West Brom receive big Jake Livermore blow as Swansea yellow rules him out Bristol City clash
Jake Livermore rolled back the years against Swansea City on Wednesday, despite the disappointing defeat West Brom suffered in South Wales.
The 31-year-old Albion skipper has had his fair share of criticism in recent years, and he found himself benched for much of Sam Allardyce’s reign last season, but he has emerged as an instrumental member of Valerien Ismael’s starting XI in the Championship.
He has started every single league game under the ex-Barnsley boss, and he showed a level of dynamism against the Swans that has been missing all too often in recent years.
As seen in the image above, it is Livermore who applies the initial press for the sequence that led to Karlan Grant’s goal at the Swansea.com Stadium.
He capitalises on a mistake from the defender and slots Matt Phillips through, who loses it.
However, Livermore is quick to apply pressure on the Swansea defence again, and he retrieves the ball once more.
From there, he passes between two defenders to set the Albion front three on their way to goal.
This next example once again shows Livermore’s tenacity and willingness to work hard for the team to get the ball back.
He spots the Swansea player about to control the ball and launches into a sprint.
Livermore is successful in the duel and tries his luck, but he is unsuccessful with his shot.
That seemed to inspire the skipper who went for goal again in the second half, this time from distance.
He exploited the space in front of him and the goalkeeper had to stretch out in order to save it.
That was the positives of Livermore, but unfortunately, there was also a big negative.
The ex-England international picked up yet another yellow card, his fifth of the season already, on Wednesday, and that incurs a one-game ban, meaning he will miss the visit of Bristol City to The Hawthorns on Saturday.
With Alex Mowatt doubtful for that game again, Albion could have a new-look midfield against the Robins, and the value of Livermore really might tell then.
In other West Brom news, Steve Madeley shares the moment that this Albion player irked Valerien Ismael v Swansea City.
Be sure to follow West Brom News on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on the Baggies and more exclusive interviews with Kevin Phillips.