West Brom 0 Everton 1 - Report

Following a three-game unbeaten run, the Baggies hosted Carlo Ancelotti’s side at The Hawthorns and were the better team for long spells.

Diagne saw a smart header well saved by Jordan Pickford in the opening few minutes.

The striker also went close with another header following a long-throw after the break.

Albion threatened once more when Conor Gallagher, on the angle just six-yards out, flashed a powerful strike wide.

But it was Everton who broke the deadlock in the 65th minute when Richarlison nodded in a cross from Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Albion pressed for an equaliser from that point and they thought they had one in stoppage time when Diange brought down a cross from Ainsley Maitland-Niles before firing home.

The linesman immediately raised his flag.

But the subsequent VAR check showed the striker was offside by just a toe.

Albion now have to respond quickly to the set-back with Sam Allardyce’s side facing a crunch relegation six-pointer against Newcastle on Sunday.

Report

Allardyce expressed his anger in the days leading up the game that it was taking place on a Thursday - just 60 hours before the Baggies host relegation rivals Newcastle.

Originally, Ancelotti’s side were due to head to The Hawthorns on March 20 but that fixture had to be rearranged due to their continued involvement in the FA Cup.

A frustrated Allardyce said the rescheduled date would force him to make changes either for the visit of Everton or for Newcastle on Sunday.

But a three-game unbeaten run had given his team some momentum and that meant the boss opted to stick with the side that beat Brighton on Saturday.

Lining-up in a 4-3-3 system, Dara O’Shea continued to partner Kyle Bartley at the heart of the defence despite Semi Ajayi being available again following a one-match ban.

In midfield, Okay Yokuslu sat in the holding role with Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Conor Gallagher slightly more advanced.

Up front, Mbaye Diagne was the central striker with Matt Phillips starting on the left wing and Matheus Pereira on the right.

Everton, who beat Southampton on Monday, lined up in a 3-5-2 formation with a strike pairing of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.

Alex Iwobi was the right wing-back with Lucas Digne on the opposite flank.

Their belief ever-growing, it was Albion who started the game on the front foot with the Baggies having an excellent chance to open the scoring after just two minutes.

Following a surging run, Gallagher stood up a cross which was met with a smart header from Diagne.

But at full-stretch, a diving Jordan Pickford did really well to fly across his goal and keep the ball out.

With the ball still in play, Diagne managed to retrieve it and then went down under a challenge from Andre Gomes.

But despite strong protests from the striker, referee Darren England said no penalty with VAR also deciding not to bring back play.

Albion were playing with a real aggression and they kept creating half-chances to open the scoring.

After excellent work from Conor Townsend - first to win the ball and then send in a cross - Diagne turned in the box before firing over.

Phillips then tried his luck with a curling low drive from just inside the box which a defender stuck out a boot to clear right in front of Pickford.

Everton had looked tidy on the ball but apart from a long-distance strike from Ben Godfrey - which deflected behind for a corner - they had created very little as the clock ticked past the half-hour mark.

That meant Ancelotti had spent most of the half with his head in his hands.

But as the interval approached, the Toffees created two good chances to open the scoring.

First, after some tika-taka football just outside the box, Calvert-Lewin fed Richarlison who saw a strike from 12-yards deflect over.

Then a hugely fortunate ricochet saw Bernard’s pass fall for Calvert-Lewin in the box.

The England striker would have expected to score. But instead, he hit a low drive that Sam Johnstone stopped with his legs.

Just like in the first-half, Albion flew out the blocks following the re-start.

They almost opened the scoring when Darnell Furlong’s long-throw was flicked on by Bartley.

Diagne met it but his header sailed over the bar when he should have done better.

A flowing Albion move then saw Pereira find Furlong on the overlap who then played a clever ball to Gallagher in the box.

The Chelsea loanee then did really well to burst past Godfrey. But, on the angle around six-yards out, he then hit a cross-come-shot which flashed off target.

With his team in need of a lift, Ancelotti brought on Allan for Iwobi just before the hour mark. Gylfi Sigurdsson then replaced Abdoulaye Doucoure.

And it was that second change that proved inspired with Everton taking the lead just seconds later Sigurdsson involved.

The Icelandic international sent in a corner that was cleared but send back to the former Swansea man.

And he then sent in a cross which Richarlison nodded in for his fourth goal in as many games.

Allardyce responded by making a double change with Hal Robson Kanu and Robert Snodgrass replacing Gallagher and Phillips.

Albion were now playing a system that was hard to define with Snodgrass and effectively Robson-Kanu joining Diagne up front while Pereira and Maitland-Niles were both central.

From that point, Allardyce’s men pressed and pressed for a winner.

Some excellent hold-up play from Robson-Kanu led to the striker finding Pereira in the box but the Brazilian’s low drive was blocked.

But in stoppage time the Baggies though they had the equaliser their overall performance had performed.

Maitland-Niles sent in a cross which Diagne brought down before firing home.

That prompted wild celebration on the Baggies bench until the linesman raised his flag.

And following a VAR check it was revealed the striker’s left toe was offside, ensuring the goal did not stand.

Teams

Albion (4-3-3): Johnstone, Furlong, O'Shea, Bartley, Townsend, Yokuslu, Maitland-Niles, Gallagher (Robson-Kanu 78), Pereira, Diagne, Phillips (Snodgrass 78).

Subs: Button, Peltier, Ajayi, Livermore, Sawyers, Grant, Robinson.

Everton (3-4-3): Pickford, Holgate, Keane, Godfrey, Digne, Doucoure (Sigurdsson 64), Gomes, Iwobi (Allan 58), Bernard (King 84) Richarlison, Calvert-Lewin.

Subs not used: Virginia, Tyrer, Nkounkou, Broadhead, Onyango