West Bromwich Albion 2-2 Aston villa match report 25th November 2013

Ashley Westwood and Karim el Ahmadi inspired Aston villa to a remarkable comeback against a West Bromwich Albion side that looked to have the game wrapped up after 11 minutes.

Shane Long netted a brace with just 10 minutes of the game gone. His first goal came on three minutes when the Irishman brought down a long Chris Brunt pass with a Bergkamp-like deft touch  on the right side of the box before cutting past Villa defender Nathan Baker and  firing past ‘keeper Brad Guzan with a powerful left foot drive. Long’s second goal on 10 minutes was gifted to him by Villa's right back Leandro Bacuna who’s square pass was latched upon by the Baggies striker who elegantly chipped past  Guzan from a narrow angle on the right.

Stephane Sessignon should have added a third but missed a simple tap-in at the far post which proved costly in the second half.

After the break however, West Brom continued to dominate until the hour mark when a triple substitution by Villa boss Paul Lambert changed the game. On came Andy Weimann, Gabby Agbonlahor and Fabian Delph and Villa were a different team.  The Baggies’ lost their grip and on 67 minutes a right-wing cross by Bacuna was headed forward by Weimann and Karim El Ahmadi found himself behind the Baggies defence from where he coolly lifted the ball over keeper Boaz Myhill from the right hand side of the six yard box.

That goal lifted the Villa and on 76 minutes their pressure was too much for the team in dark blue and white. Defender Goran Popov's headed clearance fell into the path of Villa midfielder Ashley Westwood who controlled superbly before lashing the ball home from 25 yards to complete the unexpected comeback.

Villa manager Paul Lambert was the happier of the two bosses after the ‘game of two halves’ while Baggies manager Steve Clarke said he was disappointed with his team’s loss of concentration which led to the two Villa goals. ‘From 2- 0 up at home, we should win the game,’ he lamented.

Aston Villa 2-0 Cardiff city match report 9th Novmber 2013

Aston Villa finally ended their four game goal drought as Leandro Bacuna and Libor Kozak struck late to ensure a comfortable 2-0 victory over Cardiff City.

For 74 minutes the game looked odds-on to be a bore-draw as both teams toiled away but created few real chances. Then on 75 full-back Bacuna was moved into midfield and curled in a beautiful free kick from the right of the penalty area, leaving Cardiff ‘keeper David Marshall stranded.

Minutes later a cross from the left by Aleksandar Tonev found its way to the far post where it was headed back by substitute Matthew Lowton for Kozak to head the ball into the net.  

The double strikes were a great relief to manager Paul Lambert, his players and the Villa faithful who had suffered for over seven hours without seeing the ball hit the net at Villa Park.

The first half of the game started off as a typical Villa performance of recent weeks with a bright start which saw both Kozak and fellow striker Christian Benteke going close. But for the rest of the half Villa were wasteful with their chances. Karim El Ahmadi had two shots from outside the box but both were wide of the goal.

Villa’s squad was incredibly different to the one that faced West Ham last week as key players Gabriel Agbonlahor, Andreas Weimann and Antonio Luna were all missing through injury and in form midfielder Fabian Delph absent due to illness. The bench showed how stretched Lambert’s team was with youngsters Daniel Johnson, Calum Robinson joining Jordan Bowery in the first team line-up.

Bowery later replaced the goal scorer Kozak and had a good chance to make it 3-0 but the best he could muster was a shot that hit the side netting.

The depleted team didn’t stop the Villians from securing the victory and more importantly a first clean sheet in 17 matches.

Villa manager Paul Lambert described the free kick by man of the match Bacuna as "world class" and said he was proud of his team's performance. Bluebirds manager Malky Mackay refused to blame his defence saying ‘sometimes you just have to say it was a brilliant strike’.

Dutchman Bacuna, who scored another spectacular free-kick against Manchester City in September, said he had been taking set piece kicks, including penalties, all the time back in his native Holland where he originally started as a striker. However, he was quick to add that he had no intention of taking the spot-kick role from next-door neighbour Benteke.

“I am happy taking the free-kicks but will leave the penalties to Christian unless the gaffer says otherwise,” he joked.

West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Crystal Palace match report 2nd November 2013

Saido Berahino came off the bench to set an average West Bromwich Albion team on the road to victory and root Crystal Palace firmly to the bottom of the Premier league table.

The England under-21 international replaced the injured Billy Jones and on the stroke of half time controlled a great pull back from Stephane Sessegnon from the left edge of the penalty area before poking the ball home with a left foot volley. The goal was the home team’s first shot on target in a poor first half which saw Palace striker Adlene Guadiora go close with a left foot volley which was saved well by Baggies keeper Boaz Myhill.  Guadiora was later stretchered off after a mid air collision with Myhill left him with what looked like damage to his ribs.

 The second chance demonstrated why the Eagles are currently facing a long stretch in the relegation zone. Striker Marouane Chamakh received the ball after Baggies midfielder James Morrison was dispossessed in his own half. He strode forward and instead of pulling the trigger, the former Arsenal player attempted to run through two defenders and lost the ball.

The second half started exactly the same as the first with both teams struggling to create openings. Palace grew in confidence and captain Mile Jedinak nodded a corner narrowly wide.

The game was settled in the 83^rd minute when Baggies midfielder Chris Brunt whipped in a pinpoint corner from the left and defender Gareth McAuley rose above the Palace defence to power the ball  home with his head.

The away team finished the stronger but couldn’t convert any of their chances, a point which caretaker manager Keith Millen highlighted after the match. He said his team were unlucky to leave the Hawthorns empty handed but the defeat leaves Palace firmly fixed to the bottom of the table with just three points to their name. When questioned about a possible successor to the recently departed manager Ian Holloway, Millen said no-one was close to being appointed but the sooner a new manager was put in place, the better it would be for all at the club.

West Brom manager Steve Clarke praised the performance of Saido Berahino but pointed out he was still a young player with much to learn and he didn’t intend to push him too far too soon. When asked about contract negotiations, Clarke said the club was keen to get the England U 21 star tied down with a new contract as soon as possible.

Berahino has scored 10 goals for club and country and being touted as a possible late entry into the full England team for next year’s World Cup in Brazil. Clarke was quick to point out that in his opinion his prize asset was not yet ready to step up to Roy Hodgson’s side.

Liverpool 4-1 West Bromwich Albion match report 26th October 2013

A stunning hat-trick by Luis Suarez inspired Liverpool to a commanding victory which sent out a daunting message to their Premiership rivals and ended West Bromwich Albion’s five game unbeaten run.

The Uruguayan striker capped a superb performance and once again showed that on his day, he is one of the best finishers in the world. Daniel Sturridge scored late on with a sublime chip which on any occasion would be the main talking point of any game. But it was overshadowed by Suarez's first hat-trick at Anfield.

Ironically, the first goal on 11 minutes came shortly after Suarez showed the side which angers fans in the Premiership and frustrates some of the Liverpool faithful, when he appeared to go down far too easy under a challenge from West Brom's Gareth McCauley.

No sooner had the boos  from the Baggies' fans died down than the Reds No.7 picked up the ball 35 yards out on the right and dummied Claudio Yacob before nutmegging captain Jonas Olsson and firing a powerful right foot shot past goalkeeper Boaz Myhill.

 

On 17 minutes Suarez started off another move where he fed the ball wide left to Aly Cissokho and the wing back played a scooped ball into the box which Suarez met powerfully with his head  from the edge of the area and powered the ball into the top left-hand corner.

The Baggies just could not cope with wave after wave of Liverpool pressure and failed to test Reds' keeper Simon Mignolet until the dying minutes of the first half when a long ball over the top sent Nicholas Anelka away but the Frenchman could not get any power on the shot and Martin Skrtel cleared the ball away for a corner.

The second half went the same way as the first as Liverpool continued their dominance. On 55 minutes, captain Steven Gerrard floated in a precise free-kick from the left and Suarez rose high to flick the ball past Myhill to complete his hat trick.

West Brom looked dead and buried but on 67 they were awarded a penalty by a linesman after Billy Jones powered into the box and was blocked off by defender Martin Skrtel. Substitute James Morrison fired the ball past Simon Mignolet to hand the Baggies a lifeline.

However any hope of a comeback was crushed by England striker Daniel Sturridge with 13 minutes to go when he ran at the defence on the left before chipping an inch perfect ball into the top right corner of the goal leaving keeper Myhill clutching the air.

The comprehensive defeat was a reality check for the Baggies who’s storming turnaround from the team that started the season poorly, came to a sudden stop. They were simply outclassed in all areas of the pitch by the home team on a sunny autumn afternoon at Anfield. Boss Steve Clarke was quick to acknowledge the Liverpool dominance saying 'we were beaten by the better team'.

Reds boss Brendan Rodgers described Suarez's performance as 'magic' but also praised the hard work of Lucas Lieva, restored to his defensive midfield role. When asked about former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's criticism of his captain Steven Gerrard in his autobiography,  Rogers laughed and said: "he's a top, top, top player!"

Aston Villa 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur match report 20th October 2013

An Andros Townsend inspired Tottenham Hotspur overcame an Aston Villa team that have stalled after their roller coaster start to the season. The England man netted the first goal and was a constant thorn in Villa's side as his pace and skill was too much for his opponents. Striker Roberto Soldado grabbed the second goal to send Spurs to fifth in the Premiership table.

After a barren half an hour with few chances created, Townsend sparked the game into life when he picked up the ball on the right hand side and cut inside onto his favoured left foot and whipped in a cross that befuddled the Villa defence and nestled in the goal leaving keeper Brad Guzan flat footed in his six yard area.

Villa did finish the first half stronger than their opponents with Fabian Delph working hard in midfield however, the home team lacked a killer edge. In the second half Villa continued to try and break down the resolute Spurs defence without success but then the introduction of striker Christian Benteke on the hour looked to have changed things.  The best chance came from a right wing cross by Leandro Bacuna which the Belgian striker headed inches over the bar.

A minute later and with Villa on top, the ball was swept down to the other end of the pitch and after some good work on the left, the ball was poked through by Paulinho to Soldado who fired home coolly from 12 yards out. The second goal broke the Villa players' hearts and Spurs looked the more likely to snatch a third with Townsend once again going close with a curling left foot shot which cleared the bar. He then turned provider when he fired in a right wing cross from a narrow angle which skimmed off the head of team mate Paulinho from three yards out and flew narrowly wide.

After the match Spurs boss Andre Villas Boas praised the work of the England midfielder but said the rest of his team played very well also.

Villa slip down the table to 13th but despite this manager Paul Lambert suggested they were "unlucky" not to get anything from the match. When asked whether his star striker Benteke should have been on from the start he was quick to defend his decision to leave him on the bench saying the player had only trained four times in the last month but expects him back to full match fitness very soon.

 

Stoke City 0-0 West Bromwich Albion match report 19th October

It was a case of missed chances for Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion as the two physical teams forced a battling 0-0 draw at the Britannia Stadium.

However, the result could have been so much different if World Cup referee Howard Webb and his assistants had spotted a penalty claim in the second half when Stoke’s Charlie Adam clearly impeded Baggie’s midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu – removing the player’s boot in the process.

West Brom boss Steve Clarke said the foul by Adams was a ‘stonewall penalty’ saying: ‘how the referee missed it is beyond belief’. Potters boss Mark Hughes also said’ it looked like a penalty’.

Away from the controversy West Brom had enough chances to grab the three points and were guilty   of not making the most of their opportunities. In the first half man-of-the-match Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic stood strong against Baggies midfielders Morgan Amalfitano and Stephane Sessegnon and in the dying minutes of the game former Sunderland man Sessegnon should have won the game for his new team. He picked the ball up on the left edge of the box and had at least two chances to fire home but instead tried to walk the ball into the net instead of pulling the trigger earlier.

 Stoke, who have only scored four goals all season, came closest when Steven Ireland fired over the bar from the penalty spot when it looked easier to score and Charlie Adam tried a speculative David Beckhamesque effort from the half way line which was easily tipped over by West Brom keeper Boaz Myhill..

It was a physical match and both teams seemed to cancel each other out as they both elected to play five players in midfield. On reflection Stoke will be more happy with a point which ends their run of three defeats while the Baggies stretch their current record to five Premier League matches without defeat.

West Brom 1-1 Arsenal match report October 6th 2013

Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League table after snatching a point against a West Brom side which continues to improve every week.

A goal by England midfielder Jack Wilshire cancelled out Claudio Yacob’s first ever goal for the Baggies but the result could have been completely different had former Gunners’ striker Nicholas Anelka scored one of his two clear cut second half chances.

Both teams played their part in an exciting contest and in the 42nd minute diminutive midfielder Yacob met a pinpoint cross from the right by Morgan Amalfitano to powerfully head the ball past keeper Wojciech Szczesny’s near post to open the scoring and raise the roof off the Hawthorns.

The home team held out a wave of Arsenal attacks until half time and should have gone further ahead early in the second half when a cross by Stephane Sessegnon hit Anelka on the heel when it looked easier to score. Minutes later the Baggies striker went clear on the left hand side and his right foot curling shot flashed agonisingly across the arsenal goal.

As happens so often in football, a team that misses chances gets punished and In the 62nd minute, Wilshire who had a troubled first half, charged forward and exchanged some intricate passes on the right edge of the box with Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud before firing a left foot drive which took a deflection off Baggies captain Jonas Olsson and flew past Albion keeper Boaz Myhill. 

In a grandstand finish both teams really pushed for the winner but the best chance fell to Arsenal striker Giroud who rounded the Albion keeper and was about to tap the ball into the net but was thwarted by the sheer determination of Myhill who scrambled back across goal and blocked his effort. 

Both managers were happy with a draw and after the match Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was asked if he had had words with Wilshire following midweek newspaper photos of the England player smoking outside a London nightclub. The Frenchman replied that he had spoken to him but when pressed on whether his player had quit smoking he laughed and said "I don't know.". 

Meanwhile Albion boss Steve Clarke was delighted with his side after another superb performance a week on from the excellent 2-1 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford.