Championship
West BromWest Bromwich Albion4HuddersfieldHuddersfield Town2

West Bromwich Albion 4-2 Huddersfield Town: Unbeaten Baggies extend Terriers' winless start

Matt Phillips celebrates scoring against Huddersfield
West Brom have recovered 15 points from losing positions this season, while Huddersfield have won just once in the whole of 2019

Huddersfield Town manager Danny Cowley says his side have "forgotten how to win" after the Terriers were beaten 4-2 at West Bromwich Albion.

The Terriers twice led at The Hawthorns but their winless start to life back in the Championship continued as the Baggies came back to maintain their unbeaten record.

"We didn't play for 90 minutes," Cowley told BBC Radio Leeds.

"At 60 minutes we started to play for the end, and physically and mentally we are not where we need to be.

"At the moment we are a team that maybe has forgotten how to win and manage the game."

Cowley was appointed by Huddersfield on 9 September following a successful spell at Lincoln City, where he led the club from the National League to League One.

But the 40-year-old has lost both his matches in charge, having opened with a 2-0 defeat at home against Sheffield Wednesday last weekend, and Huddersfield are bottom with just one point from their opening eight games.

The Yorkshire club are already six points from safety and Cowley is well aware of the task facing him.

"I don't blame the players at this stage, because they have taken an incredible amount of information on in a small space of time," he said.

"I thought we made some baby steps. We have got enough in the group to get through this, It is not going to be easy.

"It doesn't matter what the players have achieved in their careers, if we can find a way through this it will be the greatest achievement of all of our lives.

"This is a tough gig but the only way it is going to beat me is if it kills me."

Baggies fight back after break

Lewis O'Brien's first Huddersfield goal and Karlan Grant's close-range effort twice put the Terriers ahead in the first half.

However, a Matt Phillips double and headers from Darnell Furlong and Semi Ajayi capped a fine turnaround for West Brom, who moved up to fourth in the table.

Cowley's gameplan of hitting Albion on the break worked well in the first half as they threatened to add to their solitary win of the 2019 calendar year.

O'Brien exchanged passes with Fraizer Campbell to fire home a fine opener into the bottom corner and, after Phillips steered Albion level, Grant poked Huddersfield back ahead from Elias Kachunga's ball into the area.

But the Terriers could not cope with West Brom's relentless pressure after the break as the Baggies scored three unanswered goals to keep their undefeated start going.

A Phillips cross-shot shaved the post and Charlie Austin's header forced a fine save from Huddersfield keeper Kamil Grabara as the visitors clung on.

But once the excellent Furlong headed home Grady Diangana's cross to draw Albion level, there only looked like being one winner.

Half-time substitute Diangana, on loan from West Ham, set up Phillips to put Albion ahead before Ajayi's late header sealed the points.

West Brom have now recovered 15 points from losing positions in their opening eight matches, avoiding defeat in all seven games they have trailed in, while Huddersfield have tasted victory only once in their past 35 games.

West Brom boss Slaven Bilic told BBC WM 95.6:

"It was a very good performance, especially in the second half. I am not happy with the way we were at times in the first half.

"Grady took his chance, but the guys started to play quicker. The whole team played on the front foot.

"It is nice to be unbeaten, we are playing good football and the crowd love it.

"It is still early days but we are only one point from the top, so well done to the lads."

Line-ups

West Brom

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Johnstone
  • 2Furlong
  • 6Ajayi
  • 5Bartley
  • 36Ferguson
  • 8Livermore
  • 19Sawyers
  • 10PhillipsSubstituted forRobson-Kanuat 82'minutes
  • 7KrovinovicSubstituted forDianganaat 45'minutes
  • 12Costa Pereira
  • 15AustinSubstituted forZohoreat 72'minutes

Substitutes

  • 4Robson-Kanu
  • 9Zohore
  • 11Brunt
  • 21Edwards
  • 23Bond
  • 27O'Shea
  • 29Diangana

Huddersfield

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Grabara
  • 33Hadergjonaj
  • 4Elphick
  • 26Schindler
  • 5KongoloSubstituted forBrownat 63'minutes
  • 8Chalobah
  • 6Hogg
  • 39O'BrienSubstituted forDiakhabyat 83'minutes
  • 9Kachunga
  • 22CampbellSubstituted forMounieat 65'minutes
  • 16Grant

Substitutes

  • 7Bacuna
  • 11Diakhaby
  • 18Mbenza
  • 24Mounie
  • 27Stankovic
  • 28Brown
  • 31Schofield
Referee:
Tim Robinson
Attendance:
23,577

Match Stats

Home TeamWest BromAway TeamHuddersfield
Possession
Home65%
Away35%
Shots
Home17
Away5
Shots on Target
Home7
Away2
Corners
Home8
Away2
Fouls
Home13
Away9

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, West Bromwich Albion 4, Huddersfield Town 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, West Bromwich Albion 4, Huddersfield Town 2.

  3. Post update

    Attempt missed. Karlan Grant (Huddersfield Town) right footed shot from long range on the left is high and wide to the left from a direct free kick.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Kenneth Zohore (West Bromwich Albion).

  5. Post update

    Trevoh Chalobah (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  6. Post update

    Foul by Romaine Sawyers (West Bromwich Albion).

  7. Post update

    Trevoh Chalobah (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  8. Post update

    Matheus Pereira (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Elias Kachunga (Huddersfield Town).

  10. Goal!

    Goal! West Bromwich Albion 4, Huddersfield Town 2. Semi Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Matheus Pereira with a cross following a corner.

  11. Post update

    Corner, West Bromwich Albion. Conceded by Tommy Elphick.

  12. Substitution

    Substitution, Huddersfield Town. Adama Diakhaby replaces Lewis O'Brien.

  13. Post update

    Attempt missed. Jake Livermore (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner.

  14. Substitution

    Substitution, West Bromwich Albion. Hal Robson-Kanu replaces Matt Phillips.

  15. Post update

    Foul by Kenneth Zohore (West Bromwich Albion).

  16. Post update

    Christopher Schindler (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  17. Post update

    Foul by Matt Phillips (West Bromwich Albion).

  18. Post update

    Jonathan Hogg (Huddersfield Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  19. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Matt Phillips (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Romaine Sawyers.

  20. Post update

    Matheus Pereira (West Bromwich Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Leeds8521134917
2Swansea8521125717
3Preston8512147716
4West Brom84401510516
5QPR85121412216
6Nottm Forest8431116515
7Bristol City8431139415
8Charlton8422118314
9Sheff Wed8413117413
10Blackburn841398113
11Birmingham841379-213
12Fulham8332127512
13Cardiff8332910-112
14Hull8233111109
15Middlesbrough823389-19
16Millwall8233611-59
17Brentford822456-18
18Derby8152811-38
19Wigan8224813-58
20Reading8215911-27
21Luton82151216-47
22Barnsley8125412-85
23Stoke8026717-102
24Huddersfield8017717-101
View full Championship table