Played
December 22, 2012 3:00 PM GMT
The Hawthorns — West Bromwich
Referee:‬ M. Atkinson‎
Attendance:‬ 25799‎
 
   
 
 

Player Ratings: West Brom 2-1 Norwich

The Canaries lose their unbeaten run in the Premier League thanks to a tap-in from Zoltan Gera and a late goal from Romelu Lukaku at The Hawthorns as the Baggies go sixth

By Chris Teale

  • Ben Foster
    2
    0
    1.50

    Ben Foster Flop of the Match

    Looked very nervous and unconvincing in his first appearance since November, being at fault for Snodgrass’ opener and lacking conviction in his aerial challenges.

  • Jonas Olsson
    1
    0
    2.50

    Jonas Olsson

    Was solid in the defence as he dealt well with Steve Morison, but was guilty at times of rushing his clearances and gifting possession back to Norwich.

  • Goran Popov
    12
    0
    3.00

    Goran Popov

    Got forward well from left-back, sending in some delicious crosses and seeing a shot go just over, but his performance tailed off somewhat as the game went on.

  • Gareth McAuley
    1
    0
    3.50

    Gareth McAuley

    Struggled against the impressive Robert Snodgrass and should have equalised from a corner midway through the first half, but improved as the game went on and turned in a very good performance.

  • Billy Jones
    1
    0
    3.00

    Billy Jones

    Kept Anthony Pilkington largely quiet at right-back and looked solid if unspectacular most of the time, although he had some problems against Morison when the Welshman was in full flight.

  • James Morrison
    1
    0
    3.00

    James Morrison

    Had some problems asserting himself on the game early on, but grew into proceedings and sent some decent balls through to Lukaku from the midfield.

  • Chris Brunt
    3
    3
    4.50

    Chris Brunt Top of the Match

    Was a constant presence as West Brom went forward but made the most impact from his set pieces, which set up the equaliser for the Baggies and caused numerous problems for the away side.

  • Graham Dorrans
    0
    0
    3.00

    Graham Dorrans

    Struggled to cope with the attacking verve of Wes Hoolahan but played his part in the midfield stalemate as both sides cancelled each other out before being replaced at half-time.

  • Zoltán Gera
    2
    0
    3.50

    Zoltán Gera

    Finished well to equalise for the Baggies and helped Dorrans maintain the midfield battle despite neither being particularly defensively-minded before being replaced by Long.

  • Romelu Lukaku
    40
    1
    4.00

    Romelu Lukaku

    Another uncompromising performance from the Chelsea loanee, who was yet again a tough physical presence. Was shackled well by Sebastian Bassong and Michael Turner until the 82nd minute when he powered home to secure the win for his side.

  • Peter Odemwingie
    4
    1
    3.00

    Peter Odemwingie

    Guilty of being too selfish at times as he searched for a chance of his own, but linked up well with Lukaku and showed his intelligence as he brought his team-mates into play regularly.

Substitutions

  • Sebastien Gabriel Tamaş
    0
    0

    Sebastien Gabriel Tamaş

    Brought on late in the game to shore up the Baggies' defence after they took the lead and did so comfortably.

  • Shane Long
    2
    3
    2.50

    Shane Long

    Came on for Gera in the second half to form a very attacking formation for the Baggies but could not have an impact on proceedings.

  • Marc-Antoine Fortune
    0
    0
    2.50

    Marc-Antoine Fortune

    Replaced Dorrans at half-time in what was a bold attacking move by manager Steve Clarke and had some good moments but could not make a telling impression.

  • Mark Bunn
    0
    1
    2.50

    Mark Bunn

    Made some good saves but could perhaps have done better in dealing with West Brom’s equaliser as he could only palm the ball onto the bar.

  • Steven Whittaker
    0
    0
    3.00

    Steven Whittaker

    Had some early problems with Goran Popov but improved as the game went on to look confident defensively, and overlapped well to help his attacking team-mates before being replaced by Martin with what looked like an injury.

  • S. Bassong
    2
    0
    3.50

    S. Bassong

    Looked strong in the centre of defence in dealing with Romelu Lukaku and marshalled his side well as they dealt well with the Baggies’ threat.

  • Michael Turner
    0
    0
    3.00

    Michael Turner

    His partnership with Bassong continues to grow, and despite Lukaku shrugging him off to create an opening, otherwise kept the Belgian relatively quiet throughout the game before missing a good chance of his own from a corner.

  • Javier Garrido
    0
    0
    2.00

    Javier Garrido

    Kept James Morrison under wraps with some superb defensive play and provided good cover for his team-mates, but was guilty of being outmuscled by Romelu Lukaku for the home side's winning goal.

  • Bradley  Johnson
    0
    0
    2.00

    Bradley Johnson

    Wasted most of his crosses and lacked a telling pass to his team-mates as he struggled to make any real impact on the game.

  • Robert Snodgrass
    3
    0
    4.50

    Robert Snodgrass

    Was full of running on the right-hand side and hit a superb free kick to give his side the lead, with his crossing and general play causing the Baggies numerous problems.

  • Anthony  Pilkington
    0
    0
    2.50

    Anthony Pilkington

    Looked to continue his good form and caused some problems, but his service to Morison was lacking at times in what was a somewhat disappointing outing.

  • Wesley Hoolahan
    0
    0
    2.50

    Wesley Hoolahan

    Saw lots of the ball as Norwich’s attacking fulcrum and made some decent passes, but struggled at times to create any momentum for his side before being replaced by Howson.

  • Alexander Tettey
    1
    0
    3.00

    Alexander Tettey

    Looked solid in the centre of midfield against Graeme Dorrans and Zoltan Gera, breaking up play well and moving his team forward well despite some lax passing at times.

  • Steve Morison
    0
    0
    3.00

    Steve Morison

    Looked isolated at times in the lone striker role as he replaced Grant Holt, but tried hard to involve his team-mates despite poor service and the close attentions of Jonas Olsson and Goran Popov.

Substitutions

  • Russell  Martin
    0
    0
    3.00

    Russell Martin

    Replaced Whittaker early in the second half and looked solid in his favoured right-back role.

  • Jonny  Howson
    0
    1

    Jonny Howson

    Replaced Hoolahan in the midfield after 73 minutes but had too little time to make an impact.

  • Simeon  Jackson
    0
    1

    Simeon Jackson

    Came on late to try and snatch a late equaliser, but did not have enough time to make a telling contribution.

Results
 
Player Ratings
Tournament
Position
Ranking
Top Scorers
Player   Goals Penalties
Robin van Persie Robin van Persie
Striker
Manchester United
26 3
Luis Suárez Luis Suárez
Striker
Liverpool
23 0
Gareth Bale Gareth Bale
Midfielder
Tottenham
21 0
C. Benteke C. Benteke
Striker
Aston Villa
19 3
Michu Michu
Midfielder
Swansea City
19 0