Brighton 1 West Brom 1 - Report and pictures

In a fascinating clash at the Amex Stadium, Karlan Grant netted with around 10 minutes remaining to earn the Baggies a result they more than deserved.

In what was a cliched game of two-halves, the hosts were much the brighter of the teams before the interval and took a deserved lead when Jake Livermore scored an unfortunate own-goal when Branislav Ivanovic’s clearance hit him.

Prior to that, Sam Johnstone - on his 100th Albion appearance - made a fantastic save to deny Neal Maupay.

After the break, though, the Baggies improved drastically with Matheus Pereira going close with two long-distance efforts - one of which clipped the post.

But with the clock ticking down, Grant grabbed his first Baggies goal after firing from around 10 yards in after he impressively held off a defender.

It meant - on the balance of play - a draw was probably a fair result.

Albion, though, had the chances to win it and will be disappointed they couldn't find a second goal that would have secured that elusive first Premier League win of the campaign.

Report

All the talk before kick-off centered around Ahmed Hegazi’s surprise departure from Albion - with the Egyptian having left for Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad just 24 hours later.

That led to speculation Bilic was angry at the board with the Croatian reportedly not happy to lose a likely starter at the AMEX a day before the game.

Hegazi’s departure, though, meant the boss had to make one change from the team that impressed in the goalless draw against Burnley.

Semi Ajayi was the man who came in at centre-back to replace the Egyptian - with the Nigerian international starting for the first time alongside Ivanovic.

Otherwise, Albion remained in a 4-3-3 system with Grant the central striker and Pereira and Grady Diangana out wide.

Brighton lined up in a 3-4-1-2 formation with Adam Lallana and Leandro Trossard operating in the hole behind Maupay.

In what proved to be an even and keenly contested opening 20 minutes, it was the Baggies who threatened first with a diving Mathew Ryan doing well to hold a fierce Filip Krovinovic drive from 25-yards.

A clever lofted ball from Pereira then sent Diangana through on goal.

But with the pass difficult to control, the winger’s first touch took him away from goal with the move then breaking down when Darnell Furlong lashed a strike well over.

Brighton responded with a clearly offside Maupay sweeping home a wonderful ball from Lallana.

Midway through the half, though, the hosts really should have been ahead.

After winning the ball in Albion's half, Potter’s men broke three on three with Lallana then squaring for Maupay who looked destined to fire home.

But Sam Johnstone made himself as big as possible and stuck out a boot to brilliantly keep out the striker’s effort from point-blank range.

Suddenly all the momentum was with the home side.

Ajayi did well to snuff out a low cross with Maupay waiting for a tap-in.

Trossard then forced Johnstone into a couple of good saves with two fierce efforts from just outside the box.

And with the pressure mounting, it was no surprise to see the hosts take the lead in the 40th minute - with the goal arriving in disastrous fashion for Bilic's side.

After Ajayi had blocked a Lallana strike, the ball fell for Tariq Lampety on the corner of the six-yard box.

The England youth international drilled a powerful shot across goal that was flying wide.

But not knowing who was behind him, Ivanovic tried to clear - with his clearance cannoning into Livermore and sailing over the line.

Albion threatened shortly after the re-start with Conor Gallagher hitting a half-volley which flew towards goal but was blocked by a defender.

That was followed by a spell where the Baggies enjoyed a lot of pressure down the left with Conor Townsend and Diagana both whipping in a couple of dangerous crosses that Brighton defended well.

Bilic made a double change just past the hour mark with Livermore and Diangana replaced by Callum Robinson and Kyle Edwards.

It meant a switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation with Robinson on the right, Edwards on the left and Pereira in his favoured number 10 role.

And the change almost paid immediate dividends with Albion twice going close to finding an equaliser.

First Edwards did well to ride a couple of challenges before finding Townsend who then cut the ball back for Pereira.

But from just inside the area, the Brazilian then curled a strike wide when he should have hit the target.

Some good hold-up play from Grant then saw the ball worked to Krovinovic who, from 18-yards, saw a shot beaten away by Ryan.

For the first time, the Baggies were now pinning the hosts back.

And it looked like they had pulled level when Robinson found Pereira 18-yards out.

The Brazilian curled a wonderful strike that looked destined to fly into the top corner with the keeper rooted to the spot.

But the ball clipped the outside of the post and sailed wide with Albion continuously knocking on the door without managing to find a way through.

With a little under 10 minutes to go, though, the Baggies did pull level - with Robinson finding Grant in the box with an excellent cross.

The forward then showed bundles of strength to hold off his marker and power home a strike around 10-yards out.

From that point on it was Bilic’s men who pressed for a winner.

And they almost got one deep into three minutes of added on time when Pereira lashed over after a corner had only been half-cleared.

Teams

Brighton (3-4-2-1): Ryan, Lamptey, White, Webster, Burn, March (MacAllister 70), Bissouma, Veltman, Trossard (Alzate 79), Lallana (Gross 60), Maupay.

Subs not used: Steele, Connolly, Welbeck, Bernardo

Albion (4-3-3): Johnstone, Furlong, Ajayi, Ivanovic, Townsend, Livermore (Robinson 63), Gallagher, Krovinovic, Pereira, Diangana (Edwards 63), Grant (Phillips 84).

Subs not used: Button, Bartley, Gibbs, Harper.