Here is Stuart James’s match report for you and that means that my work here is done. Thanks very much for reading as ever, and for your emails. Cheerio!
Well, well, well. West Brom are up to ninth in the table after an emphatic and very much deserved victory. Burnley gave it a crack for the first 10 minutes of the second half but when Rondon, the standout performer, got the goal he deserved, it knocked the stuffing out of the visitors who have still managed to win just one point away from home.
But two wins in a row for West Brom, and we can’t say that very often. And plenty of positives for the Baggies. They defended very well, Evans in particular and Burnley could not live with Rondon, nor Phillips’ pace. If Phillips stays fit, and with Chadli to come back for West Brom, they can certainly consolidate their place in the top half.
For Burnley, they’d have loved to take something back with them but it will be their home form that determines whether they stay up and they will have to regroup quickly with Manchester City the visitors on Saturday.
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FULL-TIME! West Brom 4-0 Burnley
90+3 mins: McClean has some space to run down the right and lays it off to Brunt, who has really grown into the game. He spreads it to the tireless Nyom, but he can’t do much with it. One last chance for Burnley as Marney is fouled near halfway … but the free-kick comes to nothing and that is that.
90+2 mins: Oooh. It’s a good one but both Evans and Dawson get their heads to the ball but not enough contact and so it’s a Burnley goal-kick.
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90+1 mins: Space opens up for McClean, who cuts in from the left and shoots with his right. Keane gets in the way so it’s another corner.
90 mins: West Brom are going through the motions a bit but Gardner picks it up 30 yards out with time to turn, and he fires a low shot, with the help of a deflection off Keane, and Heaton gets down to turn it around his right post.
89 mins: Boyd is getting frustrated. Arfield delayed his pass to long and West Brom caught him offside. They have certainly defended well. Foster thumps it out of play on the full … before Heaton has to readjust to clear after good West Brom pressure.
88 mins: Burnley could do with the final whistle now, what with having to play Manchester City at the weekend … Heaton wellies clear and Burnley will now have a throw on the left. Mee hacks straight into the air.
86 mins: West Brom are content to knock it about now but McAuley finds Nyom with an excellent cross field ball. McClean takes a throw and Burnley are still under pressure.
85 mins: Foster is going to take a free-kick, just outside his area, but he’s in no rush to do so. Brunt crops up on the right, whips in a cross and it’ll be a West Brom throw on the left.
84 mins: Brunt to take a corner from the right. Inswinging, again it’s dangerous but all the way through to Nyom, who finds McClean. His cross is all the way out on the Burnley left so the Clarets clear from the back. Gray wins a free-kick from Evans in the centre circle.
83 mins: West Brom are cruising here really. Burnley threaten through Gray but West Brom win it back and counter. Morrison, to Brunt on the left, who fires over another a dangerous cross, which almost finds Robson -Kanu.
81 mins: Nyom with the throw on the left, it’s to Robson-Kanu who wins a foul after a push in the back from Lowton. Gardner is coming on for West Brom but Brunt will take the free-kick first. It’s an excellent one but Ward and Mee clear.
80 mins: Foster goes long, Morrison picks up the loose ball but loses it to Hendrick and fouls the Burnley midfielder.
79 mins: George Boyd is also on for Burnley, replacing Gudmundsson.
78 mins: Dawson on the right now, on to Morrison on the right, Burnley scramble clear but West Brom come again. Evans has it. Now McClean, who crosses right-footed. Mee clears, as far as Brunt, who traps it on his chest and after one bounce has a lash, off target.
Rondon is going off now, to an again understandably even bigger round of applause. Hal Robson-Kanu is on.
77 mins: West Brom count though, McClean charges through and gets his cross over, low, but it comes to nothing. That was a bit of a waste.
76 mins: Lowton charges in field after the throw and wins a free-kick in a dangerous area. Perfect for a leftie and Gudmundsson will take it … well struck but just a bit too close to Foster, as in straight at him. Foster actually almost lets it slip by, but gets enough to push it on to the top of the bar.
74 mins: Lowton, across to Marney and inside to Arfield. Burnley will have a throw on the right, but before that McClean comes on for Phillips, who understandably gets a big round of applause.
73 mins: Gray gets a touch, out on the left, now Hendrick, and again. On to Lowton, and in to Gudmundsson, who, on his left, unleashes one of those shots that really accelerates late … it catches Foster out a bit but he gets enough behind it.
72 mins: Brunt whips in a dangerous cross, Gudmundsson clears. West Brom have it at the back. Evans, in no rush, finds Yacob and now Nyom and back to Foster. Brunt’s flick-on from the long ball goes to no one.
71 mins: Brunt out to Fletcher on the right, towards Rondon, but he’s penalised. Free-kick to Burnley. Heaton clears and now Mee has it at left-back.
70 mins: Change for Burnley, Andre Gray is coming on, Vokes, who has had a night to forget, is coming off.
68 mins: Oh wow, after hacking clear, Rondon races up the pitch, puts pressure on the covering Burnley defender and is eventually brought down by Arfield. He’s not small Rondon but he can shift alright.
67 mins: Barnes pulls it down on the edge of the area but snatches at his shot a bit and it’s well off target. Gudmundsson does well down the right though and gets a low cross in. Evans does well but it’s a corner for Burnley – the ball is looped into the West Brom area but Rondon eventually hacks clear.
65 mins: Burnley had been improved up until then but they are playing into West Brom’s hands really with Phillips such a threat in space. Rondon deserves his goal as well. Burnley just don’t have those kind of individual threats that West Brom do.
GOAL! West Brom 4-0 Burnley (Rondon)
64 mins: Nyom down the left now. To Phillips, in to Morrison, and back to Nyom in the box. He pulls it back, just behind Rondon, but the centre-forward swivels around the ball, lashes his right boot at it and the ball beats Heaton, via Ward and Mee.
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63 mins: Rondon wins the long free-kick so West Brom will have another. It seems to be a tactic to look for Dawson but it hasn’t really worked so far … Brunt takes it, it is for Dawson again, who has a pretty clear header from near the penalty spot but it’s a few feet wide.
62 mins: Keane is fouled by half way so it’ll give Burnley the chance to go long. Heaton trots up to take it. McClean is coming on for West Brom soon by the looks of things. Barnes fouls Dawson after the free-kick is allowed to bounce.
59 mins: Pulis is raging which would suggest West Brom have come off the boil just a tad. Evans goes long but to no one in particular so Heaton hoofs forward, the ball, hilariously, hits the referee and now Lowton has it, in the box … it’s well defended by Evans but the ball breaks to Gudmundsson, whose cross/shot isn’t very good.
58 mins: Evans takes it, but puts too much on it looking for Dawson on the right. Mee carries forward for Burnley, and has it back again. Ward, into Marney … and Vokes comes deep. It’s hard work for Burnley to make any kind of progress up the pitch with West Brom happy to sit. Lowton though has space on the right and this time the cross is a good one, but West Brom clear.
57 mins: Nyom pushes it forward to Phillips, who dummies to no one. And Burnley have a goal-kick – Morrison is fouled in the centre circle by Lowton, who is not having the best of games.
56 mins: Rondon wins another header and Lowton, under pressure from Phillips, concedes the throw on the West Brom left. Lowton can clear up towards Vokes though, who win the header, but straight out for another West Brom throw.
55 mins: Yacob’s influence is growing but Vokes wins a header towards Barnes, who has to stretch and can’t control the ball, Better from Burnley but not much in the way of chances yet.
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53 mins: Corner to Burnley. Barnes has made a bit of a difference, posing a different threat as striker No2. Phillips heads away a pretty tame corner though.
52 mins: Rondon chases the ball again on the left but a cheeky backheel from Keane finds Lowton, who hits another poor cross straight out of play.
Tom Levesley has also emailed and thinks I may have been harsh in saying Phillips’ cross for Fletcher’s goal was a defleco … perhaps. I’ve not seen a replay, it was certainly one of those that looped, but may not have hit a defender on the way to Fletcher.
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51 mins: Rondon picks up the long ball over the top on the left, cuts in and tries to bend one into the bottom right corner, but there’s no bend on it … goal-kick.
An email from JR in Illinois …
Hey Gerard,
Not so sure that was the Baggies’ best half of the season. Two months ago they scored three in the first half and led West Ham 3-0 at halftime. Of course that one finished 4-2 so no matter Pulis’ reputation this one is not in the barn yet.
49 mins: Vokes wins the flick from Heaton’s long kick but West Brom clear their lines. Barnes does well to hold it up on the right though and Gudmundsson’s cross bounces awkwardly for West Brom, who eventually clear again.
48 mins: Gudmundsson is offside so Foster will go long, no doubt looking for Rondon. Keane beats him to it though but Rondon wins it back, finds Phillips on the left but his cross is a poor one and goes behind.
47 mins: Foster has the ball in his hands. And he’s in no hurry at all. Rondon can’t trap the kick on the bounce and while Barnes almost gets his first touch, Foster races out and wallops clear.
Peeeeeeeep!
46 mins: Away we go again. West Brom have a throw over on the right, Dawson crosses, then Brunt and it’s a free header for Phillips, off the left wing, but he was well in front of the near post and it goes harmlessly over.
So … Burnley are out, ears still ringing. Dyche has hooked Defour which is in no way surprising. Barnes is on, which would appear to be a fairly attacking change. Looks like Burnley will be switching to 4-4-2.
Well, beat that Red Monday. Except you can’t. Because you had no goals and made thousands of viewers stare at the wall to the side of the TV. Here though, we’ve had three goals and surely West Brom’s best half of the season, and probably a couple of seasons.
Phillips’ opener was not exactly against the run of play but Burnley were very much in it at that stage, even if he, and Rondon, had already looked dangerous. West Brom were seemingly happy to hold what they had at that stage, sitting far too deep and while Burnley aren’t a side that enjoys a great deal of possession, they were tidy enough with it.
West Brom countered though. Rondon held the ball up, laid it off for Morrison who ran through and scored and a mistake from Defour enabled Fletcher to score another on the counter, after more fine work from Phillips, who is playing well, just not quite as well as Rondon.
The contrast between him and Vokes sums it all up really. There is some half-time listening below … enjoy!
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45 mins: He makes up for it though by winning the header. West Brom throw-in. And Brunt then goes back to Foster. Burnley get it back, Arfield tries to run through West Brom with plenty of energy but not much in the way of craft and he loses the ball. Burnley have a throw which will pretty much be the last action of the half …
They work it to the right, and Lowton crosses, again too heavy so Foster, running backwards, claims it easily enough. Foster is taking as much time as he possibly can and when McAuley goes long, not for the first time in the half, it is the end of the opening 45 minutes.
44 mins: Keane chips one forward, Vokes is the target, but Yacob beats him to it and we’re all the way back with Heaton. Yacob is fouled by Ward, on one of those chases from left-back where he’s determined to get man or ball, and he doesn’t mind that much which.
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42 mins: Heaton goes long from the back. Looking for Vokes but Evans wins the header – Vokes is having nowhere near the same impact as Rondon. Burnley look to build through Defour but he can’t find Arfield and West Brom have it again.
41 mins: Oooooh. Heaton had to be aware there as Lowton dallied. Rondon causing both again.
40 mins: Foster goes with the kick, it’s a bit too long but Fletcher races round and back heels on to a Burnley leg for a West Brom throw in the right corner. Burnley have pinched it though and McAuley, who lost it originally, slides in to deny Defour a one-on-one with Foster.
39 mins: Burnley could really do with half-time … but have the ball again. With Defour, then Hendrick but his cross is cleared by Evans. And Rondon, racing back, is fouled by Mee deep inside his own half, earning a loud cheer for his troubles.
GOAL! West Brom 3-0 Burnley (Fletcher)
37 mins: Three for West Brom! Defour was at fault there. After failing to put his foot it, the ball is worked out to Phillips in acres down the left. He cuts in then goes on the outside again and a deflected cross pops up and goes straight to the feet of Fletcher, who can’t miss.
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36 mins: Brunt stands it up to the back post but Dawson has two defenders around him and the ball is a touch too high. Goal-kick. Taken short to Mee, who has it again. And again. Morrison is hounding him though, but Burnley work to the right well until Defour loses a challenge he really didn’t fancy.
35 mins: West Brom hit Rondon once more, again his touch is good and he flips it past Marney, who commits the foul. This one will not be taken short.
34 mins: We’re back underway and Heaton leathers it through to Foster. West Brom build from the back until Evans looks for Dawson on the right and can’t find him.
While we wait for Ward to receive treatment, have a read of goings-on in the US.
32 mins: Rondon again! This time he looks to bend one … ooooh and it was going right into the top bag, only for Heaton to dive full length and push it out for a corner. Which is taken short … and we’ll have a break in play due to a Burnley injury.
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30 mins: Another West Brom throw, high up on the right. Brunt has it, cuts back on his left and it’ll be another throw. He cuts back on his left again, whips one in but Mee clears.
It’s headed back towards the box though, Rondon is first to it again but his lashed left-footed volley is screwed high and wide. Rondon is a real handful for Burnley at the moment though.
29 mins: Rondon has it at his feet, whips one in to Morrison. It’s cleared only as far as Nyom, who returns it into the box but Keane tidies up well. Burnley have a throw – Pulis totally loses his rag … it’s now a West Brom throw.
27 mins: Brunt with a crisp pass into Morrison, who finds Fletcher on the right. He looks up and tries to hit Rondon but doesn’t hang it up high enough. West Brom have it again though, on the left now. And all the way back to Foster.
26 mins: West Brom are popping it about at the back, and it comes all the way back to Foster. So McAuley fires it up to Rondon. He wins the header but did so coming back from an offside position.
25 mins: West Brom counter though, and they’d like a penalty. Phillips really wants a penalty but his cross hit Lowton, whose arms were behind his back. Good call from the referee to laugh it off.
24 mins: Mee carries it forward for Burnley now and Ward finds Vokes, dropping, off. His is a free header but back it comes to Defour, who is now even deeper in the centre circle. And speaking of circles, Mee has it again.
Nyom is a bit too keen to get to the ball on the right though, so Burnley will have another free-kick in a similar place to the one from which Hendrick missed.
22 mins: Rondon holds it up, again. Everything good for West Brom is going through him, no messing. Morrison has it in the centre circle now though. And now Fletcher. Eventually Dawson fires in a cross from the right but a deflection makes it easier for Heaton to gather.
21 mins: Heaton dallies at the back! And passes it straight to Morrison. He’s bearing down on foal again but Hendrick races back and puts Morrison off enough to ensure his left-footed shot is miscued. Burnley are indeed rattled.
20 mins: Burnley are looking a bit downcast. Vokes concedes a silly free-kick so West Brom will launch it through Foster. They win the flick-on but it dribbles through to Heaton.
19 mins: Hendrick’s miss is looking increasingly bad. West Brom are no longer defending in banks of 10, now that they have the two goal cushion and all. McAuley hits Rondon again, Phillips picks it up and has a lash from distance. No dice.
GOAL! West Brom 2-0 Burnley (Morrison)
16 mins: West Brom counter and Morrison picks it up in the Burnley half, after some excellent hold-up play from Rondon. He lays it off to Morrison, who bears down on Mee. Mee lets him come to far and Morrison guides a low right-footer into the bottom right corner. Harsh on Burnley who responded very well to going a goal behind.
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15 mins: West Brom are still defending in banks of 10. Ward has it now on the left for Burnley, it’s a decent ball in and while West Brom get it away, Burnley will build again. The Hawthorns is definitely not rocking any more.
13 mins: Up come the big lads from the back … Defour takes it, it would appear to be a poor cross, but it’s a cheeky one and finds Mee, dropping off. He hooks on to Vokes, who wins the knockdown but Hendrick’s attempted finish is poor. He only had Foster to beat so we can file that under ‘Chances’.
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12 mins: Burnley have it again at the back. Having this much possession is no doubt foreign to them but they’re doing OK. Mee finds Defour, who looks neat and tidy, but Nyom wins the ball back and Phillips clears until Morrison fouls Marney.
11 mins: Still with Burnley, until Phillips intervenes by heading it out of play. West Brom are defending as if there are two minutes to go …
10 mins: Defour drops off to find a wall of West Brom players in front of him. Slow build-up from Burnley, West Brom are happy to let them have it 40 yeards out. Defour slips one through to Hendrick, gets it back but his shot is blocked.
9 mins: Fletcher carries the ball forward with a bit of intent. Phillips links with Rondon again before Dawson hits a deep cross. Too deep and Heaton gathers cleanly. Burnley are under pressure at the back but Keane fires forward towards Vokes. McAuley does well to mop up.
8 mins: Scrappy at the back from West Brom and Gudmundsson collects it and feeds Lowton on the right. His cross is overhit though and Arfield can do little with it.
7 mins: Burnley are doing their best to take the sting out of the match now. Mee and Keane exchange passes until a long ball finds no one. West Brom, you get the feeling, will sit on this lead for as long as they need to.
6 min: West Brom are on top. The Hawtorns is rocking. Kind of. Brunt lets fly from the edge of the box. Except he doesn’t quite and Heaton can gather. West Brom certainly in the ascendancy though.
GOAL! West Brom 1-0 Burnley (Phillips)
4 mins: Goal! Wowsers! A long ball towards Rondon, no for the first time, finds Morrison on the right, who fires in a low cross. Marney is facing the wrong way, slides in and prods the ball to Phillips on the six-yard box, he pivots and fires into the roof of the net.
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3 mins: Good pressure from West Brom + loose pass from Defour = a spot of both for Burnley but it’s tidied up easily enough. Arfield up to Vokes, to Hendrick and back to Marney in the middle.
2 mins: West Brom in possession now. It’s long to Phillips, who gives and gets back with Rondon. Back they come into midfield though with Fletcher, out to the right and Dawson. Still with West Brom until a dreadful long ball goes through to Heaton.
Peeeeeeeeeeeep!
1 min: Burnley get us underway, Vokes taking the solo kick-off that is now very much en vogue, it’s lumped forward, West Brom follow suit before Lowton clears. An ominous start. Ben Mee lifts it forward, it sticks, and Gudmundsson has it on the right, his cross is low, and poor.
Here we go then. The players are out on the pitch, a pleasing amount of shirt sleeves on show considering the grim weather. Here’s hoping that both sides’ positive starts to the season, in the sense that relegation does not really hand over them, means they’ll come out and play.
I’m almost certainly very late to this, but the below tickled me when I saw it for the first time this afternoon, so for the few of you who have not seen it, enjoy.
#ThatMomentWhen you think the steward is your unmarked left-back 🙈 [via @SkySportsEFL]https://t.co/oBUDIwvC41
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) November 21, 2016
The computer men are walking around the fake pitch on the TV … unnerving to say the least.
Meanwhile, I’ve been emailed some thoughts about Matt Phillips. Some strong thoughts.
Given that Tony Pulis had Serge Gnabry last season and didn’t rate him I would say his judgement of wingers is rather suspect with emphasis on physical presence placed over technical skills. This is the same man that imposed Rory Delap on the world for nothing other than his ability to toss a long ball into the box. Those are my thoughts. Pulis is the anti-football messiah and the sooner the game is completely rid of him the better. Not the kind of thoughts you were hoping for?
So says Richard Krivonozka.
Just over 15 minutes until kick-off, so have a read of Tony Pulis being Tony Pulis.
Burnley, lest we forget, won last time out too – Ashley Barnes netting an injury-time winner against Crystal Palace. Sam Vokes got the opener that day, and keeps Barnes and Andre Gray out of the side again. Ben Mee and Michael Keane are earning rave reviews at the back too so how they perform this evening will be of interest.
Jamie Carragher is discussing Juan Mata on MNF now, ‘for me, a goal is always better than an assist’. The two are not mutually exclusive so …
Among the West Brom players who is in action though is Matt Phillips, so impressive against Leicester. Phillips is an interesting one … he was clearly too good for Wycombe all those years ago and certainly had his moments at Blackpool. QPR, not so much but he’s not alone there, particularly as a winger, but if he can have a bit of a run in the side he can be very dangerous. Thoughts etc?
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There’s an obvious omission from the West Brom lineup, namely Saido Berahino. Here’s why.
Nacer Chadli is also missing, which would appear to be more of a problem for the Baggies. They did bit Leicester last time out though and it’s fair to say that Manchester City aside, they have not been outclassed at the Hawthorns this season despite managing just one win.
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And the Burnley lineup …
Here's how the Clarets line-up @wba tonight... pic.twitter.com/zXep0AU5uL
— Burnley FC (@BurnleyOfficial) November 21, 2016
Chris Coleman has just opened up on MNF with ‘this is the hardest league in the world’. There is a danger that tonight could be a long night … but let’s stay positive. West Brom team news for you, including Rondon up front which is pleasing news for your MBM-er who’s a big fan.
Albion team v @BurnleyOfficial: Foster; Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Nyom; Yacob, Fletcher; Brunt, Morrison, Phillips; Rondon #WBABUR pic.twitter.com/bT4KZzWolJ
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) November 21, 2016
Also … this!
Congratulations, @RobsonKanu.
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) November 21, 2016
You know what to do, Baggies fans! #WBA https://t.co/AhozZfatKw
Hello world! What a treat we have in store this fine evening. It has been belting down at the Hawthorns – the highest ground in the country no less – all day as Storm Angus tears its way around the UK, meaning there will be an added level of intrigue to football match already taking pelters because the sides’ managers do not excite the football hipsters and may be a wee bit on the defensive side.
So much so that a dinging of hums is inevitable. You see if Red Monday was hyped as the Second Coming of Christ then surely the apathy towards West Brom v Burnley, two sides expected to be relegation fodder but who find themselves in mid-table, who live within their means and plug away in the background, guarantees a stormer of barns.
It’s 11th v 10th with the winner moving to within touching distance of Manchester United – Burnley’s opponents last time they were on their travels in a doughty 0-0 draw. They’ve not won at West Brom since the 60s but the Baggies have won just once at home in five attempts this season.
Yep, it’s PWOPAH football tonight. The pitch at the Hawthorns appears to be in good nick, I’ll have teams for you just as soon as their out … so stay tuned and in the meantime, get yourselves in the mood with this …
Kick-off: 8pm GMT.
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Gerard will be here shortly. In the meantime you can enjoy Gregg Bakowski’s fascinating insight into what goes through footballer’s minds when they play at the highest level …
