SIMON MAKES IT LOOK SIMPLE

Mignolet saves Kop two precious points for second week in a row

SIMON MIGNOLET seems to have finally got the hang of just what it takes to be a proper Liverpool goalkeeper.

Roberto Firmino’s goal might have clinched it, but it was Mignolet who came to the rescue, just when Albion were threatening to mug two points from their grasp.

Just as he had done last week at Stoke, the big Belgian earned his money with a superb block nine minutes from time.

Favourite

Again it was with his legs to deny Matt Phillips, who had charged through and was left with just the keeper to beat.

Phillips was favourite but Mignolet had other ideas and sent the ball ricocheting away off his legs.

The Albion man looked distraught, flopped onto the advertising hoardings and bowed his head as if he couldn’t quite believe it.

Mignolet still hasn’t convinced many at Anfield that he’s genuinely top drawer. But this was a crucial three points as the Mersey men continue to try and cement a Champions League spot.

Another slip-up against supposedly inferior opposition might have been too much to bear for Kop fans.

This wasn’t great stuff. In fact, for the most part it was ordinary. But at long last Tony Pulis’ Indian sign over Liverpool was cracked – the Albion boss hadn’t lost any of his eight previous home encounters with the Reds.

Up until the point when Firmino nodded in from close range right on half-time this game had precious little to commend it.

To be brutally honest, it wasn’t much better after the break either but at least the Brazilian’s intervention had opened things up a bit.

Firmino’s granny would have struggled to miss the game-changing goal but that certainly doesn’t undermine the value of it.

Liverpool were struggling to make any kind of real headway as half-time approached, with the home side rigidly keeping as many players behind the ball as possible, with doubts lingering about whether Jurgen Klopp’s men were incisive enough to deal with being stifled.

Early on the story had been about glaring misses, rather than actual attempts on goal.

The fans had to wait until the 33rd minute for the first shot on goal but Divock Origi’s weak effort was easily saved by Ben Foster. The big talking point was just how on earth Nacer Chadli had completely failed to connect with a 23rd-minute cross from Phillips which looked to have goal written all over it.

Chadli, just two or three yards out, made no contact with it, with replays proving Firmino had got the faintest of touches on the ball to change its direction.

Then Firmino got an even more crucial touch – arriving at the far post with perfect timing to head home after Lucas had made the most of an underhit free-kick from James Milner.

Lucas threw himself at it on the edge of the box and somehow managed to loop a header over to where Firmino was waiting.

Albion threw everything at Liverpool in the closing stages as they tried to grab something from the game.

Even keeper Foster was hurling himself at things, almost to his cost when substitute Alberto Moreno’s selfishness in shooting at an open goal when too far out almost gave Klopp a heart attack.