effort towards goal, but it goes straight into the hands of Myhill.
61 minBOOKING! Dawson needs to be careful for the remainder of the game now as he has been handed a yellow card by the referee for pulling down Ibe.
63 minOFF THE BAR! Some lovely play between Ibe and Balotelli as the former storms into the box after knocking the ball to Balotelli. The youngster receives a quick pass from Balotelli and fires a shot at goal, but it clatters off the crossbar. Impressive play from the 19-year-old.
64 minWEST BROM SUB: Anichebe is the first to make way as McManaman comes onto the pitch.
65 minOFF THE LINE! The home side come achingly close to taking the lead. The ball is whipped into the box and Skrtel's dreadful clearance falls straight to Morrison, who headers the ball past Mignolet, but Lovren runs back to clear of the line. Nervy moments for Liverpool!
66 minDuring Morrison's bravery, the West Brom man suffers a cut to his head, which has covered his face in blood. He's receiving medical treatment, but looks okay to continue.
68 minGerrard moves forward and whips the ball into the box. It finds Can and he swings the ball with his right foot towards goal. Myhill pushes the ball into the air, but eventually catches it to see off the danger.
70 minLiverpool are still having the majority of the ball and are getting in attacking positions, but West Brom are doing well to break up the play in their own area.
70 minLiverpool are still having the majority of the ball and are getting in attacking positions, but West Brom are doing well to break up the play in their own area.
70 minLiverpool are still having the majority of the ball and are getting in attacking positions, but West Brom are doing well to break up the play in their own area.
70 minLiverpool are still having the majority of the ball and are getting in attacking positions, but West Brom are doing well to break up the play in their own area.
74 minIt's block after block at the moment for West Brom! They're under increasing pressure as Liverpool try to ramp up the tempo. A corner comes in for the Reds, but the chance goes missing.
74 minIt's block after block at the moment for West Brom! They're under increasing pressure as Liverpool try to ramp up the tempo. A corner comes in for the Reds, but the chance goes missing.
74 minLIVERPOOL, WEST BROM SUBS: Lallana and Borini come on for Ibe and Balotelli, while Berahino makes way for Ideye.
77 minIdeye almost makes an immediate impact after receiving the ball over the top and making his way through Skrtel and Lovren. The forward's effort gets deflected out for a corner, which comes to nothing.
78 minAt the other end, Lallana sets the ball up for Gerrard, who wraps his left foot around it and aims for goal with a low shot, but Myhill gets to ground in time to gather.
80 minCHANCE! It's awkward for West Brom as the ball bounces around in their penalty area. Coutinho eventually brings it down and goes for goal, but his effort dips over the crossbar.
81 minWEST BROM SUB: Baird enters the fray for the home side, replacing Morrison, who suffered that cut to his head earlier in the second half.
82 minIt's all Liverpool at the moment, but once again, West Brom are working hard in their own half and are so far handling everything that the Reds are throwing at them.
83 minLallana positions himself towards the byline and flicks the ball towards Borini, but Myhill intercepts and catches the ball in the air. At the other end, McManaman shows his pace and crosses it in towards Gardner, who goes for a scissor kick, but it fails to trouble Mignolet.
85 minGerrard is hobbling around at the moment, but it looks as though he's given the thumbs up to his manager and is fit enough to carry on.
87 minIdeye is making Lovren work in these latter stages of the game. The West Brom man is getting in all sorts of positions when his team are on the attack, but so far, Lovren has done well to keep him quiet.
89 minCHANCE! An impressive run from McManaman as he comes close to sealing all three points for the home side in the dying minutes of the match. He drives into the box and goes for a shot at the near post, but Mignolet blocks with his legs and Liverpool can breathe.
90 minIt's all West Brom in these closing stages. Can they snatch a dramatic late winner?! Well, Yacob ends one attacking play with a poor effort at goal that fails to reach the target.
90+1 minThe home side are back on defensive duty as Lallana wins a free kick in the Baggies' half. Coutinho plays the ball into the box, but Fletcher clears the danger.
90+2 minWe're halfway through the four minutes of added time and Gerrard sends it long, but there's nobody there who can latch onto it and the ball bobbles out for a goal kick.
90+4 minFULL-TIME: West Brom 0-0 Liverpool
4.54pmSo, there we have it. No goals at The Hawthorns, but West Brom go away with a hard-earned point, while Liverpool's hopes of reaching a Champions League place look all but gone. The Baggies hit the 37th-point mark and have pulled themselves further away from the relegation zone. For Liverpool, they now reside fifth and six points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City.
4.55pmThat's all from me this afternoon, but make sure you stick around on Sports Mole for all the latest reaction, as well as analysis and player ratings. Until next time, goodbye!
