West Brom beat West Ham United 4-2 on Saturday – at one point being 4-0 up. Here’a a few talking points following that impressive victory.
1) Home demons vanquished
West Brom came into Saturday’s game with no wins in their last six at the Hawthorns. Tony Pulis’ side ended this run in emphatic style – scoring more than three goals at home in the league for the first time since their 4-0 win over Burnley in September 2014.
Albion supporters have been underwhelmed by Pulis’ lack of attacking intent at home, with the majority of wins coming by a one-goal margin. This was Albion first win by more than a one-goal since their 3-0 victory against Chelsea at the end of the 2014/15 season.
West Brom also managed to score their first goal of the season from open play, when Salomon Rondon fired his low drive past Adrian. The win gives the Hawthorns faithful a much needed lift ahead of tough home fixtures against Tottenham and Manchester City later this month.
2) Chadli the difference
Nacer Chadli’s home debut was one to remember. The Belgian international played just behind Rondon and added a much needed touch of quality to Albion’s play in the final third. Chadli offered a composed outlet in attacking areas, something that has been lacking with the absence of James Morrison.
The 27-year-old was comfortable picking up positions in the middle of the pitch, and has the ability to play a range of passes that Darren Fletcher and Claudio Yacob don’t often provide.
When Chadli pushed forward, he picked up intelligent pockets of space and gave Rondon the best support he has had in a West Brom shirt. Importantly, when Chadli got the ball in these spaces he was clinical. Two assists and two goals says it all.
3) Nervy Hawthorns
Even at 4-1, Michail Antonio’s goal rocked West Brom, and another West Ham goal four minutes later set up a tense finale. West Brom fans with sharp memories would have had flashbacks to West Ham’s three-goal comeback at the Hawthorns in 2011. With the Hammers taking back control of the game, the mood at the Hawthorns’ was one of dread, and this was reflected on the pitch.
In spells that evoked last week’s shocking first-half against Bournemouth, West Brom struggled to move the ball out of their own half and were pinned back in their own area for large periods of the second-half. The introduction of Allan Nyom at left-back, however, settled Albion’s defence, and West Ham’s momentum slowly dissipated.
4) Pulis vindicated
In his post-match comments, Pulis stated that his side had done little more to win this game than they did last week at Bournemouth – apart from put the ball in the net. Despite criticism of his style of football last weekend, Pulis stuck to his usual tactics, ensuring his side kept a deep and rigid defensive shape. His decision paid off as West Ham naively overcommitted players on a few key occasions.
West Ham’s eagerness to make amends for their defeat against Watford last weekend left them vulnerable to counter-attacks, especially when they went behind. Pulis still needs to find a way of beating more defensive and savvy away sides, but this result is a reminder of his remarkable survival skills
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