West Brom 1 Sheffield United 0 - Three key areas where battle was won
A first Premier League win and a move out of the relegation zone – until Fulham’s win last night – it was not perfect from Albion, but it was an important three points.
A lone strike from loanee Conor Gallagher, his first in Baggies colours, was enough for the victory.
Some luck had to swing Albion’s way, with George Baldock, Oli McBurnie and Lys Mousset all squandering a stack of chances for the Blades. But that luck paid off as the three points were secured.
Pereira masterclass
Creativity is often the key to winning games of football and Matheus Pereira has it in abundance.
One statistic alone from this game tells the story. The Brazilian created nine chances, more than any other player has created in the Premier League this season.
Some of those would have come from the 14 corners he took throughout the game, but playing in-behind the strikers suits him down to the ground.
With 86 per cent passing success and three shots to his name, the 24-year-old impressed.
However, he was joint top for the amount of times he was dispossessed with three, highlighting an area to improve on the ball.
Aerial threat
For all of the chances that Pereira created, Albion’s ability in the air both offensively and defensively was a plus point.
With 27 aerial duels won across the team, the hosts largely dominated Sheffield United in the air.
Kyle Bartley almost scored with a header from a corner and his attacking prowess reflects in the statistics, as the was joint top for Albion in shots on target.
He also tops the chart for defensive headers with six, while coming second on overall aerial duels.
Perhaps surprisingly, Darnell Furlong places high for most aerial statistics.
He was clear at the top for the number of balls won in the air with 11, compared to Bartley in second with six.
The 25-year-old won 79 per cent of all his aerial battles in what was a key area in the game.
Midfield possession
With Jake Livermore missing due to a positive coronavirus test last week, Albion’s midfielders have stepped up recently.
Pereira leads the number of touches with 72, while Romaine Sawyers is second with 70 – far ahead of any Blades player.
In terms of pass success, the crown goes to Hal Robson-Kanu who – after coming on as a 65th-minute substitute – had 100 per cent pass completion.
Gallagher came in the top five across both teams, with 92 per cent during the 90 minutes.
No Albion player came in the top five for dribbles, however, leaving room for improvement.
