SAM’S MEN STILL ALIVE AND KICKING
Baggies dig in for survival fight
SAM ALLARDYCE looks to have come up with the magic formula – the trouble is, it all looks a bit too late.
The Premier League’s most revered firefighter is dousing the flames in spectacular fashion but the house looks to have burnt down.
West Brom followed up their stunning 5-2 win against Chelsea with their biggest home victory of the campaign. It was the first time they have strung two wins together this season – but you cannot help feeling they will need to get another five from their remaining seven matches to have a chance of surviving.
Allardyce said: “We’re still fighting. I hope it gives my players hope because it was a fantastic win – but it still might not be enough. We’ve put together two wins that are making people’s ears prick up and thinking just how good we are and how well we’re playing. Unfortunately, we’ve got to rely on other teams losing.”
They even managed to brush aside another controversial VAR decision that cost them a ‘goal’ after Stockley Park got their lines crossed.
Mbaye Diagne was not offside but the VAR rulers could not get a line on his upper body and so the on-field decision stood and Saints got away with one that left Allardyce groaning: “VAR was massively at fault. It was a goal – we’ve seen the angle and it was clearly a goal. Something has to be done.”
There is no stopping the Baggies right now – even when the visitors got a stoppage-time penalty, keeper Sam Johnstone guessed right and beat away James Ward-Prowse’s spot-kick.
Though Big Sam’s men went in 2-0 up at the break, they could easily have had five. Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “When you make it that easy it’s not a surprise to find yourselves 2-0 down.”
The Baggies took the lead in the 32nd minute from a penalty after Fraser Forster sent Matheus Pereira crashing in the box. Pereira converted and, three minutes later, they doubled their lead when Danny Ings gave the ball straight to Diagne, who curled the ball across to the far post where Matt Phillips slid in to rifle it home.
Callum Robinson then killed off Saints with a cool left-footed finish.
WEST BROM (4-4-2): Johnstone 8; Furlong 8, O’Shea 7, Bartley 8 (Ajayi 85), Townsend 7; Phillips 7, Yokuslu 7, MaitlandNiles 7, Pereira 8; Robinson 7 (Gallagher 72, 6), Diagne 7 (RobsonKanu 72, 6). Goals: Pereira 32 pen, Phillips 35, Robinson 69. SOUTHAMPTON (4-4-2): Forster 7; Walker-Peters 7 (Djenepo 87), Bednarek 6, Vestergaard 6, Bertrand 6; Ward-Prowse 6, Diallo 6, Armstrong 7, Walcott 7 (Adams 75); Redmond 7, Ings 6 (Tello 85).