Sam Allardyce guided West Brom to their first point under his stewardship against Liverpool… and an astonishing stat shows that this result at Anfield is no fluke
- Semi Ajayi’s header saw West Brom secure a point at the home of the champions
- Christian Benteke’s double saw Sam Allardyce win at Anfield with Crystal Palace
- He then picked up a point at Liverpool later in 2017 when in charge of Everton
- The Big Six have only picked up four points combined at Anfield since April 2017
- However, Allardyce has five points at Jurgen Klopp’s fortress during that time
- The Baggies still only have eight points and are five adrift of 17th-placed Burnley
Sam Allardyce cut a frustrated figure last weekend after his return to management saw his West Brom side swept aside by surprise packages Aston Villa at the Hawthorns.
The former Bolton boss must have feared that his new charges did not have what it takes to stay up after that chastening experience. After all, no side that has picked up fewer than eight points in their first 14 Premier League games in any season has survived (the Baggies had seven points after the loss to Villa).
But Sunday’s surprise draw at Liverpool has breathed new life into their fight to beat the drop and also given fresh hope to Allardyce that he can preserve his proud record of never having overseen relegation as a manager.
Sam Allardyce was left scratching his head after Aston Villa beat West Brom at the Hawthorns
However, his side showed admirable resilience to snatch a point at the home of the champions
In the aftermath of the point of Anfield, another stat surfaced which illustrated just how effective Allardyce is, even against the toughest opposition.
Since April 2017, Allardyce has collected more points at Anfield (five) than all Big Six teams combined (four).
Bearing in mind that the Reds are now 67 league matches without defeat at their fortress, this is seriously impressive.
Allardyce has five points from his past three league games at Anfield with three different clubs
Semi Ajayi wheels away after his 82nd-minute header cancelled out Sadio Mane’s opener
While managing Crystal Palace, Allardyce masterminded a 2-1 win at Liverpool, with Christian Benteke bagging a double to haunt his former employers. This remains the last time Jurgen Klopp tasted defeat on home soil in the top flight.
Allardyce then assumed the hotseat at Everton in November 2017 and less than two weeks later managed to pinch a point off the Toffees’ near neighbours as Wayne Rooney’s 77th-minute penalty cancelled out Mo Salah’s opener.
Despite Allardyce’s latest point at Liverpool, the Baggies still have a uphill battle to stay up and are five points adrift of 17th-placed Burnley, but two home games against fellow bottom-half sides Leeds and Arsenal over the next six days present Allardyce’s men with an opportunity to haul themselves slightly closer to safety.