Fewer touches than Johnstone: West Brom flop who lost 75% duels failed Bruce vs Stoke - opinion

West Bromwich Albion succumbed to a first home defeat since February as Steve Bruce’s side lost 3-1 to Stoke City in the Championship this afternoon.

A Jake Livermore own goal in the first half got the Potters underway before Jacob Brown doubled the visitors’ lead in the second half.

There were hopes of a comeback when Callum Robinson halved the deficit with 17 minutes to go but those were ultimately extinguished when Lewis Baker scored the clincher for Michael O’Neil’s men deep into added time.

It was a lacklustre display from the Baggies, who will probably be desperate to see the back end of the campaign given their 11th-placed position, with any chance of sneaking into the play-offs all but over.

Having spent last term in the Premier League, Albion’s first season back in the Championship has certainly been a disappointment, particularly with results like today’s.

What has also been a disappointment is the West Brom tenure of winger Grady Diangana so far.

The 23-year-old West Ham youth product was sold by West Ham at the start of last season after the winger impressed on loan at The Hawthorns in the 2019/20 campaign.

The transfer gained plenty of attention, not for the fee or context of the move but for the public outburst from West Ham captain Mark Noble, who tweeted: “As captain of this football club I’m gutted, angry and sad that Grady has left, great kid with a great future!!!!!”

As captain of this football club I’m gutted, angry and sad that Grady has left, great kid with a great future!!!!! https://t.co/oNPPEp8Pt6

— MARK NOBLE (@Noble16Mark) September 4, 2020

However, the signs of a great future have still yet to be shown at West Brom by Diangana, who endured a tricky afternoon against the Potters today and let