10 Things We Learned From The English Premier League Football Weekend (30 Sept - 1 Oct 2017)

6. Death & Taxes > Tony Pulis

Jurgen Klopp
Richard Sellers/PA Wire

Is this West Brom side - made up of anthropomorphic cockroaches, in how custom-built they are for Premier League survival - in danger of fading?

While they occupy a respectable 10th in the Premier League, they haven't tasted victory in five fixtures. Worryingly, they displayed none of the traits synonymous with a Tony Pulis side here - in the crucial second half, at least. Salomón Rondón latched on to a route one long ball, used his considerable muscle to eke out the opportunity, and much like West Brom do year on year, squeaked past when few were looking. West Brom doubled their lead with another Pulis special, as Jonny Evans risked a concussion to nod into an empty net from a corner. Job done, they set up camp in their own half. Only, the job wasn't done.

Abdoulaye Doucouré halved the deficit before the half-time whistle. The scare wasn't enough to move West Brom into direct action; they allowed Watford to creep into the game the longer it dragged on, their optimistic counter attacks lacking the required pace. Almost fittingly, they were hoisted by their own petard; the in-form Richarlison headed home the equaliser from a set piece to elevate his side to the lofty heights of eighth.

That's him nailed on as next summer's boring transfer saga, then.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!