Josh Maja shines, 4/10 woeful – West Brom player ratings vs Swansea City
Josh Maja was the pick of the bunch for West Brom as James Morrison’s side beat Swansea City 6-5 on penalties to secure their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The match finished 2-2 after extra time, but Eom Ji-sung opened the scoring for the Swans with a fantastic curling effort in the 48th minute, before Maja netted his second goal of the season by bundling the ball across the line after Callum Styles’ in-swinging corner.
Substitute Jed Wallace swept home a brilliant finish in the 108th minute to make it 2-1, before Zeidane Inoussa equalised for the home side moments later.
In the penalty shootout, Chris Mepham had the chance to win it for the Baggies, but he blazed it over the bar.
However, Oliver Bostock made no mistake when he stepped up, finishing with conviction to secure a dramatic win for the Baggies in Wales.
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Eric Ramsay is expected to become the new West Brom manager, and he would have been pleased with how the 27-year-old performed.
Aune Heggebo has been a shining light this season, but Morrison gave Maja the nod up front, and he repaid his faith with a crucial goal.
The Nigerian striker was in the right place at the right time to bring the Baggies level, and his hold-up play was impressive throughout the match.
| Stat | Maja |
| Minutes played | 76 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Touches in opposition box | 3 |
| Pass accuracy | 71% |
| Recoveries | 5 |
Having not started for seven consecutive games, he did not show the signs of someone lacking confidence in front of goal.
Maja has been linked with a move away from West Brom, although with Ramsay yet to assess the players he will soon be in charge of, there is still hope for him to start consistently at The Hawthorns during the second half of the campaign.
The 27-year-old was taken off for Heggebo in the 76th minute, and he can be proud of his performance at the Swansea.com Stadium.
However, one man who failed to affect the game for West Brom was Daryl Dike.
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The USA international made his first start of the season against Swansea, and looked incredibly rusty alongside Maja up front.
Dike could leave West Brom this month, having made just eight appearances in all competitions due to complications with his Achilles injury.
It’s understandable that he wasn’t up to scratch, and the most important thing for him was being back on the pitch.
| Stat | Dike |
| Minutes played | 60 |
| Shots | 1 |
| Expected goals | 0.05 |
| Touches | 17 |
| Pass accuracy | 50% |
However, he failed to complete a successful dribble during the match and didn’t make a single tackle, recovery, or interception.
This made him virtually useless out of possession, and it’s no wonder the Baggies had very little joy in the final third.
Young Bostock came on for the 25-year-old in the 60th minute, and it’s clear he still needs to build up his fitness before featuring more regularly for West Brom.
West Brom player ratings vs Swansea CIty
Josh Griffiths – 7
Alfie Gilchrist – 6
Chris Mepham – 4
Krystian Bielik – 5
Charlie Taylor – 5
Ousmane Diakite – 7
Callum Styles – 6
Mikey Johnston – 5
Isaac Price – 4
Daryl Dike – 4
Josh Maja – 7
Substitutes:
Oliver Bostock – 7 (60′)
Aune Heggebo – 5 (77′)
George Campbell – 6 (77′)
Harry Whitwell – 5 (89′, subbed off at 100′)
Jed Wallace – 7 (100′)
Karlan Grant – 5 (105′)
Nat Phillips – 5 (105′)