West Brom: Josh Griffiths shows he can be counted on after Bristol City heroics
Josh Griffiths was phenomenal in West Brom’s 1-0 away win over Bristol City on Saturday.
The 24-year-old backup goalkeeper hasn’t started for the Baggies since 14 February, with Max O’Leary being preferred by James Morrison.
However, Max O’Leary limped off the pitch in last weekend’s 3-0 win over Hull City at The Hawthorns and was replaced by Griffiths.
As the Baggies await confirmation of how serious O’Leary’s injury is, fans were worried over how Griffiths would perform after his underwhelming displays in the first half of the season.
Despite any pre-match doubts, Griffiths was commanding, and he showed why he can be counted on for the foreseeable future.
- Read more: West Brom player ratings vs Bristol City
Josh Griffiths delivers brilliant performance vs Bristol City
West Brom have conceded an xG of 39.4, the third-lowest in the division, and it points to their goalkeepers not being up to the level that is required to play in the Championship.
Joe Wildsmith and Griffiths rotated in and out of the side under Eric Ramsay, and it was clear that the latter was struggling with the physical demands of the Championship.
However, he looked incredibly comfortable against the Robins, and according to Sofascore, he made six recoveries at Ashton Gate.
| Stat | Griffiths |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Saves | 2 |
| xG faced | 0.16 |
| Touches | 39 |
His highlight in the match was a diving save to deny Rob McCrorie in the 57th minute, but his overall performance was assured.
Several times this season, we’ve seen Griffiths caught out by long-shots, or fail to communicate effectively with his defenders.
But none of that was seen on Saturday, and the shot-stopper can be extremely proud of how he returned to the side.
Truth be told, the Baggies didn’t have to do much to prevent Bristol City from scoring, and it’s not just Griffiths who deserves immense praise.
West Brom’s centre-backs were flawless vs Bristol City
George Campbell scored the winning goal, but by making 15 clearances, he helped alleviate any potential threat that Griffiths could have faced.
As for Nat Phillips, his pass accuracy of 82 per cent helped the Baggies maintain possession once they had taken the lead.
West Brom have conceded a number of poor goals this season, but it never looked as though they were going to drop points on Saturday.
Griffiths and his two centre-backs were faultless throughout the 90 minutes, and Morrison has overseen a number of brilliant changes in defence.
While Griffiths could drop to the bench once O’Leary returns, he has certainly sent a message to his head coach that he deserves to be playing week in, week out.
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