View: Allardyce needs consistency from Baggies star who found perfect balance v City
Grady Diangana sent new West Brom manager Sam Allardyce a timely reminder with his performance against Manchester City on Tuesday night.
The former Hammers man has been disappointing for the Baggies since his permanent move to the club in the summer, but he played a crucial role in the 1-1 draw at the Etihad.
Behind Matheus Periera, Diangana is arguably West Brom’s most creative outlet, so he could be a huge figure in Allardyce’s bid to keep the club in the Premier League.
As per WhoScored, Daingana was West Brom’s best performer against Pep Guardiola’s side, with a match rating of 7.4.
The attacker even ranked higher than Sam Johnstone (7.3), who produced a number of crucial saves in the dying moments of the game.
In recent years, Allardyce has not been a manager who has developed a reputation for utilising creative and attacking players, but against City, Diangana matched skill with hard work and defensive ability.
As per Matchday365, no player completed more successful dribbles at the Etihad on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, he also completed an impressive six interceptions and eight recoveries, according to Wyscout.
Diangana’s heatmap, as per Wyscout, from the 1-1 draw highlights the sheer amount of work that the winger put in on both flanks, having featured on both the right and the left throughout the game.
Diangana has only scored one goal in 11 Premier League appearances this season, but he could still play a crucial role in the club’s survival bid.
It was the kind of hard-working performance that may need to become routine for the Baggies’ attacking players over the coming months if they want to avoid an immediate return to the second tier.
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