Liverpool 2, West Bromwich Albion 1: First Thoughts

Liverpool 2 Lallana 45', Henderson 61'
West Bromwich Albion 1 Berahino 56' (pen),

• Can't score won't score. That seemed to be the theme of the first half. A rather boring first half saw a few decent chances fall to Rickie Lambert who quite literally is still finding his feet. Phillipe Coutinho and Adam Lallana, try as they did, could not create any clear cut chances, and in general Liverpool looked stagnant, if slightly more assured than in recent weeks.
• On the other end, Berahino was a handful, as is becoming typical, but was isolated and he as well had few clear chances. West Brom's right back Cristian Gamboa gave Moreno a bit of trouble, but ultimately the first half was snooze-worthy.
• Until! Just before the whistle, Lallana and Jordan Henderson played a delicious 1-2 on the edge of the box, and Lallana coolly finished beyond Bananas Ben Foster, and Liverpool went into the half with --FINALLY-- a goal.
• The second half started with a bit more energy from Liverpool, with Henderson pulling the strings in a series of well-worked moves, but it was Berahino who drew level after they were given a penalty that quite clearly should have been deemed to be outside the box. No clean sheet for you.
• Fortunately for Brendan Rodgers, Henderson buried confidently 5 minutes later after a Sterling penalty shout was denied, with the teenager playing on cleverly before feeding Henderson, and Liverpool were back on top. From there, Liverpool's intensity rose noticeably, as the Reds tried to kill the game off. Liverpool created multiple chances without really being threatened. After a nervy last few minutes, Liverpool were home clear.
• Much, much better from Liverpool in the 2nd half, 3 points, and signs of life for Rodgers' men. All in all, a decent day on Merseyside.

We'll be back shortly to take an in-depth look at everything that happened in today's game with the full recap. Until then, let us know your take on the ups and downs of the match in the comments, and if you haven't already, join the community on the Liverpool Offside, where we'll have full coverage and lively in-game discussion for every match this season. And if you want to discuss other goings-on in the world of football today, join the Saturday open thread.