Express & Star

Ben Foster urges West Brom to grab three points for safety

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Ben Foster today urged West Bromwich Albion to gain three more points to clinch safety – as he warned that Aston Villa could be dragged into a relegation fight.

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The Baggies keeper is still frustrated at the 3-3 draw against Tottenham last Satuday when the Baggies led 3-0 only to be pegged back for a point.

Albion go into Monday night's clash at third-placed Manchester City fifth from bottom, three points above the drop zone with five games left, one more than Norwich, Fulham and Cardiff below them.

And Foster is urging his team-mates to complete the job.

"I think 36 will probably get you safe," said Foster. "Most of the teams have four games left and a couple, like ourselves, have got five."

Rivals Villa are just two places and a point above Albion after four successive defeats and Foster believes they could face a battle to stay up.

"Definitely. Villa have been one of these teams who have been safe for the last two or three months and then suddenly they're one point ahead of us," said the former Birmingham shot stopper.

"There could still be a shock like Villa, who have lost Christian Benteke.

"I wouldn't want to see them go down because it's another West Midlands team in the Premier League and I love the derby we play every year."

Foster admitted survival is all that concerns Albion now.

"As long as we finish 17th or above, none of us care," he said. "Staying in the league is all that matters."

Foster admitted Albion sat back too much against Spurs.

"I don't think we needed to sit back as much as we did - we just needed to keep going the way we were because we were on top," he said.

"I don't think we did it consciously.

"We're in a bit of a scrap at the moment, and the fact we had three points 'in the bag' probably played on our minds and that added to the style of play we changed to.

"We don't do it on purpose. It's not like we just sit back and say 'that's it, we'll grind it out'.

"It's just sometimes how things pan out. I know the fans were gutted but it hurt us as well.

"But if someone had offered us a point beforehand I don't think it would have been too disappointing."

I've tagged this on the end of the Knowledge version but if you need it here...

Meanwhile, Albion today completely dismissed a story suggesting sacked Norwich boss Chris Hughton could replace Pepe Mel.