View: 8 for MOTM, several 4/10s – Player ratings from West Brom v Palace
West Brom lost 5-1 to Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon as the Baggies failed to follow up last week’s win with another positive result.
Darnell Furlong’s own goal set the tone for Albion’s afternoon as Wilfred Zaha and Christian Benteke both bagged braces after Conor Gallagher initially equalised for the Baggies.
The result leaves Albion in the relegation zone but just one point from safety as pressure increases on Slaven Bilic.
It was an afternoon to forget for the Baggies and few players finished the game with their dignity intact.
Here are our player ratings from West Brom v Crystal Palace.
Sam Johnstone – 6
It’s hard to criticise Johnstone for any of the goals he conceded as his defence really let him down. He still made some decent saves but was unable to keep the scoreline respectable.
Darnell Furlong – 4
It was a frankly ridiculous decision for Furlong to try and block the cross that he eventually turned into his own net. He was never going to get there and he set his side up for a torrid afternoon. Nearly scored with a header and provided the assist for the Baggies’ goal but his defending let him down.
Semi Ajayi – 5
Decent pass in the build-up to Gallagher’s goal and he was probably Albion’s best defender, though he didn’t have much competition. Benteke got the better of him on too many occasions.
Branislav Ivanovic – 4
Couldn’t deal with the quick feet of Zaha or Eberechi Eze and his lack of pace was painfully obvious whenever Palace broke forward. His experience didn’t help the Baggies while under intense pressure in the second half. Must do better.
Kyle Bartley – 4
Gave away such a daft foul in the first half which led to Palace’s opener. Constantly gave the ball away and failed to stop Eze on a number of occasions. Albion’s defenders needed to stand up and be counted in the second half and Bartley folded too easily. Blasted by some Albion fans at half time.
Matt Phillips – 6
Phillips did himself proud against Palace after being deployed in an unfamiliar role. His defending wasn’t outstanding, but he’s not a defender. Played some inviting passes and helped carry the ball away from the Baggies defence.
Romaine Sawyers – 4
Sawyers looked tidy at first glance but he gave possession away too easily and far too often as Palace began to target the weak link that Sawyers proved to be. Such a shame after he performed so well against Sheffield United last week.
Conor Gallagher – 8
Gallagher is proving to be an excellent talent as he bagged his second goal in as many games. He was a constant threat and the only way Palace could deal with him was to bring him down. He was Albion’s man of the match by far.
Matheus Pereira – 3
It was a harsh red card. But, he is fully aware of what VAR is like and the second his leg extended into the midriff of Patrick van Aanholt he was a dead man walking. It is simply unacceptable for a player of his quality to be out for three games because of a silly mistake like that.
Grady Diangana – 5
Subbed at half time due to Pereira’s red card but he struggled to make an impact in his first-half outing. He was isolated which isn’t his fault but on the ball, he largely disappointed.
Karlan Grant – 4
Grant did nothing all afternoon and that is no exaggeration. Five games without a goal now for Grant and it’s hard to see him scoring in the near future if he continues his poor performances. He was blasted by some Baggies fans after the final whistle.
Subs
Filip Krovinovic – 5
Came on at half time to sure up the midfield. Krovinovic had a few chances to break forward but was wasteful with his final ball. Hard to criticise after being thrown on to chase what was essentially a lost cause.
Callum Robinson – 5
Robinson was certainly a lot brighter than Grant but he struggled to make any kind of meaningful impact against the Palace defence with Albion lacking attacking players. He should start against Newcastle if next week’s game goes ahead.
Dara O’Shea – N/A
In other West Brom news, Slaven Bilic predicts significant problem for Baggies this week
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