Aune Heggebo magnificent again, 2/10 woeful – West Brom player ratings vs Swansea City
Ryan Mason will be in great debt to Aune Heggebo for potentially saving his job during West Brom’s dramatic 3-2 win over Swansea City on Saturday.
West Brom got off the worst possible start when Zan Vipotnik raced through and chipped the ball over Josh Griffiths inside 11 seconds, before Ethan Galbraith doubled Swansea’s lead with a long-range strike on 12 minutes.
Aune Heggebo got the Baggies off to a brilliant start in the second half, squeezing a low shot past Lawrence Vigouroux, and then firing home the equaliser from a corner in the 52nd minute.
Jayson Molumby made amends for his red card against Coventry on 22 November by scoring the winner from close range in the 84th minute.
Mason is still under pressure as the result moves the Baggies up to 13th in the Championship table, and Heggebo was central to the second-half comeback.
Aune Heggebo single-handedly earns West Brom a point vs Swansea
Heggebo joined West Brom for £4.75million from Norwegian side Brann, and it’s safe to say that it has taken him a while to find his feet.
However, he was a threat throughout the match in B71, and he was unfortunate not get his first hat-trick in a Baggies shirt.
After being played the ball by Alex Mowatt, Heggebo rolled his defender before firing a powerful strike in the back of the net
He then scored the equaliser with a bouncing strike after a corner wasn’t properly cleared by Swansea, and was denied by Vigoroux multiple times in the second half.
| Stat | Aune Heggebo |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Goals scored | 2 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 0.46 |
| Touches in opposition box | 8 |
His brace against Swansea takes him up to eight goals in the Championship, and he is finally showcasing why the Baggies spent nearly £5m on the forward.
According to FotMob, Heggebo has an xG overperformance of 2.72, and he is certainly showing a clinical nature in front of goal.
It’s up to Mason to play to the 24-year-old’s strengths in possession, and if he does, then today’s performance could spark an upturn in West Brom’s form.
Heggebo dragged West Brom out of a disastrous situation again, and Griffiths will be hugely grateful for the Norwegian’s contribution.
Josh Griffiths makes crucial mistake for Ethan Galbraith goal
The first-half performance couldn’t have been worse, and Griffiths was at The Hawthorns.
Griffiths, who has risen through the academy ranks, has established himself as West Brom’s number one, although he was dreadful against Swansea.
Hardly any blame can be placed on him for Vipotnik’s early lob, yet he was directly at fault for Galbraith’s powerful strike.
| Stat | Josh Griffiths |
| Goals conceded | 2 |
| Saves | 0 |
| Expected goals prevented | -1.60 |
| Pass accuracy | 75% |
Swansea’s midfielder was 25 yards out and unleashed a shot that was towards the near post of the goal, but Griffiths could only push the ball into the top corner.
The 24-year-old spent the first half of the 2024-25 season on loan at Bristol Rovers, and question marks are being raised over his ability to play at this level.
Griffiths has been criticised for his mistakes under Mason, and his goals prevented difference of -4.40 shows why a goalkeeper could emerge as a priority in the January transfer window.
With Mason making four substitutions at half-time, it’s clear that some of West Brom’s players were simply abysmal.
West Brom player ratings
Josh Griffiths – 2
Alfie Gilchrist – 5 (for Campbell 46′)
Nat Phillips – 4 (for Bielik 46′)
Chris Mepham – 5
Callum Styles – 5
Jayson Molumby – 6
Alex Mowatt – 7
Samuel Iling-Junior – 3 (for Grant (46′)
Isaac Price – 3 (for Maja 46′)
Mikey Johnston – 6
Aune Heggebo – 9 (for Ousmane Diakite 90′)
Substitutes:
George Campbell – 5
Krystian Bielik – 6
Karlan Grant – 6
Josh Maja – 5
Osmane Diakite – N/A
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest West Bromwich Albion news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @westbromnews247