View: 0% defensive duels won – West Brom mainstay should be dropped v Palace
West Brom finally got their first three points of the Premier League season against Sheffield United on Saturday evening.
Conor Gallagher’s goal was enough for the 1-0 win, but it was far from straight forward against the Blades at the Hawthorns.
The Baggies have been missing luck this season, but they got plenty of that on Saturday as Chris Wilder’s men somehow didn’t find the back of the net.
It was only the Albion’s second clean-sheet this term, but they had the shocking finishing of the away side to thank for that.
Branislav Ivanovic has been a calming figure since his arrival, but he endured a disasterclass against the Blades.
The Serbian was booked nearly instantly in the win after a challenge on Oli McBurnie saw him penalised in the opening five minutes.
Looking at his numbers from the 90 minutes, that struggle continued all the way to the final whistle against the likes of McBurnie.
Ivanovic won 0% of his defensive duels according to WyScout, as well as none of his aerial battles. On top of that, he also lost the ball three times in his own half to increase the pressure on his side.
Without the likes of Sam Johnstone, West Brom could have been in trouble on Saturday.
The final whistle brought along great celebrations, with many thanking the keeper for his role – Ivanovic being one of those.
Slaven Bilic is clearly a big fan of the veteran, and his experience could be one thing that saves him from the axe against Palace.
The Baggies could be smart to give him a rest though, as he may not get as lucky should he put in a shocking performance once again.
Dara O’Shea has been phenomenal so far when called upon, and it could finally be the chance he has been waiting for since his injury.
In other West Brom news, many Baggies fans slam ace after performance v Sheffield Utd
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