Leeds 3 West Brom 1 - Report

Albion said farewell to the Premier League with a whimper after they were beaten 3-1 at Leeds.

The Baggies headed to Elland Road just three days after Sam Allardyce announced he will not be in charge of the club next season.

And with relegation confirmed and the identity of the new manager not yet known, Albion played like they were already on their holidays.

Allardyce will have hoped for so much more on what could have been his final game as a manager.

But despite this being the last time fans are likely to see loanees Conor Gallagher, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Okay Yokuslu and Mbaye Diagne in an Albion shirt - the Baggies were easily swept aside by a Leeds team who didn't need to get out of third gear.

Goals from Rodrigo, Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford did the damage for Marcelo Bielsa's side - who played in front of their own fans for the first time this season.

Hal Robson-Kanu netted a late consolation for the Baggies when he pounced on a defensive error.

But overall, this was a poor end to a dreadful season for Albion.

Now it's very much a case of looking to the future, with the club having finalised a list of managerial targets.

Former Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder is understood to be on that list, while the likes of Frank Lampard and Michael Appleton are other names the club are rumoured to be interested in.

Whoever gets the job faces a big rebuilding job as they look to inspire the Baggies back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Report

Handing in what may turn out to be his final ever team sheet, Allardyce sprung a couple of surprises when naming his starting XI.

With Matheus Pereira ruled out through injury, the boss shifted to a 3-5-2 formation that saw Dara O'Shea return to the side to partner Semi Ajayi and Kyle Bartley at the heart of the defence.

Conor Townsend and Darnell Furlong were deployed as wing-backs with Matt Phillips somewhat surprisingly utilised in a front two alongside Callum Robinson.

On the bench, Allardyce continued to give a handful of Baggies youngsters some crucial matchday experience.

Taylor Gardner-Hickman and Caleb Taylor were both named as subs having received their first-call ups in recent weeks.

There was also a spot for central midfielder Tim Iroegbunam who earned his first senior call having shone for under-23s and under-18s this season.

Leeds lined up in their familiar 4-1-4-1 formation with Kalvin Phillips sitting in front of the back four.

Rodrigo was the central striker with Pablo Hernandez and Raphina the widemen.

The hosts survived two huge let-offs inside the opening few minutes.

Just 30 seconds in, Liam Cooper flung his arm into the face of Furlong with the defender then crashing to the floor.

Referee David Coote gave Cooper a yellow card and despite a VAR review, that decision stood with the Leeds man somewhat fortunate not to see red.

From the resultant free-kick, Albion almost opened the scoring with Bartley rising highest to meet Conor Gallagher's delivery by heading wide.

After surviving those scares, Leeds began to play with the intensity you expect from a Bielsa side.

And they thought they had opened the scoring when Harrison side-footed home from close range only to be flagged offside.

In the 17th minute, though, they did get themselves ahead after winning a corner.

The ball was sent in and despite five defenders and the goalkeeper being inside the six-yard box, nobody in Albion colours attacked it with Rodrigo left with the simplest of headers from close range.

Albion were playing a 3-5-2 system with the ball but without it, both Phillips and Robinson were dropping in to support their wing-back.

That, though, was making it very difficult for Sam Allardyce's side to get out with the hosts dominating the ball.

The Baggies did threaten on the half-hour when some good build-up play ended with Robinson flashing a strike wide from the edge of the box.

But overall, they looked like they were on the beach with the team lacking any real intensity.

And that meant it was no surprise when Leeds grabbed a second just before half-time - even though the goal did have an element of good fortune about it.

Phillips tried his luck with a free-kick from the edge of the box that looked to be meat and drink for Johnstone.

But the goalkeeper - who has otherwise had an outstanding campaign - effectively let the ball go through him to put the hosts in control.

Albion had a couple of chances to pull a goal back after the re-start.

Phillips hit a curling strike from the edge of the box which took a huge deflection before hitting the post.

Substitute Grady Diangana then produced a lovely bit of skill to leave three Leeds players on the floor.

Just like in the first-half, though, Leeds were the team showing much more hunger and desire.

And after the likes of Pablo Hernandez and Tyler Roberts went close, they made it 3-0 from the penalty spot - with Bamford converting after Yokuslu had inexplicably handled the ball.

Albion did net a consolation late on when Robson Kanu pounced on a mistake from Kalvin Phillips to fire in.

But this really was a comfortable win for the hosts - who have come on leaps and bounds since winning promotion alongside the Baggies last season.

Teams

Leeds (4-1-4-1): Casilla, Ayling, Cooper, Berardi (Struijk 69), Dallas, Phillips, Alioski, Raphinha, Hernandez (Roberts 69), Harrison, Rodrigo (Bamford 46).

Subs not used: Meslier, Poveda-Ocampo, Davis, Shackleton, Jenkins, Casey.

Albion (3-5-2): Johnstone, O'Shea (Robson-Kanu 60), Bartley, Ajayi, Furlong, Townsend, Yokuslu, Gallagher, Maitland-Niles (Grant 83), Phillips, Robinson (Diangana 61).

Subs not used: Button, Peltier, Taylor, Gardner-Hickman, Iroegbunam, Diagne.