Surely, they couldn’t pull it off? Just two games ago West Brom were absolute certainties for relegation, with boss Sam Allardyce unable to turn improved performances into improved results.
The change over the past two games has been as impressive as it is surprising, with eight goals scored and six points gained from their previous two games against Chelsea and Southampton.
Should West Brom be able to mount a sensational charge away from the relegation zone and continue their recent form, then they will need one man in particular to maintain his similarly impressive run of form, Matt Phillips.
A hard worker who has added end product to his game
Matt Phillips’ season has been much like that of West Brom’s other forwards – inconsistent and inefficient. His goal against Southampton was his first of the season, and if West Brom are to stay up then it cannot be his last.
His performance earned a Whoscored rating of 8.41, the highest even among multiple stellar performances in the West Brom team. Besides his goal, he made two key passes, five successful crosses, two shots on target, two dribbles, one tackle, one interception and two clearances in a superb all-round display.
Despite the improvement, West Brom remain eight points behind Newcastle in 17th position and would need a truly remarkable run of form to escape relegation.
However, the recent performances from Phillips have helped provide a semblance of hope for West Brom that they can pull off what would be one of the great relegation escapes.
