Premier League - Saturday 30th January 2021, 3:00 PM
West Brom
2
(0)
-
(1)
2
Fulham
Attendance: 0
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
Match events
10
De Cordova-Reid
Ahearne-Grant
24
O'Shea
24
Diagne
45
Robinson
45
Bartley
47
Pereira
66
72
Cavaleiro
72
De Cordova-Reid
72
Reed
72
Lemina
Bartley (f)
75
77
Cavaleiro
81
Tete
81
Aina
Phillips
83
Livermore
83
Match review
Match Report
West Bromwich Albion (0) 2-2 (1) Fulham
Premier League Match Day 20 2021 The Hawthorns
Saturday 30th January 2021 KO: 15:00
Referee:
Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
Live on BBC One
|
Fulham led 1-0 at half time but as Fulham Head Coach Scott Parker explained: 'That should be 3-0 or 4-0 at half time.
The game should have been out of sight.
They have to make changes 20 minutes into the game and we have big, big chances. It should be done by half time.
‘Eighteen games left, a long way to go, we’ll keep pushing and keep going.’
Parker can be proud that it was a combination of his two substitutes that saw Fulham avoid defeat, with Harrison Reed crossing for Ivan Cavaleiro.
The side sitting in 18th were all over 19th-placed West Brom in the first half, with Aleksandar Mitrovic putting himself about.
This was Mitrovic's first Premier League start in 2021. He had not scored in any of his last 16 appearances in all competitions for club and country. Yet scoring is not all he does.
T
en minutes in, Mitrovic controlled a ball from Ademola Lookman with his chest. Kieran Gibbs went to close him down, but it was the wrong decision by the former Arsenal left back.
Gibbs’ attraction to Mitrovic and the ball left Bobby Decordova-Reid all alone. Mitrovic played a nice through-ball into his team-mate’s path, and Decordova-Reid found the back of the net.
Decordova-Reid really ought to have made it 2-0 in the 18th minute, when he had only West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to beat after Gibbs had seemingly tripped over his own feet.
Unfortunately for Scott Parker, the shot struck the post.
Allardyce was stood in the technical area wearing a parka with his hood up.
You could sense his fury and so unhappy was West Brom’s manager, he made a substitution, replacing defender Dara O'Shea with forward Karlan Grant after 24 minutes.
Match Stats |
West Brom |
Fulham |
Goals |
(0) 2 |
2 (1) |
|
Scorers |
Bartley 47 |
De Cordova-Reid 10 |
|
Pereira 66 |
Cavaleiro 77 |
|
Goal attempts |
5 |
12 |
On target |
3 |
7 |
Shooting Accuracy |
0% |
0% |
Possession |
37% |
63% |
Passes Success |
64% |
81% |
Corners |
2 |
3 |
Tackles Success |
58% |
67% |
Saves |
5 |
1 |
Fouls |
9 |
9 |
Offsides |
1 |
1 |
Yellows |
1 |
0 |
Reds |
0 |
0 |
source: SkySports |
Phillip Schofield in The Cube,’ Sam Allardyce said after being asked what he said to his players at half time, given West Bromwich Albion were losing 1-0 and looked hopeless.
‘You know what he says? “Simplify.” Simplify our game. You just have to simplify your game, lads. You’re getting yourselves too confused. The second half was different. We turned a corner.’
Allardyce’s love of ITV game shows aside, West Brom did indeed show some fight. They took a 2-1 lead, showing they are not ready to simply succumb to relegation.
Big Sam introduced his new loan signing, the Galatasaray striker Mbaye Diagne, at the break. Snowy West Bromwich is a long way from the warmth of Istanbul, but he landed in England at 8pm on Friday night and had an instant impact here, assisting Matheus Pereira for his goal.
‘He arrived last night, sent a text, a few emojis,’ Allardyce said of Diagne.
‘He could be effective for us. What I have to say is a great big thank you because we have searched and searched and searched. This guy has accepted to come join this battle.’
West Brom were glad to hear the half-time whistle go with them trailing by only the one goal. Allardyce responded by throwing on Diagne, who pinned back Fulham’s defence.
Then it was 1-1. Pereira’s cross deflected off Fulham’s Ola Aina and the ball fell kindly for Kyle Bartley. Parker couldn’t believe it after all of their first-half chances.
The visitors were shell-shocked. Then it got worse for Parker, as West Brom scored a second goal. Diagne played in a low cross which caught Fulham off-guard and Pereira got to it ahead of Aina, beating goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.
Could Fulham respond? They could, and it was down to the substitutes.
Reed had the ball on the right wing, crossed and found Cavaleiro, who scored with a diving header. West Brom’s lead had lasted for 11 minutes.
Fulham looked the likelier to nab a winner before full time but it wasn’t to be. A point apiece, though both these teams needed all three, really.+
West Bromwich Albion: Johnstone, Furlong, Ajayi, Bartley, O'Shea (Grant 24), Gibbs, Pereira, Livermore (Phillips 83), Gallagher, Snodgrass, Robinson (Diagne 45)
Unused substitutes: Robson-Kanu, Townsend, Sawyers, Ivanovic, Peltier, Button,
Goals:
Bartley 47 (After clearing a corner, Fulham can't get out and Pereira delivers a ball from wide that flicks off a Fulham head across the goal. Bartley - up from the back - is there to prod home.)
Pereira 66 (Fulham have gone to pieces since the break whilst the Diagne is the difference maker for the Baggies. He makes a powerful run down the right and pulls a very clever ball into the middle. It's then a battle between Pereira and Anderson for the loose ball and the striker flicks a wonderful finish into the far corner.)
Booked: Bartley (75,f),
Fulham: Areola, Aina (Tete 81), Andersen, Tosin, De Cordova-Reid (Cavaleiro 72), Anguissa, Lemina (Reed 72), Robinson, Loftus-Cheek, Mitrovic, Lookman
Unused substitutes: Hector, Kebano, Rodak, Ream, Onomah, Kamara
Goals:
De Cordova-Reid 10 (Lovely football by Fulham. They go direct into Mitrovic who holds up the ball, spins and plays a lovely ball in behind O'Shea for the right-wing back Decordova-Reid to chase onto. He gets in on Johnstone and fires into to the net.)
Cavaleiro 77 (MASSIVE GOAL! The two subs combine! Reed has space on the right and curls a fantastic ball across the face of goal. It beats the centre-backs and Cavaleiro is at the back post to head home.)
Referee:
Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
Attendance: 0