West Bromwich Albion held Southampton to a goalless draw at The Hawthorns this afternoon.
The home side saw their appeals for a first-half penalty waved away by referee Stuart Attwell after Callum McManaman had taken a tumble in the box under the challenge of Matt Targett, but there was little else in the way of goalmouth action.
Here, Sports Mole has looked back over the encounter to determine if the result was a fair one, or whether either side will feel they should have taken all three points.
Match statistics
West Bromwich Albion
Shots: 8
On target: 1
Possession: 35%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 5
Southampton
Shots: 14
On target: 4
Possession: 65%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 5
Was the result fair?
Tony Pulis will point to Attwell's decision not to award his side a first-half penalty as the major turning point in the game, but that incident aside neither team created much in front of goal, making the result a fair one. The penalty decision itself was an incredibly tough one, with replays not conclusively proving Attwell's call was either correct or incorrect.
West Bromwich Albion's performance
The Baggies handed a debut to Jonny Evans, and will be very pleased with how he performed on his first outing, before he was forced off late on through injury. His defensive partners Gareth McAuley, Craig Dawson and Chris Brunt were also resolute at the back while also occasionally threatening at the other end.
However, Salomon Rondon was isolated up front, and looked sluggish after his return from international duty. Rickie Lambert, forced to drop deep in search of the ball as Southampton enjoyed large spells of possession, picked out a couple of incisive passes, but lacked the mobility to break quickly and join Rondon up front.
Rather than Rondon, it was McManaman that was West Brom's most effective out ball for much off the game, which made Pulis' decision to withdraw the winger on the hour mark an odd one. After his withdrawal, the Baggies faded, but had enough about them to restrict a fairly blunt Saints attack.
Southampton's performance
Ronald Koeman's side came flying out of the blocks, and dominated possession early on and throughout the game, but like the hosts, they created very little in the final third.
Jay Rodriguez drifted in and out of the action, and spurned his side's best chance when he headed a Dusan Tadic cross wide from just six yards out. Tadic, meanwhile, was lively throughout, buzzing around The Hawthorns and always looking for the ball, but unable to do much with it, despite his best efforts.
Like the Baggies, Southampton will be most pleased with their defensive performance as new arrival Virgil Van Dijk slotted effortlessly into Ronald Koeman's back four, forming an instant partnership with Jose Fonte. Van Dijk also carried the ball well, frequently foraging forwards to join up with the midfield.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Virgil Van Dijk: It has to be either Van Dijk or Evans, but the Southampton man gets it as a result of his willingness to move forward with the ball and attempt to launch an attack. There can't be many players who have enjoyed as confident a Premier League debut, and he showed every indication forming a solid defensive partnership with Fonte.
Tadic and McManaman are the other two worth a mention, but Tadic misses out for a lack of end product, while McManaman pays the price for his early substitution.
Biggest gaffe
Maarten Stekelenburg, though largely untested for much of the game, almost handed West Brom all three points when he dropped a second-half free kick just a yard from his own goalline. The Southampton goalkeeper recovered quickly, but was so close to either handing McAuley a tap in, bringing him down for a penalty or bundling the ball over the line himself.
Referee performance
Fans of the Baggies may disagree, but Attwell had a solid afternoon. The penalty decision was too close to call, but it was his only major decision. There were few bad tackles, with Brunt being the only player to be booked. Attwell handled the game and the players well, and can't really be criticised for not penalising Targett, even if you do believe it was a penalty.
What next?
West Bromwich Albion: Tony Pulis' side return to Premier League action when they travel to Birmingham to take on Aston Villa in a West Midlands derby on Saturday.
Southampton: Meanwhile the Saints host Manchester United next Sunday.
Joe Sharratt
