West Brom made it five games in a row without a goal as they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to champions Leicester City at The Hawthorns. In truth, there was very little in the game between two sides who have little to play for, with the result being settled by a terrible pass back from Salomon Rondon that Jamie Vardy capitalised on. After such a fine spell of home form, West Brom's recent displays have been disappointing and it would be a shame for the season to end on a low.
Positives
Chris Brunt continues to stand out, whether it is on the right-hand side of midfield or left-back. He is West Brom's best player with the ball at his feet, but there is a lack of movement in front of him which means he can't have too much influence on the game. Jonathan Leko was also impressive in his cameo appearance from the substitute bench.
Negatives
After both having key roles in West Brom's best spells of form this season, James Morrison and Nacer Chadli have struggled in recent weeks. With those two not firing, and Salomon Rondon clearly in poor form and low on confidence, West Brom carry little goal threat.
Manager rating out of 10
5 -- It was disappointing to see Tony Pulis stick with the tried and trusted instead of giving opportunities to his younger players. West Brom know exactly what Claudio Yacob brings to the side, surely this was an ideal opportunity to give Sam Field a chance in the middle of the park, especially with the youngster being so impressive earlier in the season. The same could be said of Leko, particularly with Nacer Chadli's poor form.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Ben Foster, 6-- Despite losing 1-0, Foster was totally untroubled other than the goal, which he could do nothing about.
DF Craig Dawson, 6-- Coped well defensively but wasted a couple of good positions going forward, including a loose touch when he was left free at the back post.
DF Gareth McAuley, 7-- There was one loose moment in possession of the ball early on when being chased down by Jamie Vardy, but other than that he defended resolutely as always, winning a few crucial headers in the box.
DF Jonny Evans, 7-- Captain for the day, Evans led by example. He was his usual cool self defensively and had a couple of nice moments with the ball at his feet. Clearly frustrated by the lack of options in front of him on occasion.
DF Allan Nyom, 6-- Riyad Mahrez got little joy out of the full-back, who used his pace to negate the trickery of the winger. Didn't have many chances to get forward on the overlap.
MF Chris Brunt, 7-- Always efficient and clever with his use of the ball, either from the right wing or at left-back, where he played good passes behind the defence. Unlucky not to score with a back post header.
MF Jake Livermore, 6-- Not his most effective game. Plenty of energy and strength but seemed a little lost when he had the ball further up the pitch around the Leicester box.
MF Claudio Yacob, 6-- Shielded West Brom's centre-halves well, making good challenges and winning several headers against the forwards. Poor passing of the ball on occassion.
MF James Morrison, 6-- Seemed to be a tad off the pace, with the ball getting caught under his feet and a few loose touches and passes.
MF Nacer Chadli, 5-- Seems on the verge of finding his best form again only for his final bit of play, be it a cross, pass or shot, to let him down. A heavy tackle from Danny Drinkwater seemed to knock him off his stride.
FW Salomon Rondon, 6-- In terms of hold-up play, it was probably Rondon's best game for quite some time. His decision-making and end product let him down, and he gave the ball away for Leicester's winner.
Substitutes
MF James McClean, 7-- One of the few bright sparks for West Brom, full of energy and drive, coupled with a few excellent deliveries from out wide.
MF Darren Fletcher, 6-- Added his usual drive from the centre of midfield, with a couple of decent passes to spread the play.
MF Jonathan Leko, n/a-- An impressive cameo full of speed and tricky dribbling.