Five things learned from West Brom's defeat to Crystal Palace

1 BAGGIES MISSING THE PACE OF MATT PHILLIPS

The winger has sat out the last two games with a hamstring injury, and his absence was keenly felt against Palace. Unlike Bournemouth, the Eagles don’t play with open expanses behind their defence, so it was difficult to get in behind them. When Nacer Chadli and Chris Brunt play as inverted wingers, neither stretch the opposition quite like Phillips does. Tony Pulis noticed the problem and brought on James McClean and Jonathan Leko, but neither have the quality of the former QPR man.

2 EVANS AND FLETCHER TRYING TO CHANGE THE MENTALITY

Apart from Craig Dawson and Jake Livermore, it was the former Manchester United pair who looked most up for the game on Saturday. In the past, there has been a prevailing acceptance that once the 40-point mark is reached, the job is done. But Fletcher and Evans are used to relentless campaigns in the top half of the table and they’re trying to instil a different attitude into the squad. There are a lot of tough games coming up, so results may dip, but supporters don’t want to see performances tail off too.

3 RONDON NEEDS SOMEONE TO TAKE THE LOAD OFF

Earlier this season, Matt Phillips benefited from a game on the sidelines and it looks like the Venezuelan – who hasn’t scored in 12 – could use one too. His embarrassing dive in the first half smacked of desperation from a man low on confidence. You can’t fault Hal Robson-Kanu’s work ethic whenever he comes on, and perhaps it’s time for him to get another chance in the line-up, but even so, it’s patently obvious Rondon needs another quality striker in the squad to easing the burden.

4 LEKO STILL HAS PLENTY TO LEARN

The 17-year-old is a wonderful talent, with the ability to make defenders look silly, and no doubt Pulis told him to run at the defenders. Losing the ball in the final third is not normally so fatal, it was only because the team had flooded forward looking for an equaliser that Andros Townsend was able to run the length of the pitch. But a more experienced player would have chopped the Palace man down on the half-way line and taken a yellow card. Hopefully he learns from this mistake, but doesn’t dwell on it so much that his natural game is stifled.

5 QUALIFYING FOR EUROPE IS PROBABLY A STEP TOO FAR

Everton lost to Tottenham a day later so the Baggies didn’t lose any ground on the Toffees, but with six of their remaining 11 games against teams above them, it’s a tough ask to overhaul that four-point deficit. Pulis and his team should instead be focused on getting the 10 points needed to break the club’s record tally in the Premier League because that is no cakewalk. Watford and Southampton are strong, Leicester are now playing like champions, and Burnley are imperious at home.