EFL: Southampton recover after midweek defeat
West Brom 0 - 2 Southampton
Southampton made an impressive recovery after their long unbeaten streak came to an end during the week, as they comfortably defeated West Bromwich Albion to reclaim the second spot in the Championship.
Just three nights after suffering a 3-1 defeat at Bristol City, their first loss in 25 games, Russell Martin's strong and efficient team secured a victory against fifth-placed Albion with well-executed goals from Ryan Fraser and David Brooks in each half.
Although Albion were thrown off by the early departure of head coach Carlos Corberan, who was unexpectedly shown a red card for attempting to retrieve the ball from his technical area before it had gone out of play, the hosts failed to put up much resistance against Southampton. It was only their fourth home league defeat in 31 games since Corberan took charge 16 months ago.
The incident that led to Corberan's dismissal seemed to unsettle West Brom, but Southampton's Adam Armstrong had already been thwarted by goalkeeper Alex Palmer before Fraser's 14th-minute strike gave Saints the lead.
Strangest red card of the season? Corberan sent off in front of new owners! https://t.co/4LERNTaocl
— West Bromwich FC (@WBAFC_stream) February 16, 2024
Stuart Armstrong delivered a precise cross to the far post where Ryan Fraser, unmarked, calmly volleyed the ball into the net with his right foot, eluding Palmer's attempt to save.
Although West Brom had a better spell before halftime, with John Swift coming close with a powerful shot and a penalty shout, they failed to find the equaliser. Despite some attempts in the second half, including a shot cleared off the line by Jack Stephens, Albion couldn't break through Southampton's defence.
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With 17 minutes remaining, Southampton sealed their victory with a second goal. Substitute Joe Aribo passed to Stuart Armstrong, who then set up Sam Edozie on the left wing. Edozie found David Brooks, another substitute, who calmly slotted the ball past Palmer with his left foot.
Although West Brom did offer something going forwar, they very rarely looked like getting back into the game. They had a late shot saved by Southampton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu.
Best reaction
Darren, a Southampton fan, said: "Many of the fans disappointed with our performance in the week, so today it was great to see the players we focused on putting things right. Although some parts of the game were not spectacular, we managed to secure the three points, which is a good performance in the end."
The video below contains some of the atmosphere from an interesting Friday night match. WEST BROM FAN TV - YouTube
Rob, a West Brom fan, added: " Unfortunately, I don't think we will make the play-offs now. If we are going to challenge next season, we really need a 20 goal a season striker. That would make a huge difference for us."
