It was another defeat for Bournemouth and the south coast side have now picked up just two points since their victory over Swansea on Dec. 31. The Cherries remain a comfortable five points above the drop zone but they still need a few more wins before confirming their Premier League status for next season. However, it's difficult to see where the next three points are going to come from as performances of late have been very poor.
Positives
Ryan Fraser is continuing to grow in stature under Eddie Howe's guidance and despite being on the losing side again, the former Aberdeen midfielder put in another respectable 90 minutes. Josh King's name on the score sheet, albeit via a penalty, is another big positive in keeping his confidence high as clubs approach the tail end of this season. Howe will be relying on him to fire them to safety over the coming weeks.
Negatives
West Brom's narrow defending restricted Bournemouth's creativity in the final third, and despite still having nearly 68 percent possession, they managed just four shots on target. It was their third straight defeat and with a trip to Old Trafford to play Manchester United up next, it's likely the Cherries are going to drop even further towards the drop zone if their recent form is anything to go by.
Manager rating out of 10
5 -- Very questionable decisions to start Marc Pugh and Andrew Surman over Junior Stanislas and Dan Gosling but at least Howe did bring the latter on as sub. It was pleasing to finally see some more of Lys Mousset as well.
Player ratings: (1-10; 10=best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Artur Boruc, 3 -- Made an unforgivable mistake for West Brom's winning goal with a poor attempt at punching a corner clear. Boruc did make a decent save to deny James McClean from close range but it was too little too late.
DF Adam Smith, 4 -- Very mediocre performance from Smith and the game almost completely passed him by. His position in the team should be considered for the next game as Brad Smith might provide a better option.
DF Tyrone Mings, 5 -- Sturdy performance but it was nothing spectacular from Mings. Some useful headed clearances but he was part of another Bournemouth defence which leaked two easily preventable goals.
DF Steve Cook, 5 -- Made an outstanding block on Salomon Rondon in the 20th minute but Cook's performance was far from satisfying. He uncharacteristically lost possession on a couple of occasions as well.
DF Charlie Daniels, 5 -- Took an unfortunate deflection on West Brom's first goal but he did make amends with a vital back pass to stop another potential goal in the 82nd minute. Daniels continues to impress in attack but he also remains vulnerable when defending.
MF Marc Pugh, 4 -- Did very little to influence the game and it's baffling why the more energetic Junior Stanislas didn't start the match in the first place.
MF Harry Arter, 6 -- A brilliant block on a goal-bound 21st minute shot and an even better tackle in the 60th minute were the highlights of Arter's performance. He may be technically limited but his work rate and attitude continue to be tremendous.
MF Andrew Surman, 5 -- Couldn't find his footing to fire off a shot in the 25th minute and his performance carried on in a similarly stumbling fashion. Really needs to be dropped for Gosling next time out.
MF Jack Wilshere, 4 -- The English international had a quiet match, as he surprisingly struggled to get the better of Jake Livermore in central midfield. He was rightly substituted in the second half.
MF Ryan Fraser, 6 -- Another energetic performance down the flank. He fired some decent crosses into the penalty area, as well as earning his side the penalty.
FW Josh King, 6 -- The Norwegian was a persistent nuisance up front but unfortunately received very little service all afternoon. There's only so much he could do on his own but he did at least dispatch the penalty in reliable fashion.
Substitutes
FW Benik Afobe, 5 -- Tried to make some incisive runs to open space in West Brom's half but he was dealt with far too easily by their back four.
MF Dan Gosling, 5 -- Injected some energy to Bournemouth's performance but he arrived too late to make a real difference.
FW Lys Mousset, N/R -- Forced Ben Foster into a great save in the dying moments but he came on too late to really impact proceedings.
