SM
Inter Milan vs. Como: 6 hrs 45 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews
WB
Premier League
May 11, 2014 at 3pm UK
 
SL

1-2

Sessegnon (56')
FT(HT: 0-1)
McAuley (22' og.), Adam (87')

Match Analysis: West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Stoke City

:Headline: Match Analysis: West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Stoke City: ID:154630: from db_amp
Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at Stoke City's 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion on the final day of the Premier League season.

Stoke City finished ninth in the Premier League after a 2-1 win on the final day of the season away to West Bromwich Albion this afternoon.

Gareth McAuley's first-half own goal gave the Potters the lead, before Stephane Sessegnon equalised after the break with a close-range finish.

With three minutes of normal time remaining Charlie Adam scored a long-range effort to give Mark Hughes's side the victory at The Hawthorns.

Below, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the key talking points from the match.

Match statistics

West Brom
Shots: 17
On target: 4
Possession: 43
Corners: 11
Fouls: 4

Stoke City
Shots: 15
On target: 4
Possession: 57
Corners: 6
Fouls: 7

Was the result fair?
On reflection, you would have to say yes. Stoke had the better of the first half, and while the Baggies rallied with one or two chances in the second half, Mark Hughes's side deserved the victory.

West Brom's performance
The Baggies struggled to carve out many real openings in the first period, but should have scored very early on. The introduction of Victor Anichebe coupled with Stephane Sessegnon and Saido Berahino's improvements gave the home side a better look in the second half. However, a draw would have flattered them somewhat.

Stoke's performance
Marko Arnautovic was in and out with one or two moments of class, while Jonathan Walters was typically enthusiastic, but overall, the Potters did enough to see them leapfrog Newcastle into ninth. Mark Hughes should be highly commended for overseeing a culture change and managing a top-half finish from his charges.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Marko Arnautovic: It was difficult to pick one outstanding performer out, but Arnautovic was chief tormentor for the Potters for most of the afternoon. One or two things he tried failed, but he was always offering himself to his teammates, and picked out some lovely passes, both long and short.

Biggest gaffe
Ben Foster had a couple of howlers in the second half with his distribution, the worst of those was when he tried to start a quick attack but contrived to concede a corner by throwing the ball out. He saw the funny side even if Pepe Mel didn't!

Referee performance
Lee Probert treated the game like a pre-season friendly. He declined to book a number of players for some tasty looking challenges, and Gareth McAuley remarkably escaped censure for a crude-looking tackle on Peter Odemwingie in the first half.

What next?

West Brom: A new manager? Speculation over Pepe Mel continues to swirl around the Spaniard, and he could be relieved of his duties in the close season. Other than that, a holiday beckons for all concerned before they return for pre-season training.

Stoke: Mark Hughes will depart for his summer holidays content with his season's work. A ninth-placed finish is a great achievement in his first season. The players deserve credit too for their adaptation to life after Tony Pulis. A successful season all in all for the Potters.

amp_article__154630 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2014-05-11 23:23:37:
html db last update - 2014-05-11 23:23:37 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html
Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd22155232112148
2Leeds UnitedLeeds22136341152645
3Burnley2212822891944
4Sunderland22127334181643
5Blackburn RoversBlackburn2111462518737
6Middlesbrough22105738281035
7West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom22811326161035
8Watford2110473028234
9Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds229582830-232
10Millwall217772118328
11Swansea CitySwansea227692424027
12Bristol City226972628-227
13Norwich CityNorwich226883734326
14Queens Park RangersQPR2251072328-525
15Luton TownLuton2274112538-1325
16Derby CountyDerby2266102728-124
17Coventry CityCoventry2266102834-624
18Preston North EndPreston2241172229-723
19Stoke CityStoke2257102330-722
20Portsmouth204882535-1020
21Hull City2247112131-1019
22Cardiff CityCardiff2146111934-1518
23Oxford UnitedOxford Utd2146112137-1618
24Plymouth ArgylePlymouth2146112245-2318
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .