Semi Ajayi Sinks With Drowning West Brom

The Nigeria international defender was not at his best at the heart of the Baggies’ defence, as his side fell to yet another home defeat to their local rivals

In the latest of the West Midlands derbies, ten-man West Bromwich Albion succumbed to a 0-3 defeat at the Hawthorns at the hands of bitter rivals Aston Villa.

In what was Sam Allardyce’s first game in charge of West Brom since replacing Slaven Bilic, Anwar El Ghazi’s opened the scoring for Dean Smith side in the fifth minute.

Bertrand Traore’s effort six minutes from time doubled the lead before El Ghazi scored Villa’s third to ensure the former Bolton Wanderers’ manager began his tenure with the Baggies in the worst possible note.

Jake Livermore’s sending off in the first half for a terrible foul on the talismanic Jack Grealish did not help matters for the home side.

And it was Semi Ajayi who conceded the penalty kick for tripping Grealish from which El Ghazi got his second of the evening in the 88th minute of the encounter.

With just one victory in 14 league matches, West Brom remains the Premier League’s second-worst team.

Only six points separate them from basement club Sheffield United, who boasts of just two points since the campaign kicked off. 

Semi Ajayi and his teammates desperately need to start picking points soon if they want to avoid getting relegated to the Championship a mere twelve months after their celebrated promotion.

Earlier in the afternoon, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho helped Leicester secure an excellent 2-0 win away to Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham.

Ndidi featured for all ninety minutes while Iheanacho was an 87th-minute substitute for Man-of-the-Match Jamie Vardy, who was involved in the two goals that clinched all three points for Brendan Rodgers’ men.

Vardy opened the scoring from the penalty spot moments before halftime and later forced Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld to concede an own goal on the hour-mark. 

The win lifts the Foxes above Tottenham into second place, four points behind league leaders and defending champions, Liverpool.