Dunk’s decisive finish gives Albion a point

Lewis Dunk scored a late equalizer in the Amex thriller against Liverpool to ensure Albion got the point they least deserved.

After Mo Salah had scored twice in three minutes at the end of the first half, the captain side-footed a goal in the 78th minute to turn the game around after Simon Edingra had given Albion the lead.

Albion probably shaded things in terms of chances in a thrilling encounter, but Liverpool also hit the bar and their first league draw of the season was almost perfect.

Roberto De Zerbi made six changes from Thursday’s draw at Marseille – making it 50 in our last seven games, including a league debut for Igor, a first home start for Carlos Baleba and Solly March playing at left-back .

Albion quickly got into their strike and Virgil van Dijk blocked Dunk’s close-range effort after March headed the ball towards goal. Joao’s volley from a corner was blocked by Alexis McAllister on the Amex return, this time.

March was enjoying his unusual role when he headed Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ball through the toes of Luis Diaz. However, Albion were the more dangerous, and brilliant thinking from Edingara gave them the lead in the 20th minute. McAllister was slow to react when Van Dijk approached him from the edge of the Liverpool box adingara Darged inside, took one touch and fired perfectly past Alisson into the bottom-right corner from 25 yards.

Baleba slipped Alisson to his left after the midfielder made a run inside his own half and cut inside for Joel Matip to create space for a low shot that was just a yard wide.

Albion were on top but then in the space of three minutes the game changed direction for Liverpool.

He equalized in 40 minutes. Dunk’s pass was intercepted by McAllister and Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez were both involved, before Harvey Elliott wisely let the ball in. of advice Path and he pushed it into the bottom corner from ten yards.

After three minutes the score of the visiting team was 2-1. This time Dominik Szoboszlai intercepted Verbruggen’s pass out and Pascal Gross pulled the Hungarian’s shirt while trying to tease Núñez. VAR confirmed it was a penalty request Moved to the left hand corner.

Albion regrouped and should have equalized four minutes after the break. Edingra collected Ivan Ferguson’s cross-field ball, cut inside Andy Robertson and let fly but Alisson’s strong left hand fired the ball wide. Ferguson then fired a shot over from Pedro’s set-up.

Albion found an equaliser, but were left vulnerable on the counter-attack. Substitute Ryan Gravenberch almost got a third for the visitors, hitting the near post after a sharp counter-attack, and on 68 minutes Diaz was found in space on the left and his angled drive went inches wide of the far post. .

If Liverpool were left feeling aggrieved by a poor decision against Spurs last week, they were given the benefit of the doubt when Mitouma’s cross hit Van Dijk’s thigh and bounced off his forearm, but referee Taylor did not move and Roberto D. Zerbi’s touchline protested. He got a yellow card.

But the Italian was celebrating just 12 minutes from time when Albion got a deserved equaliser. March’s free kick was deflected brilliantly between Alisson and the six-yard box and Dunk side-footed it into the bottom corner from a few yards out. Albion tried for a winner and Joao was frustrated when he side-footed from 10 yards after Edingara’s cross was deflected into his path, but one point remained.

Albion: Verbruggen, Veltman, Dunk, Igor (Van Hecke 62), March, Gross, Baleba, Edingra, Mitoma, Ferguson (Welbeck 60), Joao (Fati 88).

Subscription not used: Steele, Webster, Dahoud, Gilmour, Lallana, Hinshelwood.

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