West Brom 0-1 Middlesbrough – West Brom Player Ratings
In what was Tony Pulis’ first time facing West Brom since he was sacked last season, the Welshman got the better of the Baggies at the Riverside to take his Middlesbrough side to the top of the Championship table.
Daniel Ayala’s injury time winner capped off a disciplined display from Boro, who have now won four league games on the spin.
West Brom, who would also have completed a quartet of successive victories with a win, will be looking to get back on track against Stoke early next month.
Here are our ratings for Albion’s latest game.
Sam Johnstone – 6
Did well to combat much of what Middlesbrough threw his way throughout, however he was flat footed for the eventual winning goal.
Tosin Adarabioyo – 5
Managed himself well and held his position, but struggled to match the Middlesbrough pace up front, often chasing the shadows of Martin Braithwaite and Britt Assombalonga.
Ahmed Hegazi – 4
A shaky performance from the Egyptian, Hegazi wasn’t dependable for Albion, struggling to deal with both aerial and on the ground threats from Boro.
Kyle Bartley – 5
Certainly took the physicality to Boro, and was fortunate not to be penalised for it in the first half.
Kieran Gibbs – 5
Looked quite dangerous going down the left, but was too often pegged back in his own half.
Matty Phillips – 6
Didn’t look as dangerous as he has done in previous weeks, mainly due to his defensive duties overwhelming his offensive opportunities, the Scotsman showed his engine that makes him such an asset to Albion’s set-up.
Jake Livermore – 5
Made some smart passes and movements from midfield, but was often overloaded by Boro’s better midfield unit.
Chris Brunt – 5
Other than once showing his great defensive determination, Brunt was largely a passenger, in part due to his frequent failure to find his man in the pass.
Harvey Barnes – 6
Was surprisingly withdrawn after causing Boro many problems in the opening stages, and was probably one of Albion’s brightest lights.
Jay Rodriguez – 6
Put in the sort of display you expect from him at this point, but was frequently out of position or out wide, and his few opportunities didn’t end up being enough to break the deadlock throughout.
Dwight Gayle – 5
Didn’t make the most of his chances when he was presented with them, and was often left picking up scraps, due to the aerial dominance of the Boro centre backs shutting him out.