Liverpool kept their top-four hopes alive in the most remarkable circumstances as goalkeeper Alisson Becker scored a stoppage time winner against West Brom.
The Reds moved to within one point of fourth-placed Chelsea, with two matches left to play, by beating the Baggies 2-1.
Hal Robson-Kanu had put Sam Allardyce’s side in front after 15 minutes before Mohamed Salah equalised before half-time.
Liverpool wasted chances and saw West Brom defender Kyle Bartley have a goal disallowed in the second half as the game appeared to be meandering towards a draw.
But Alisson had different ideas. He rushed up to the opposition penalty area for the final corner of the game and latched onto the cross, heading it gloriously into the back of the net to keep Liverpool’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League alive.
Jurgen Klopp rushed over to embrace his goalkeeper after the full-time whistle, knowing he had dug them out of a hole, and he praised him in his post-match interview.
‘That game is our season in a nutshell. A lot of good stuff, we got hammered for the first mistake and then had to work like crazy. But nobody got over the top, we had shots from Thiago and Gini and kept playing football and its really difficult against these sides, how they defend, how they set up, and in the end we needed Alisson to sort it!
‘It’s an unbelievable header, I’ve never seen anything like that, good technique. I wasn’t sure what I was seeing.
‘We are really close and know exactly what it means to him, it’s outstanding, really touching. It’s only football but it means the world to us. And now let’s keep going. We have to a look at who can and can’t go again and make sure we are ready for Burnley.
‘Our last week of the season looks quite exciting.’
Alisson was emotional after scoring, saying: ‘I’m too emotional. These last months, everything happened with my and my family… football is my life, I played since I can remember with my father.
‘I hope he was here to see it, I’m sure he is celebrating with God at his side.
‘Sometimes you are fighting and things aren’t happening. I’m really happy to help them because we fight together and have a strong goal to achieve the Champions League, because we have won it once and everything starts with qualification.
‘So I can’t be more happy than I am now.
‘The cross was brilliant again. I think it was the best goal I scored. I’m really happy. I don’t have too many words, I just have to say thank you for the players.’
Former Chelsea and West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green told BBC of the moment: ‘Unbelievable!
‘Stood and watched chances go to wasted for 90 minutes and come up and said “here you go lads, this is how to do it”.
‘He’s unmarked and just makes a run in front of the goal, it’s a free header six yards and he plants it into the far corner.’
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