Full Time: Newcastle United 0-1 West Brom
West Brom managed to stave off relegation for another game with a massive win over Newcastle United, in what was only the Magpies second home loss in 2018.
Newcastle were sluggish throughout and West Brom’s physical approach seemed to throw them off their game and really cause them problems. Phillips grabbed the vital goal for his team.
West Brom Player Ratings
Ben Foster – 7/10
The experienced goalkeeper made one incredible save to keep Dwight Gayle’s header out of the net and kept his team in the tie. A match-winner in his own right.
Allan Nyom – 7/10
The right-back played well and kept the dangerous Kenedy quiet for most of the game. Also provided width for the baggies.
Craig Dawson – 8/10
Dawson won everything in the air today, which was essential as Newcastle threw a lot of crosses into the box. He stayed strong and kept the strikers at bay.
Ahmed Hegazi – 7.5/10
Hegazi was also very strong at the back and was dominant in the air. He didn’t have too much to do but did well when called upon.
Kieran Gibbs – 7/10
The left-back looked strong on the left-wing. He provided an outlet for his team going forward and managed to deal with the threat of Ritchie well.
James McClean – 7/10
The ex-Sunderland player got a lot of stick from the home fans but this seemed to propel him on. He delivered some fantastic crosses to his strikers and was unfortunate not to get an assist.
Chris Brunt – 7/10
Won some good headers for his team in the middle of the park but didn’t have the best of games. He conceded possession quite a few times.
Jake Livermore – 8/10
Probably the stand-out player for West Brom. Worked very hard in his central midfield position and provided a good assist for his team.
Matt Phillips – 8/10
One of only a few players in the West Brom team that has real quality. Always looked a threat when running at Paul Dummett and caught him out of position to score a good goal.
Jay Rodriguez – 7/10
Worked very hard in that attacking midfield position but never really looked like scoring. Should have done better with a couple of his chances.
Salomon Rondon – 6/10
Rondon did not have a good game. He had some excellent chances in the box to make the game more comfortable for his team but his final touch was lacking today.
Substitutes
Grzegorz Krychowiak – 6/10
Came on in the 76th minute to replace Rodriguez and try to overload the midfield for West Brom. It worked well and he filled up the spaces which made it hard for Newcastle to get forward.
Jonny Evans – 6/10
Replaced McClean in the 89th minute to strengthen the West Brom defence before the end of the game.
Hal Robson-Kanu – N/A
Replaced Rondon in the 93rd minute.