Liverpool 2 Albion 1

Fabian Huerzeler joked a call to a compatriot Jurgen Klopp might have helped Albion come through this big test.

He said the former Liverpool boss might have warned him about the influence of a revved up Anfield crowd.

But, as dust settled and the final cheers died away on the chilly Merseyside breeze, it was hard to get away from a word the Albion head coach uses quite often – ruthless.

The visitors produced their best 45 minutes of the season so far but were not ruthless enough when on top.

In doing so, they did not only give their opponents a second chance to impress.

They did the same for the famed Anfield crowd.

There is no doubt the Liverpool support – with their You’ll Never Walk Alone and the Kop sucking the ball into the net – will be given some credit for this comeback.

Maybe the latter is what happened when Cody Gakpo’s intended cross crept inside the far post for the goal which cancelled out Ferdi Kadioglu’s fierce opener.

But the 12th man were also struggling to cope with slick, organised and confident Albion in the first half.

There was plenty of irritation, a fair few moans and groans, as the visitors looked sharper, hungrier and technically better than their high-flying hosts.

And that is when Albion should have opened a bigger lead.

It would not necessarily have won them the game. Even at 2-0, 3-0 down, Liverpool would have come at them in the second half.

But Huerzeler felt that was the sort of advantage they should have enjoyed after 45 minutes.

So the R word – ruthless – was put to the Albion boss.

He replied: “We can repeat it again.

“It is the third bad experience in a week.

“We gave away a 2-0 led against Wolverhampton, we played a very good game against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.

“We played another very good game here but in the end we have three games and one point.

“You say ruthless. I think in some moments we could be more ruthless for sure.”

But then a hugely disappointed looking head coach mentioned two other factors which he felt tipped the balance the way of the Reds.

He added: “To be honest, you also need a bit more luck.

“If you want to win at Anfield that is something you need.

“When you see the cross for the first goal, the luck was on their side.

“And you also need in the right moments a referee who gives the 50-50 duels to you.

“That is part of the game when you want to get the result and we did not have this in the second half.”

Albion’s first-half performance was rated by regular Liverpool watchers as the best they had seen by a visiting team.

Kadioglu rewarded it with his angled shot after a very nice move coming from Jan Paul van Hecke’s pass into midfield.

The Turkey international later fired over, Danny Welbeck was inches wide with a free-kick and, with the best chance, Georginio Rutter failed to beat Caoimhin Kelleher after Yasin Ayari had curled a sublime through ball around Virgil Van Dijk.

The youthful midfield of Ayari and Jack Hinshelwood underpinned a first-half display which was dominant once Bart Verbruggen had saved superbly from Darwin Nunez.

But it felt like Liverpool had been let of the hook and the home crowd came into the game as their side pushed on towards the Kop.

Huerzeler said the atmosphere in this compact, steepling football cathedral was a factor and one his side must live with if they want to win such matches.

He added: “I should have maybe called Jurgen to ask him what is the solution for the opposing team.

“But that is a tough moment. I only experienced it on television so far and now we have experienced it on our own.

“These are the small details, you know? Being loud, great atmosphere, maybe wild environment.

"Exactly these moments to stay calm and to still play out from the back.

“There were still solutions we couldn't find in the second half.

“Then the dominance from Liverpool was getting bigger and bigger.

“We have take responsibility that we weren't as precise and playing with this courage we did in the first half.”

The goal which won it was, like that which cost two points against Wolves, the culmination of a counter raid.

Rutter’s horrible mis-kick in the Liverpool area was pounced on by the home side, who attacked at pace before Mo Salah cut inside Pervis Estupinan and found the far top corner.

Albion had lived dangerously already in the second half, Verbruggen saving brilliantly from Alexis Mac Allister and well from Salah, with Van Dijk failing to connect with a ball in front of goal.

But it was easy to regret the fact another German coach should have been victorious at Anfield.