West Brom might yet do ‘Big Sam’ proud
FOOTBALL
LONDON: Sam Allardyce has spearheaded a number of unlikely, lateseason escape acts in the English Premier League down the years.
Leading West Bromwich Albion to safety this season would be his biggest triumph yet.
It is improbable but certainly not out of the question after the Baggies' second big win in about a week, 30 over Southampton.
Make that eight goals in two games for nexttolast West Brom, which was coming off a scarcely believable 52 victory at Chelsea at the start of April.
It is a huge turnaround for a side which, until this recent flurry of goals, was the lowest scorer in the league with just 20 from 29 games.
From appearing virtually certain of going down, West Brom suddenly has a fighting chance of staying up given the gap to Newcastle United, which occupies the spot above the bottom three, is eight points with seven games remaining.
‘‘It's not a big chance,’’ said the 66yearold Allardyce, who has never been relegated from England's top division in a managerial career spanning three decades.
‘‘Just a hope that we keep winning and the other teams lose. That's all we can do.’’
The fixture schedule certainly is not on the side of the man known as ‘‘Big Sam’’, with games still to come against Leicester, Liverpool and West Ham — teams fighting for Champions League qualification — as well as trips to Arsenal and Leeds.
No team will be scrapping harder than West Brom, though.
Certainly Southampton, whose players possibly had one eye on Monday’s FA Cup semifinal against Leicester at Wembley Stadium, could not cope with Allardyce's team.
Matheus Pereira, from the penalty spot, and Matt Phillips scored in a fourminute span from the 32nd and Callum Robinson added a third in the 69th.
Meanwhile, Brighton & Hove Albion is inching closer to safety, with a goalless draw against Everton moving the south coast team seven points clear of the drop zone.
Everton was toothless without England striker Dominic CalvertLewin, who was missing because of a hamstring problem, and its ambitions of qualifying for a European competition next season are fading.
The Toffees are eighth — six points off fifthplace Chelsea but with a game in hand.