Aheed Abrar

Thu 26 December 2024 19:41, UK

West Brom lost to Derby County in their first Championship fixture after the departure of Carlos Corberan.

Chris Brunt took charge of the Baggies and made one change to the starting lineup at Pride Park on Boxing Day as they lost 2-1 against Paul Warne’s team.

After a positive start from the West Midlands club, the hosts took the lead through Jerry Yates just before the half-hour mark.

Mason Holgate scored an own goal to double the Rams’ lead before Grady Diangana brought some life to the game with his header in the 81st minute.

Here, we have given the player ratings for the Derby clash.

Alex Palmer – 5

Palmer didn’t have much to do during the game apart from the goals that he conceded. The English shot-stopper couldn’t have done much with the Yates strike as it went in off the post, and the second goal came off Holgate.

Darnell Furlong – 4

Furlong was instrumental initially as the Baggies took control of the match. The right-back had a shot come off the woodwork in the first half but wasn’t able to make much of an impact after the break despite having an opportunity to find the back of the net.

Mason Holgate [Off for Callum Styles in the 75th minute] – 2

Holgate wasn’t at his best against the Rams, misplacing his passes on a few occasions and being bullied by the opposition as he lost several challenges and scored an own goal.

Kyle Bartley – 5

Bartley was solid at the back and made sure the Derby attackers didn’t get the better of him. The 33-year-old was his calm and composed self in most cases, but the captain failed to organise the defence.

Torbjorn Heggem – 3

Heggem found it hard to deal with some of the Rams’ attackers and was much of a threat offensively as West Brom looked to find an equaliser. The left-back then gave the ball away as the hosts scored their second.

Uros Racic [Off for Jayson Molumby in the 46th minute] – 2

Racic was handed a rare start by Brunt, but he wasn’t able to make a case for himself during the 45 minutes. The Serbian was an invisible figure in the first half and was rightly hooked at the break.

Alex Mowatt – 6

Mowatt was one of the better players for the Baggies and tried to keep the team ticking by controlling possession. The 29-year-old also helped out defensively when needed but wasn’t able to affect the scoreline much.

Grady Diangana only bright spark for West Brom in Derby loss

Tom Fellows – 7

Fellows tried to provide the cutting edge on the right wing for The Albion, but his decision-making in the final third wasn’t the best. The Englishman finally managed to pick out Diangana at around the 80th minute with a brilliant cross to inject some belief in the team.

John Swift [Off for Grady Diangana in the 69th minute] – 5

Swift tried hard to help make a comeback in the fixture, creating a few chances in the final third, but the 29-year-old’s impact was nullified, and he was substituted before having any say in the final result.

Mikey Johnston [Off for Karlan Grant in the 69th minute] – 6

Johnston was a constant threat in the final third, but the Derby defence doubled up on him often, nullifying the Irishman’s threat. Despite going past players with his dribbling and trying to create opportunities, the 25-year-old’s efforts weren’t enough.

Josh Maja – 5

Maja cut a lonesome figure up top for the Baggies and was unable to provide much of a threat as the number nine. The other attackers didn’t create much for the Nigerian to pounce on, as his frustrations were evident on the pitch.

Substitutes:

Jayson Molumby – 4

Molumby was brought in for the second half to change things up for the visitors, but the midfielder barely had any impact in the fixture.

Grady Diangana – 8

Diangana had an impact on the game, scoring from the header, but his strike wasn’t enough to secure a point from Pride Park.

Karlan Grant – 5

Callum Styles – 5

In other West Brom news, Liverpool coach John Heitinga has emerged as a candidate to replace Corberan.

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