West Brom 1 Norwich 0 - Report

Top goalscorer Brandon Thomas-Asante bagged a scrappy winner just over half-time to match his seven-goal Championship goal tally of last season on Boxing Day on an afternoon Carlos Corberan's men merited more against 10-man Norwich.

The hosts missed several more opportunities for a more comfortable finale and were on top against David Wagner's Canaries for almost the entirety. Norwich's plight was not helped by Borja Sainz's unusual dismissal for two quickfire cautions on half hour.

Corberan's men fell well below their standards in the north east three days earlier, but showed a spirited display on home turf at a sold-out Hawthorns where the hosts were led by the supreme Jed Wallace and John Swift.

Swift, returning from injury to start, was at his inventive best and captain Wallace gave his best display of the season as Corberan's men kept in touch with the boss' former employers Leeds, who arrive in the Black Country for a humdinger at the end of the week.

Most expected Corberan to ring the changes from Saturday's limp festive display in the north east but the head coach opted for just a sole change to his line-up, with a welcome return for Swift - fit again after a leg muscle recurrence issue - in for Jeremy Sarmiento.

Spanish loanee Pipa missed out having taken a knock at Middlesbrough and was replaced on the bench by Caleb Taylor.

Albion were electric out of the blocks in front of a packed Hawthorns. After five minutes or so of finding their feet, the hosts attacked the Canaries with an urgency and tempo totally missing from Middlesbrough and Stoke.

Swift and Wallace soon took centre stage. They led the charge for Corberan's side with pace, vision and technique, skilful first touches and flicks and some wonderful deliveries.

Swift sent a couple of sighters over the crossbar from range early on before the returning No.19 went inches wide from a spectacular opener carved out by his skipper Wallace.

The winger flew down the right and his perfect delivery was right on Swift's toe. Without bouncing, Swift caressed the ball across his body and towards the far post, goalkeeper Angus Gunn was motionless as the ball cannoned back off the left upright. It would've been a wonderful goal.

Swift was central and involved in everything. He sent an awkward header over as Albion peppered from all sides. Wallace was excellent and the much-improved Grady Diangana and Conor Townsend joined in from the left, though with less quality in the delivery.

Swift, for all of his quality, should've opened the scoring on half hour.

It was that same pattern, Wallace released down the right into gaping space beyond Norwich stand-in left-back Sam McCallum, who endured a torrid time. The winger's cross was once more spot-on for Swift, this time on the deck, as the attacker looked set to stroke home.

Instead he miscued and got his connection all wrong as the ball scuffed and spun off target. It felt like a big moment.

Then, remarkably and out of nowhere, Norwich's gameplan changed in a flash. Spanish attacker Sainz had one of the wilder few minutes of his career.

First the 22-year-old was booked for hacking down Diangana, before he sped almost the length of the pitch and drew a fine save from Alex Palmer from distance.

Seconds later the hosts failed to clear a long throw-in and Sainz sent an acrobatic effort just inches wide.

Wagner's men then forced a corner and the Spaniard protested to referee James Bell for a yellow card for an alleged foul on Ashley Barnes. All he did was talk himself into a peculiar dismissal per rules introduced this season. Bell was the same official that sent off QPR's Jimmy Dunne for a bizarre second caution at The Hawthorns in October.

It changed the dynamic of the game and atmosphere and led to a limp end to the first period.

Norwich signalled their half-time intentions as Wagner introduced big defenders Grant Hanley and Danny Batth for attackers Barnes and top scorer Jonathan Rowe at the interval.

Fortunately, from a Baggies perspective, the second half began anything but meekly.

Wallace was unsurprisingly involved. He lofted a cross from the right this time, Diangana won a brave back-post header and Thomas-Asante reacted quickest ahead of Shane Duffy to score from barely two yards out.

The big breakthrough settled The Hawthorns and Albion. The Baggies needed a second and were denied by some pinball in the box before Swift, confidence levels peaked, was a fraction from a stunning second via an impudent 20-yard chip.

Darnell Furlong headed wide from opposite full-back Townsend's cross before Thomas-Asante just couldn't convert Wallace's hammered cross.

At just one goal down, Norwich were encouraged and showed signs of having a go late on. The Canaries' big moment came through sub Ui-jo Hwang as the South Korean's low header was spectacular saved low by Palmer, who'd been a bystander.

That aside it was smooth-sailing home and a big result, and performance, in response from last time out.

Report

Albion (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Furlong, Bartley (Ajayi, 61), Kipre, Townsend; Yokuslu, Mowatt (Chalobah, 86); Wallace (Molumby, 86), Swift (Fellows, 75), Diangana (Sarmiento, 86); Thomas-Asante.

Subs not used: Griffiths, Pieters, Taylor, Reach.

Norwich City (4-2-3-1): Gunn; Stacey (Hernandez, 81), McLean (c), Duffy, McCallum (Placheta, 81); Nunez, Sara; Idah (Hwang, 61), Rowe (Batth, 45), Sainz; Barnes (Hanley, 45).

Subs not used: Long, Gibbs, Fassnahct, Fisher.

Attendance: 25,086 (992 Norwich fans)

Referee: James Bell