Big step forward at fortress Hawthorns
AFTER the midweek diappointment against Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion needed a different approach at the weekend and they delivered just that, seeing off Bristol City in a comfortable 3-0 win.
Goals from Jordan Hugill, Kyle Bartley and Karlan Grant sent Albion back to the second place of the Championship.
Here are the talking points from The Hawthorns.
Robert Snodgrass got the nod to make his second consecutive league appearance of the season, as Jake Livermore served a one-match ban due to the accumulation of yellow cards.
Many might have tried to picture what the midfield partnership would be like after seeing the 34-year-old in the starting eleven alongside Molumby, but the pair were synchronised from the get-go.
It was like they had been partnered in midfield since the start of the season but while that wasn’t the case, the absence of Livermore may have bought Valerien Ismael a healthy selection headache ahead of next weekend.
The pair were colossal in the heart of midfield and were worthy of praise from their boss: “They did very well. For me, Robert Snodgrass is man of the match,” Ismael told the Post.
Six in six
Saturday afternoon’s goal was Karlan Grant’s sixth goal in as many games as he is currently experiencing his best period of his Albion career to date.
After being highly backed by the 46-year-old boss, there is a notable difference in the player he is now and the player he was under Sam Allardyce.
These goals will only continue to do wonders for his confidence levels ahead of the remainder of the season - he will play a key part in Albion’s push for promotion.
Confidence boost
Since his arrival on loan from Norwich, Jordan Hugill hadn’t quite hit the ground running.
It is fair to say that after Saturday afternoon’s display and his first goal for the Baggies, he will grow in confidence for the upcoming games.
The 29-year-old opened the scoring for the hosts inside the first 10 minutes but he could have had another three or four in the back of the net after being fed chances during the first and second half.
But that won’t matter at this point though after that 3-0 win, this is just the start.
Ismael said: “This is his reward for the hard work he puts in.
“We have been working in training on ways for him to score, after training he stays late with James Morrison.
“Now he has got his reward but it needs to stay this way because he is a very important player for us.”
The Baggies are unbeaten in seven league home matches, picking up 17 points out of a potential 21.
While their away record may not be as good, after only registering two away wins, Ismael and co will flourish with all the support they get with a crowded Hawthorns week in week out.
These may be the games where they make the most from, to continue extending their home record, so all the support will play a significant part.