Liverpool went into half-time of their FA Cup fourth-round tie trailing West Brom.
The Baggies took a 3-1 lead into the break, after coming from behind to leave Anfield stunned. Roberto Firmino opened the scoring after just six minutes, netting with a deft lob over Ben Foster.
However, a minute later, West Brom were level. Jay Rodriguez buried a first-time shot from the edge of the penalty area past Simon Mignolet.
6' Roberto Firmino 😎
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
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 27, 2018
After 11 minutes, it was 2-1 to the visitors – Rodriguez got his second of the night.
What is going on!?
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
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 27, 2018
VAR cancelled out a third goal for West Brom…
This is what the VAR saw for West Brom's third goal, which was subsequently ruled out for offside.
25 minutes in and what a game we have already 😳 pic.twitter.com/ilr9yLDC6X
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 27, 2018
And Firmino missed a penalty in a frantic and entertaining first-half…
This game has it all 😂
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
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 27, 2018
Which ended with West Brom leading 3-1. Joel Matip scored an own-goal, just before the half-time whistle.
Manchester United fans enjoyed what they were seeing, with many of them taking pleasure in witnessing Vigil van Dijk struggle. The Liverpool defender may have cost £75m from Southampton, but he can’t solve the team’s defensive problems on his own. As the first-half against West Brom proved, these issues don’t start and end with one individual player.
You can spend £75m on a defender, then Hal Robson-Kanu stands in his way twice & there's nothing you can do. What a sport this is.
— Nick Miller (@NickMiller79) January 27, 2018
Yet, this was inevitable. In fact, for the rest of the season, each time Liverpool concede a goal, you’ll see this reaction.
United fans, confident that they have never witnessed an expensive signing play poorly for their team, laid into Van Dijk.
https://twitter.com/UtdOliver/status/957341891770626049
https://twitter.com/UtdOliver/status/957341337090699271
Van Dijk has made Liverpool’s defence worse. You can’t make this up 😂😂😂 #LIVWBA
— Brandon 🔰 ➐ (@b8olaaa) January 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/TheManUtdWay/status/957342189163597824
What a signing! 75m on Van Dijk, and WBA have only scored 2 goals in 10 mins! Top defending by @LFC !
— Keith (@keefyw) January 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/utdxtra/status/957343669182443522
Van Dijk = Most Expensive defender in the history of Football. Oh Liverpool 😂
— Sarah Adams (@Mufc_Sarah) January 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/AlexisRole/status/957342220545417221
