West Brom 0 Leeds 5 - Report

The Baggies entered the clash on the back of securing an impressive draw at Liverpool and aiming for their first win under new boss Sam Allardyce.

But they were battered by a rampant Leeds side who scored three goals in nine first-half minutes to coast to victory.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were gifted a goal early on when Romaine Sawyers passed the ball into his own net with Sam Johnstone out of position for one of the most bizarre own-goals you will ever see.

Then from minute 31 to 40, Leeds netted three times with Ezgjan Alioski, Jack Harrison and Rodrigo all on target.

Midway through the second half they got a fifth thanks to an excellent Raphinha strike.

But despite the visitors entering the game with the joint-worst defensive record in the division - along with Albion - the Baggies created nothing and never really looked like scoring.

The result means Albion have now conceded 13 goals in their last three home games and have still won just one Premier League game this season.

Report

Allardyce achieved his first point as Albion head coach with an impressive draw at Liverpool on Sunday.

And while Leeds arrived in town just 48 hours later, the boss initially opted to name an unchanged side from the one that showed bundles of grit and character at Anfield.

In the warm-up, though, left-back Kieran Gibbs picked up an injury and was replaced by Lee Peltier, who - despite arriving back in January - made his first league start for the club.

It meant the Baggies continued in a 4-5-1 formation with captain Matt Phillips joining Sawyers and Conor Gallagher in central midfield.

Callum Robinson started on the right-wing with Grady Diangana on the left and Karlan Grant up front.

Matheus Pereira, widely regarded as Albion’s talisman, again had to make do with a place on the bench.

Leeds lined up in a 4-14-1 system with Patrick Bamford the lone striker and Harrison and Raphina wide. Kalvin Phillips sat just in front of the back four trying to orchestrate things in midfield.

Albion had given themselves a mountain to climb by conceding early in both their recent defeats to Newcastle and Villa.

And in another match of huge importance, they again gave the opposition a big head start with Leeds gifted the easiest goal they will score this season in just the ninth minute.

Sawyers had the ball around 25-yards from goal and while Rodrigo went to press him, there was no danger.

But bizarrely, the midfielder powered a pass back to Johnstone who was standing to the left of his goal but not in it.

And that meant the ball sailed into the back of the net for one of the strangest and most comical own-goals you will see.

Despite Leeds being a side that is notorious for scoring goals but also conceding them, Albion had created next to nothing as the half reached its midway point.

Darnell Furlong sent in a dangerous cross that Stuart Dallas did well to clear ahead of Grant.

But that moment aside, Allardyce’s side had been toothless and spent the majority of the game in their own half in their rigid 4-5-1 system.

And what then followed was a frantic spell that saw Leeds score three times in just nine minutes.

They got their second just past the half-hour mark when a cross from the right was only half-cleared.

The ball then fell for Alioski who, from just inside the box, produced an outstanding finish to thunder the ball into the top corner.

Five minutes later the game was effectively over when Harrison made it 3-0.

The winger played a clever one-two with Bamford that allowed him to enter the box.

And he then turned away from Furlong far too easily before firing in from 12-yards.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Leeds got themselves a fourth before the break.

It was Rodrigo who was credited with the goal with the Spanish international letting fly with an effort from 20-yards.

And that took a huge deflection off Dara O’Shea which ensured the ball sailed in with Johnstone wrong-footed.

Allardyce made a change at the break with Branislav Ivanovic replacing Phillips.

It meant a tactical shift to what was effectively a 5-2-1-2 formation with Ivanovic joining Semi Ajayi and O’Shea at the heart of the defence.

Sawyers and Gallagher were the midfield two with Diangana opening just behind a strike pairing of Robinson and Grant.

Despite the changes, it was Leeds who created the first real chance following the re-start with Bamford seeing a shot from the edge of the box deflect over.

Then just before the hour mark, the Baggies were presented with a glorious chance to pull a goal back.

It arrived when goalkeeper Illan Meslier played a shockingly casual pass in his own box towards Kalvin Phillips.

Diangana intercepted it but Meslier atoned for his error by making an outstanding stop to then deny the winger who was just six-yards out.

Whether Leeds had taken their foot off the gas or Albion had got to grips with them more, overall, the second-half was proving largely uneventful.

Nevertheless, as the clock ticked past the 70 minute mark, Bielsa’s men had enjoyed 74 per cent possession.

And they went on to score a fifth with another brilliantly taken goal.

After playing a clever one-two with Dallas, Raphinha charged at goal.

Then from 18-yards, the Brazilian curled home a scintillating strike which nestled into the top corner and beyond the reach of Johnstone.

Moments later it should have been six with Harrison hitting the byline and pulling the ball back to Bamford who fired over.

And from that point on, Leeds simply wound down the clock to secure what is highly likely to be their most comfortable victory all season.

Teams

Albion (4-5-1): Johnstone, Furlong, Ajayi, O’Shea, Gibbs, Robinson, Phillips (Ivanovic 46), Sawyers, Gallagher, Diangana (Krovinovic 71), Grant (Pereira 61).

Subs not used: Button, Kipre, Harper, Grosicki, Austin.

Leeds: (3-5-1-1) Meslier, Dallas, Ayling, Struijk, Alioski, Phillips, Klich (Shackleton 58), Raphinha (Costa 71), Harrison, Rodrigo (Hernandez 70), Bamford.

Subs not used: Casilla, Jenkins, Casey, Davis, Roberts, Poveda.