Club News

Stat attack: Duo deadly for Baggies

Check out some interesting facts and figures from win over Eagles

AFTER a comfortable 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, the guys over at WhoScored.com have taken the time to look at the key statistics from the victory.

Another good performance and a positive result against the Eagles continued the Baggies' march up the Barclays Premier League table.

Having now lost only one of their last seven top-flight matches there are plenty of reasons for optimism after the season moved past the quarter-way mark.

The result was built on another solid defensive display and a fourth league clean sheet of the season, with Gareth McAuley once again starring.

A WhoScored.com rating of 8.2 won him a fully deserved man-of-the-match award, with his aerial ability once again proving a vital asset.

The Northern Ireland international kept Marouane Chamakh and Co. quiet for the duration of the encounter, winning eight aerial duels, which is up there with the most any defender has made in a Barclays Premier League game this season.

One of those stood out, when he stormed in to meet Chris Brunt's corner to power in the Baggies' second goal of the game with seven minutes remaining, leaving Palace captain Mile Jedinak on the floor, helpless and defeated.

It was a familiar combination, with Brunt picking up his second assist of the season, the first coming in his only other start of the current campaign at Fulham, when his delivery was turned into the net by McAuley for a last-gasp equaliser.

Since Albion's promotion to the top flight in 2010, only Chelsea's Juan Mata (10) has more assists from dead balls in the Premier League than Brunt (8), who is joint second with Robin van Persie and David Silva, despite making 11 fewer appearances than either.

Brunt has been a consistent performer for the club for a number of years now and his technique is second-to-none when it comes to corners and free-kicks, and, with someone like McAuley in the box, there could well be more to come for Brunt.

So, with the midfielder possessing WhoScored strengths in 'crossing' and 'taking set-pieces' and the defender strong at 'aerial duels', it is little wonder they strike up such a good combination.

That goal put to bed a game the Baggies already led in, after increasingly impressive youngster Saido Berahino netted his sixth goal in all competitions this season.

It again came from a quick break, combined with clever movement and anticipation as he finished off a lovely move, turning Stéphane Sessegnon's pass into the bottom corner of the goal with the finesse of a striker with years more experience than he actually has under his belt.

Eleven points from the last six matches bodes well for Steve Clarke's men, and it is surely only a matter of time before a top-half place is occupied.

*WhoScored.com is a unique website and one of the fastest growing in the sports industry, specialising in the in-depth analysis of detailed football data. Provided with unique stats, they compile and create comprehensive analysis on the major European divisions, including live match stats and player ratings. Follow @WhoScored and their editor-in-chief @alitweedale on Twitter.