The race for promotion is back on, and Leeds United fans had an early chance to watch their competition on Saturday as West Bromwich Albion took on rivals Birmingham City.
The hosts were tipped as favourites for the clash, with Slaven Bilic admitting he has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal. That was evidenced by the fact Kenneth Zohore, Filip Krovinovic, Charlie Austin, and Grady Diangana were all on the substitutes bench.
West Brom dominated possession throughout proceedings, completing 471 of their 549 passes (source, Statszone). Where they struggled was converting that possession into clear and obvious chances. The man tasked with doing that was Matheus Pereira.
The Brazilian triggered the permanent option in his loan deal by playing over 45 minutes today, and it’s easy to see why Baggies fans are so enamoured with him.
“I saw a player that not only had Brazilian and Portuguese skill but also character, physicality, determination and personality,” Bilic said this week.“That is why we wanted him so much. That was his price then. Now it looks like a bargain. But why? Because he hit the ground great.”
His ability on the ball is impressive, and Bilic afforded him a free role to try and find gaps in the Birmingham defence. He created the joint-most chances of anyone during the game, but unfortunately, his teammates were unable to convert.
On 32 minutes, there was a nice freekick routine that found Matt Phillips down the side of the Birmingham wall, but he was unable to produce an accurate cross. Ultimately, that was the theme of the day for the Baggies. A lack of quality defined either the set-up or execution of their chances and forced them to settle for a point.
Kyle Edwards, a second half-sub typified that in the 71st minute. The 22-year-old snuck in at the back post and was found by a searching cross only for his effort to balloon high up into the air from a few yards out.
Their best avenue seemed to be balls in behind or into the channels, but both required Birmingham’s defensive line to move up, which was a rare occurrence until the second half.
If nothing else, the game served as a warning to Leeds. The Baggies may have dropped points, but the rust was clear to see, and the title race will likely be defined by who can shake that lethargy first. Jack Harrison remarked this week that Marcelo Bielsa has the team prepared and Sunday’s game will undoubtedly be proof of that claim.
For Bilic's men, a huge Friday night clash at a Brentford side fresh from a 2-0 win at Fulham lies next.
