Liverpool’s Danny Ings lets the relief flow at West Brom: Five things we learned from the Premier League draw

West Brom 2-2 Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp prioritised momentum with a strong line-up but his side still could not resist the Baggies’ comeback

Danny Ings scored his first Premier League goal for over 900 days (Getty)

West Brom came back to stun Liverpool at The Hawthorns and inject much-needed positivity with a 2-2 draw that continued their improvement under caretaker manager Darren Moore.

Goals by Danny Ings and Mohamed Salah sent Liverpool two goals clear and seemingly cruising towards three points, but the Baggies hit back with goals by Jake Livermore and late equaliser from Salomon Rondon.

Rondon’s late equaliser earned West Brom a point (Getty)

It still may not be enough for West Brom, who could be relegated by the end of the weekend, but it does at least give them something to cheer. For Liverpool, on the other hand, their chase for second in the league is all but over. Here are five things we learned:

Ings’s ends long drought

Relief. Two fists clenched, spinning in James Milner’s arms, ululating into the sky. The relief poured out from Danny Ings’s celebration after he scored his first goal in 930 days, a run stretching back to the Merseyside derby in October 2015 which proved to be Brendan Rodgers’s final game in charge.

This was Ings’s fifth ever start for Liverpool, three years into his career. It has been a relentless period of patience, hope, injury, surgery, rehabilitation, dedication, and whole heap of faith in his recovery. It is why every single player in red ran to congratulate the striker on his low swipe past Ben Foster in the fourth minute. Clearly those sharp instincts around the six-yard box remained intact through his turmoil.

Danny Ings celebrates scoring Liverpool’s opener (Getty Images)

Liverpool strong but not strong enough

Jurgen Klopp declined to make big changes here, starting Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and several others who are likely to start against Roma in Tuesday night’s Champions League semi-final. Momentum counts for plenty at this stage of the season and clearly the manager was determined not to let any of Liverpool’s slip, but it was not enough and Klopp must hope West Brom’s late comeback does not sow seeds of doubt before their European adventures continue.

Krychowiak’s terrible year

There was plenty of excitement when West Brom captured Grzegorz Krychowiak on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain. Tony Pulis described signing the twice Europa League winner as “a huge coup” for the club. Eight months on, as the 28-year-old sat glumly on the bench watching Jake Livermore and Chris Brunt ahead of him in midfield, he must regret how he has spent one of his peak years.

Oxlade-Chamberlain impresses again

Oxlade-Chamberlain created Salah’s goal (Getty)

That is in stark contrast to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s decision to move from Arsenal to Liverpool. It is not only that the 24-year-old has found form, or the that he has found himself in a Champions League semi-final. It is that he has found his place on the pitch, in that central right channel, barrelling past defenders, constantly on the most direct route to goal. It was his pass which released Mohamed Salah for Liverpool’s second goal, and while most people’s attention would understandably have been on the Egyptian claiming his 31st strike of the season, one suspects Gareth Southgate will have taken note of the assist with a smile.

Hegazi could face punishment

To compound matters for West Brom, Ahmed Hegazi was caught on camera punching Ings in the stomach as the Liverpool striker lay on the ground. It will almost certainly lead to a retrospective ban.