West Brom vs. Liverpool: Score, Grades and Reaction from Premier League Match

Liverpool couldn't find a way past West Bromwich Albion during Saturday's Premier League action, playing out a scoreless draw that sees the Reds fall further behind in the race for the final Champions League ticket.

Defending champions Manchester City could open up a nine-point gap with a win over Aston Villa later on Saturday, and while Liverpool still hold a match in hand, it may now be too late for Brendan Rodgers' squad to make up the deficit.    

MailOnline Sport confirmed before the match both Mario Balotelli and Steven Gerrard would start, with the latter making his 500th Premier League appearance:

Liverpool knew they had to win to keep their bid for a Champions League spot alive, but as shared by OptaJoe, the odds were stacked against them:

The match started at a dreadful pace, with neither team really showing any depth in their game. The Reds enjoyed most of the possession early but could do little with the ball, utilising an unusually wide formation.

Balotelli stood out with his movement and willingness to track back, but the Italian couldn't position himself near the goal with the ball and couldn't get involved by his team-mates. As the clock ticked away, the home crowd became a bit restless.

So did the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce:

The first real chance of the match fell to Gerrard, who curled a free-kick inches over the bar from a promising position.

ESPN FC's Miguel Delaney joined Pearce in expressing his frustration with the match:

Dejan Lovren took a nasty kick to the heel from Victor Anichebe and was visibly in pain, but the Croatia international was able to fight through it and finish the first half.

Liverpool continued to work the ball around inside West Brom's half, but Philippe Coutinho and his team-mates failed to find any sort of gap in the defence, instead resorting to long-range shooting.

The Brazilian had a couple of cracks on goal, with no success. And at half-time, the match was still scoreless.

Delaney was anything but impressed with the Reds, who should have been battling with far more intensity:

West Brom showed little in the first half but started the second in positive fashion, getting more involved in the midfield battle and pushing forward with numbers.

This opened up space for Liverpool, who had their best chance of the match after 56 minutes. Balotelli and Coutinho both had shots on goal, before the rebound fell to Jordan Henderson, who saw his effort stopped brilliantly by Boaz Myhill.

Pearce couldn't believe the chance didn't result in a goal:

Jordon Ibe and Balotelli then combined well before the former struck the bar with a powerful shot, as the Reds started drawing closer to a goal.

On the other side of the pitch, a last-ditch intervention from Lovren saved the Reds from falling behind a goal, as the defender cleared the ball off the line after a mad scramble.

Paddy Power was growing restless:

Raheem Sterling was kept out of the match beautifully by the West Brom back four, despite his efforts, and with possession returned to Liverpool, the Reds once again tried to force the ball down the middle of the pitch.

Gerrard directed a powerful effort straight at Myhill, before Simon Mignolet was forced into action on a tricky shot from Callum McManaman.

A late flurry saw West Brom clinging on for dear life, but Tony Pulis' defence held admirably, restricting Liverpool to a scoreless draw. 

Pearce was anything but satisfied:

The gap between City and Liverpool now sits at six points, but the Citizens will still play Aston Villa later on Saturday. With just five matches left on the schedule, the Reds will need a minor miracle to pass City in the standings and qualify for next year's Champions League.

Tuesday's meeting with Hull City will be a must-win match, and next month's clash with league leaders Chelsea will likely determine whether the Reds can harbour any more hope of salvaging what has been a disappointing season. 

Relevant Match Grades

Mario Balotelli: C+

Balotelli got the start for the Reds, and while he showed little in terms of actual danger near the box, he deserves a mention for his high work rate and willingness to track back. Super Mario's first season at Anfield hasn't gone to plan, so we may as well acknowledge when he does well.

Philippe Coutinho: D

He failed to put his mark on a match Liverpool were desperate to win. Coutinho is regarded as the Reds' new creative force moving forward, and from that perspective, he simply didn't live up to his potential on Saturday.

Chris Brunt: B+

WBA were not pleasant to watch on Saturday, but the way the defence neutralised the threat of Sterling was admirable. Chris Brunt in particular shined in a wide role.   

Post-Match Reaction

Rodgers was particularly defensive during his post-match press conference, in response to reporters asking him about the level of the match. To Delaney's surprise, the manager was quite happy with what he saw in the second half:

As shared by the Liverpool Echo's Kristian Walsh, he also alluded to the loss of Luis Suarez and injuries to Daniel Sturridge as a reason his team is struggling to break down defences:

Rodgers guaranteed at least one new striker will arrive during the summer:

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