‘Breath of fresh air’ – Kyle Bartley blown away by West Brom team-mate
West Brom defender Kyle Bartley dubbed Conor Gallagher a “great player” after he bagged his first Premier League goal during the Baggies’ 1-0 win over Sheffield United.
The Chelsea loanee was on target from long range in the first half and his side managed to hold on and move out of the relegation zone.
It was Slaven Bilic’s side’s first victory of the season and Bartley said that Gallagher has been a “breath of fresh air” since arriving at the club over the summer.
“It feels amazing,” he told West Brom’s official website.
“We didn’t play as well as we have been doing but the most important thing tonight was the three points and we managed to get them. We spoke before the game about showing the same work rate and desire that we have done in the last two games.
“Conor’s a great lad, great player and we talk about work rate and he’s right up there every single week in terms of distance, high-intensity runs and is a breath of fresh air. It’s important to get a clean sheet and we know we have to remain solid. I feel like we’ve done well over the last few weeks to limit the chances.”
Since coming into the side Gallagher has been a real difference-maker but is has been the switch back to a back three and the decision to recall Bartley that has resulted in an upturn in performances.
The former Arsenal and Swansea City man put in a determined display against Sheffield United, making six clearances and winning six aerial duels (via WhoScored). The Baggies allowed far too many chances and were fortunate not to concede, but there has been a clear improvement over the last three matches.
As Bartley says though, the win was all that mattered on Saturday and the Baggies managed to get it down. Hopefully, they can push on from this point.
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