View: MOTM 9/10 as Albion suffer late heartache – West Brom player ratings v Spurs
West Brom lost 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday after Harry Kane broke Albion hearts late on.
Albion started strongly with Karlan Grant missing a few chances in the first half to open the scoring but the Baggies defence was rarely tested and there was no score at half time.
The Baggies grew into the game and had plenty of chances to score themselves but it was Spurs who took the points after Kane scored a very late header.
It was a much-improved performance from the Baggies and fans can take confidence from the showings of several Albion players as they were very unlucky not to take a point off a strong Spurs team.
Here are our ratings for West Brom v Tottenham:
Sam Johnstone – 6
Didn’t have a save to make in the first half. Saved well in the second half from Sergio Reguilon and Heung Min-Son. Also made a fantastic reaction save to stop Carlos Vinicius opening the scoring. Unfortunately, it was his error that cost Albion a valuable point despite his overall good performance.
Darnell Furlong – 7
Furlong was excellent down the right-hand side and his crossing was right on the money, he should’ve had at least one assist. He battled well with Reguilon and often had the beating of the Spaniard. Nearly scored a great header from a Filip Krovinovic corner.
Semi Ajayi – 9
Ajayi made a great block to stop Son opening the scoring and he was a real presence for the Baggies all afternoon. He did very well up against the very talented Spurs attack. Ajayi was a colossus all afternoon. Man of the match.
Kyle Bartley – 6
Bartley was decent on his return to the side and held strong in the first half but he was booked for a late, ugly challenge on Harry Kane. While he was sound defensively he looked like he could’ve picked up a second yellow at any moment.
Dara O’Shea – 7
Happy to just pump balls up the field rather than keep possession which was slightly disappointing. Made some big tackles and blocked some vital efforts as he played a huge role in keeping Albion in the game.
Conor Townsend – 6
He did a decent job at left-back against a strong attack. Helped to keep a clean sheet against the league’s top scorers this season but was the weakest of the back five.
Conor Gallagher – 8
Gallagher continued his form from Monday’s game as he was the bright spark in the Baggies midfield. He got stuck in and was successful in taking the ball from Kane and Son. He flashed a solid effort just wide of the post in the second half and was overall very strong in the midfield.
Jake Livermore – 6
Much improved performance from Albion’s captain. Tidy with his passing and had a decent effort at goal in the first half. Cleaned up well in the second period and put in a solid performance against his old club.
Filip Krovinovic – 7
Krovinovic was great at bringing the ball forward and looked very confident in possession. His set-pieces something were spot on all afternoon and he looks to be Slaven Bilic’s set-piece specialist.
Callum Robinson – 7
Very bright in the early stages and created a fantastic chance for Grant to score. He thrived in a wider role. Eric Dier prevented a Robinson cross from drifting in and he remained lively in the first half. Very harsh to be subbed off with 25 minutes to play.
Karlan Grant – 5
Grant could’ve had a brace in the opening 20 minutes as he scuffed a huge chance to open the scoring before missing a free header despite Furlong’s excellent cross. Spurned another opportunity in the second half as the ball fell to him following a corner.
Substitutes:
Grady Dianagana – 5
Brought on for Callum Robinson in the 67th minute. He helped to bring the Albion attack into the game but didn’t have a huge impact.
Matty Phillips – N/A
Kyle Edwards – N/A
In other West Brom news, Paul Merson destroys West Brom stars for their unforgivable display against Fulham.
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