Some West Bromwich Albion fans believe that they were lucky to pick up a 1-0 win over Preston North End and that they didn’t deserve to win a late penalty at Deepdale.
The Baggies picked up another win in the Championship and stayed at the top of the league with the fifth win in a row. They are now unbeaten in as many as nine games. But it wasn’t as straightforward for Slaven Bilic’s men.
The club won a late penalty – controversially so (BBC). It was striker Charlie Austin who slotted the spot-kick home to keep the club at the pinnacle of the table.
Did West Brom deserve the win at Preston?
Well deserved!
They deserved a point
But despite seeing their side win the game, some Baggies fans feel that they were lucky to win the game and the penalty they got wasn’t a foul. They discussed the incident on Twitter.
Full-time at Deepdale!
We leave it late, but Austin’s penalty makes it wins in a row and sends us back to the top of the @SkyBetChamp #PNEWBA pic.twitter.com/rdPUBxa6I6
— West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) December 2, 2019
Very lucky this evening!!! A very frustrating game. Ref made some awful decisions, including the penalty, but we have been on the receiving end of those bad penalty decisions. I do feel sorry for Preston, but back on.
— MrsCarbfairy (@ecarberry1) December 2, 2019
Only one Kyle Edwards!!!!
Never a penalty but owell. We was robbed the same way against Charlton. If you sit back at home all game, there isn’t much sympathy.— Andy Leeman (@AndyLeeman91) December 2, 2019
We deserve some luck after last season
— paulgarratt (@paulgarratt19) December 2, 2019
YESSSSSSS! A light penalty but makes up for the soft one conceded against Charlton and Preston didn’t turn up to play football. Get in
— Bomber’s Boots (@BombersBoots) December 2, 2019
Don’t see how it was cheating if the referee called it. I didn’t even see VAR get summoned.
— Bacon4Dayzz_ (@Bacon4Dayzz_) December 2, 2019
Total domination, penalty or not we deserved the win! COYB
— Jon Atherton (@Jono_Boy) December 2, 2019
The goal in stoppage time was Austin’s fourth of the season and the 30-year-old has featured 14 times in the Championship this season. Four of them have been starts. He has also scored once in the League Cup.
His last three goals have come when he has come on from the bench. Apart from the goal against Preston last night, he has scored against Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday too.
As for the Baggies, they are at the top of the Championship with 42 points on the board. Second-placed Leeds United are two points behind them, with Fulham at third with 35 points on board. Nottingham Forest are at fourth with 32 points but have a game in hand.
But Bilic’s men are yet to beat Leeds this season. Their last loss in the competition came against the Peacocks early in October. They haven’t, though, lost a single game since then with a home game against Swansea City coming up.
What do we think?
It might not have been a clear penalty. But the Baggies deserved to win the game at Preston. They had 12 shots on target as compared to the home side’s tally of seven. They also had possession of 64.5%, while Preston’s tally stood at just 35.5%.