The West Bromwich Albion duo were impressive in the draw against Everton.
In these circumstances, with the club languishing in 19th place in the Premier League, West Bromwich Albion need to cling to any positive signs that they possibly can.
There was some encouragement to take from the goalless draw at home to Everton on Boxing Day, and manager Alan Pardew will doubtless have been delighted by the performances of Craig Dawson and Matt Phillips, both of whom were making their first appearances since he took charge.
Dawson, deployed at right-back, was typically resilient defensively, while he also pushed forwards to provide an attacking threat when the opportunity presented itself.
Phillips, meanwhile, linked effectively with Dawson and caused problems for the Everton defence, indicating that he could have a major part to play for West Brom under Pardew.
Next up for West Brom is the considerably difficult challenge of a home game against Arsenal on Sunday, and Pardew may well be tempted to persist with Dawson and Phillips in his side as The Baggies look to cause an upset.
Significant investment in new players is certainly required if West Brom are to stay up, but the performances of Dawson and Phillips may cause Pardew to feel that his current resources are slightly stronger than he previously thought.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
