The supporters of the Baggies were expecting a sixth straight home league victory at the Hawthorns, with the potential new owner in the stands and a packed house. However, despite some contentious calls, Southampton was the superior team and easily took the three points.
Carlos Corberán’s red card was undoubtedly one of the strangest rulings I have ever witnessed. Evidently, the Spaniard thought the ball had left the play and stopped it on the field; nevertheless, Sam Allison, the assistant referee, did not raise his hand and Corberán was given a red card for “interfering with play.” The ball was going toward Darnell Furlong anyhow, so it didn’t seem like an overly harsh call for a true error that affected the game’s course. Russell Martin, the Saints’ manager, called the call “nonsense” following the game. Corberán will therefore not be on the Home Park touchline on Tuesday.
Later in the first half, Allison infuriated the home crowd with a number of more controversial calls, including awarding the corner that resulted in the first goal for the visitors and failing to award a penalty for a handball committed by Jack Stephens. To give the referee his due, his helper truly ought to have seen the handball even if he was out of position to do so.
Even if an equalizer at that juncture, right before halftime, may have completely altered the atmosphere of the match, Southampton proved to be too formidable for Albion in the end. They had quality all throughout the starting eleven and off the bench, making them a Premier League team in all but name. The hosts couldn’t really muster many clear chances, with Yokuşlu’s late header, which Bazunu well stopped, being their finest chance. Both goals were incredibly well-worked.
However, there were some encouraging indicators. I found Mikey Johnston’s first-half performance to be particularly noteworthy. Not many defenses in the Championship will be able to handle him and Fellows going at them from either side. Alright, Mowatt performed admirably in the middle of the park, despite the Turk’s occasional ball-giving errors, and Pieters, who was selected ahead of Ajayi, once again put on a respectable show.
Although there was a lot of anger in the stands as Albion was unable to seriously penetrate Southampton’s defense and midfield, we must never forget how excellent the Saints are. They are playing fantastic football under Russell Martin, and when they are not in possession, they are incredibly organized and full of energy in the press.
The substitutions were what disappointed me the most. Although Wallace and Johnston were unquestionably our most productive players, Swift’s departure made sense because, for the second straight game, he didn’t really get into the game. Marshall appeared to be much out of his element, and I thought it odd to have him in such a challenging game. Weimann was benched in a game that cried out for the kind of effect he has made in his previous three games; the only plausible explanation for his lack of usage is that he may have sustained an injury during the warm-up. Conversely, Diangana appeared, predictably, to be a guy who hasn’t played much football
Although a draw would have been a great outcome against a team that had just won 25 games in a row, Albion now has to focus on two important away games that are scheduled for the upcoming week. Not to mention, the biggest outcome of the week occurred off the field. Carlos Corberán’s club is still in a strong position to qualify for the playoffs.
