
Maja and Dike's clinical finishing condemns Preston to defeat despite dominating possession. West Brom climb out of the relegation zone with a deserved away victory.


Preston had possession. West Brom had everything else. That was the uncomfortable truth of this Championship encounter, one that saw the Baggies climb out of the bottom three with a performance that proved clinical finishing beats pretty passing every single time.
Maja set the tone just eleven minutes in, bundling home from close range after Heggebo had worked the space down the left. It was scrappy, it was undeserving of beauty, but it was effective. Preston huffed and puffed, monopolising the ball with 53 percent possession, yet they managed just one shot on target across the entire ninety minutes. That statistic alone tells you everything you need to know about their afternoon.
The hosts should have done better. They earned eight corners to West Brom's six, forced the issue with 382 passes against 340, yet never truly threatened the away side's goalkeeper. When you're camping outside the opposition box and still can't generate clear-cut chances, your attacking play has fundamentally failed. Preston's expected goals figure of 0.43 was damning: they simply didn't create what they needed to. introduction at the hour mark injected some urgency, but by then the damage was done.
Maja set the tone just eleven minutes in, bundling home from close range after Heggebo had worked the space down the left. It was scrappy, it was undeserving of beauty, but it was effective. Preston huffed and puffed, monopolising the ball with 53 percent possession, yet they managed just one shot on target across the entire ninety minutes. That statistic alone tells you everything you need to know about their afternoon. The hosts should have done better. They earned eight corners to West Brom's six, forced the issue with 382 passes against 340, yet never truly threatened the away side's goalkeeper. When you're camping outside the opposition box and still can't generate clear-cut chances, your attacking play has fundamentally failed. Preston's expected goals figure of 0.43 was damning: they simply didn't create what they needed to. Jebbison's introduction at the hour mark injected some urgency, but by then the damage was done.
Despite making an early substitution to replace the injured Thompson with Whiteman in the thirteenth minute, Preston's shape never settled. West Brom, meanwhile, operated with ruthless efficiency. Dike sealed it in the seventy-seventh minute, sweeping in from Molumby's pull-back to make it a two-goal advantage that accurately reflected their superiority where it mattered most. West Brom's 1.80 expected goals figure versus Preston's 0.43 wasn't a fluke; it was a comprehensive outclassing in the final third.
The Baggies' win pulled them from twenty-first into a position to seriously threaten survival. They've now won two of their last five, with recent draws suggesting they've steadied the ship after a disastrous run. For Preston, sitting thirteenth on 57 points, this represents a stumble in what had been a promising five-match run before today. They had won two and drawn two of their previous four; this defeat feels like a missed opportunity to build momentum.
Josh Smith's whistle never had to impose himself on proceedings. Neither side committed fouls at a rate that demanded authority, and his management was forgettable in the best way. But there was nothing forgivable about Preston's attacking display. You cannot dominate possession and create so little. West Brom won because they were sharper, more dangerous, and utterly committed to making their chances count. Preston lost because they weren't.

