West Brom 3-1 Burnley: Baggies’ perfect start continues at The Hawthorns | OneFootball

West Brom picked up their second league win in as many games this afternoon, as they defeated Burnley 3-1 at The Hawthorns.

Burnley took the lead inside ten minutes, when Callum Styles was unable to get his feet sorted and turned the ball into his own net. It didn’t take long for the hosts to equalise though, with Harry Whitwell netting his first league goal for the Baggies in the 17th minute to get them back on level terms.

A scorcher from Isaac Price put West Brom ahead, when he picked out the far corner with a superb curling finish from the dge of the box. Price netted Albion’s third from the penalty spot 20 minutes later, to seal all three points for the hosts.

As it happened

Both sides were missing their key centre-forward for this one: Aune Selland Hegebø was suspended after his handball goal last weekend, and Zian Flemming was absent for Burnley with a minor calf injury; former Chelsea youngster Armando Broja replaced him.

Price nearly gave Albion a perfect start, but Max Weiss saved his sweeping strike from inside the area. However, Burnley took the lead after just seven minutes, when Styles turned the ball into his own net from Jacob Brunn Larsen’s cross.

Their lead lasted just 10 minutes, however, as the next chance of the game saw Whitwell level for the hosts with a superb finish into the far bottom corner, netting his first league goal for the Baggies. Broja looked to immediately regain the Clarets’ lead, but his drilled effort was well saved by Max O’Leary.

Oliver Sonne was shown the first yellow card of the match after 26 minutes, after fouling Price inside the West Brom half. West Brom broke with menace on the half-hour mark, but Josh Laurent was on hand to brilliantly block and stop the threat. George Campbell levelled up the card tally moments after, following a foul on Broja.

Price took aim again before the break, but his tame effort was comfortably dealt with by Weiss. Brunn Larsen came inches away from giving Burnley the lead before half-time, when his cross turned shot clipped the bottom of the post.

The final chance of the half went the way of Burnley too, when Aaron Ramsey twisted and turned inside the area before seeing his shot blocked by Nat Phillips, meaning the sides headed in level at the break.

Burnley made a change during the interval, with Connor Roberts replacing Sonne. It didn’t take long for the second half to spark into life, as Price curled the ball into the far corner from the edge of the penalty area to give his side a 2-1 lead.

A triple change followed for the Clarets, as Broja, Hannibal Mejbri and Laurent made way for Zeki Amdouni, Ugo Raghouber and Dastan Satpaev. Amdouni took aim from range shortly after his introcution, but it was straight down O’Leary’s throat.

Albion were awarded a penalty in the 63rd minute after Bashir Humphreys clipped the heels of Whitwell. Price stepped up to the spot and dispatched the ball into the bottom corner to double his side’s lead. Felix Horn Myhre came close to adding a fourth shortly after, but his stretching effort was saved at close quarters by Weiss.

Next came a yellow card for Marcus Edwards after he fouled Ousmane Diakité in the 70th minute. He was quickly joined by Raghouber, who brought down Price on the touchline. West Brom’s first change followed, as Jimmy-Jay Morgan was replaced by Barney Stewart in the Baggies’ frontline. Meanwhile, Burnley’s final change saw Lucas Pires replace Humphreys at the back.

Another substitiution followed for the hosts, as Whitwell was replaced by Summer signing Rabby Nzingoula. Diakité looked to extend Albion’s advantage moments later, rising to meet a corner at the back post but he ultimately headed wide.

Brunn Larsen took on a speculative effort from a long-range free-kick whihc he fired into the wall, before Ramsey curled a shot high and wide. Horn Myhre danced into the box with just a few minutes remaining before laying the ball off to Stewart who looked certain to score if the assisant referee hadn’t raised his flag.

The rest of the game passed both sides by, confirming a massive three points for West Brom.