Jay Rodriguez started up front for West Bromwich Albion in their goalless draw with West Ham United.
After his disappointing display against Brighton, Salomon Rondon was dropped for West Brom’s Premier League clash with West Ham with Tony Pulis instead picking Jay Rodriguez to lead the line against the Hammers.
Rodriguez has often looked lively since arriving from Southampton in the summer, scoring twice in all competitions and proving that his fitness is good enough to cope with the demands of playing regularly in the top flight after a frustrating time during the latter months of his time at St Mary’s.
It seemed to make perfect sense for the 28-year-old to replace Rondon up front with the Venezuelan featuring prominently previously, but only scoring one Premier League goal in 2017 and none in the top flight this season.
Unfortunately for Rodriguez however, he failed to make the most of his chance as the Baggies played out a goalless draw with the Hammers to leave them just about holding on to a top-half spot in the table.
The game saw neither side create any golden chances, and like Rondon against Brighton, Rodriguez often looked isolated up front so arguably failed to justify his selection for the contest.
But with Rodriguez being given so few opportunities to feed off, it is surely fair to suggest that he deserves to get another chance up front, perhaps in the League Cup clash with Manchester City in midweek or against Arsenal in the league later this month.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
