West Brom made the chances, Millwall barely had any

West Brom beat Millwall at The Hawthorns, creating far better chances than either side usually does.

Millwall had a little over a third of the ball at The Hawthorns, well below the share they usually see away from home. Yet the more telling figure from the afternoon belonged to West Brom. Expected goals, a rough measure that gives each shot a value based on where it was taken and how it was struck, came to 2.55 for the home side, well above the 1.9 they usually reach at home.

The first goal came after 50 minutes, when Isaac Price finished a move that Jayson Molumby started. Molumby then scored himself late in the game, and Felix Horn Myhre added a third in the 89th minute with Price again providing the pass. Three goals is more than double the 1.4 that West Brom usually score at home, so the scoreline reflects the chances they took rather than luck around the goal.

Millwall's problem was getting the ball into positions where a shot could be taken at all. Their side managed only six efforts, when they usually attempt around 13.8 away from home. Their expected goals, the measure of their chances' quality, reached just 0.57, compared with the 1.65 they usually produce on the road. In other words, the chances they did create were few and of modest quality.

Discipline was a minor thread through the match. Derek Mazou Sacko of Millwall was booked before half-time and was replaced at the interval, while Brayann Pereira and Zak Sturge picked up yellow cards for West Brom and Millwall respectively. Neither side lost a player to a red card, so both sides finished with eleven men on the pitch and the result was decided by football rather than by a sending off.

West Brom kept a clean sheet, which matters because they usually concede around 1.1 goals at home. Millwall were not so fortunate, letting in three when they typically concede 1.8 away from home. For a side that had gone into the game with a mixed run, a shutout of this kind gives the home team a platform to build on, and the scoring lines show a team that found a way through rather than waiting for chances to come.

Over their last six matches, West Brom have won three, drawn two and lost one, while Millwall have won two, drawn one and lost three. West Brom are now sixth in the table, and Millwall are 13th.

Player of the matchI. Price1 goal · 1 assist9.0

J. Molumby1 goal · 1 assist9.0

F. Myhre1 goal7.5

B. Pereira3 chances created7.4