Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United moved back to the top of the Championship with a hard-fought 1-0 win against West Bromwich Albion at Elland Road.
West Bromwich Albion were a natural goalscorer away from potentially escaping Elland Road with a point on Tuesday night.
Hal Robson-Kanu has never been prolific and Kenneth Zohore, who came off the bench with West Brom chasing the game, has scored just once from open play since the start of last season. So why Slaven Bilic didn’t bring Charlie Austin off the bench late on with The Baggies’ uneaten record slipping away is anyone’s guess.
Austin hasn’t exactly hit the ground running since his £4 million move from Southampton but, when fully fit and firing, he simply guarantees goals in the Championship.
The former QPR, Burnley and Charlton striker has scored 68 times in his last three-and-a-half seasons at second tier level but Bilic, somewhat strangely, went with Zohore instead with West Brom a goal down in West Yorkshire.
And while Austin was sat twiddling his thumbs on the sidelines, Zohore lumbered around the pitch before firing his only half chance well off target.
Now, Bilic won over the West Brom fans almost immediately after taking over at The Hawthorns but leaving your most likely goalscorer out of the team when you’re crying out for a late equaliser? That hasn’t gone down too well.
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