- Substitutes make the difference as Albion make it three home wins on the bounce
- Leandro Trossard breaks deadlock in the second half
- Shane Duffy adds a deserved second late on
- Victory lifts the Seagulls to eighth in the table
It was one-way traffic for large spells, but it took Albion until midway through the second half to break through when Trossard scored from close range.
Duffy, who had come on after Adam Webster was stretchered off in the first half, netted his third goal of the season in the 83rd minute to seal the victory, with Trossard the creator on this occasion.
A third successive home win was no more than Albion deserved. They found Tim Krul in fine form against his former club, and the manner of their performance will give Graham Potter and his players plenty of confidence as they prepare for next Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford.
Unchanged Albion were looking to claim a third successive home win for only the second time in their Premier League history, and Aaron Connolly had an early sight of goal but dragged his second-minute shot wide.
There was a scare for the Seagulls when Norwich mounted their first decent attack in the 11th minute. Teemu Pukki neatly turned Lewis Dunk and found Marco Stiepermann, whose shot from the edge of the box came back off the bar.
But that turned out to be Norwich’s only real chance of the first half as Albion began to turn the screw.
Krul denied Steven Alzate in the 17th minute, saving with his foot after Martin Montoya had dispossessed Jamal Lewis to set up the chance. Five minutes later, Alzate’s dipping volley dropped a yard wide of the upright with Krul beaten.
Albion were forced into a change in the 35th minute when record signing Webster turned his left ankle over inside the box. He was stretchered off and Duffy replaced him.
Albion went close again on 37 minutes when Neal Maupay latched onto a long ball from Dan Burn in the inside-left channel. He elected to take the shot early and dragged it wide of Krul’s goal.
Maupay then had two chances to score in stoppage time. His first effort from inside the six-yard box was blocked by a defender and then he put another effort, after good work by Connolly, over the bar.
The Seagulls continued to press at the start of the second half. Dale Stephens fizzed a drive from distance a yard wide and Connolly was next to threaten, fastening onto Davy Propper’s path but lifting his right-foot shot over. The Dutchman then curled an effort from just outside the area over before Pascal Gross made way for Trossard on the hour. The Belgian moved into the left with Maupay on the right in support of Connolly.
And within eight minutes of coming on Trossard, had broken the deadlock. Albion built down the right and when Montoya whipped the ball in, Trossard stole a yard on his marker to steer the ball past a helpless Krul for his second goal in only his sixth appearance, three of which have been as a substitute.
It was no more than the hosts deserved and forced Norwich to start committing more men forward. Onel Hernandez hit the side netting from a tight angle then Tom Trybull turned neatly but his left-foot shot was deflected wide for a corner, which the Seagulls cleared.
Maupay thought he’d got the goal he deserved in the 73rd minute, only to be denied by Krul’s reflexes as the keeper pushed his first-time volley over the bar, but seven minutes from time it was 2-0. Trossard was the provider this time, sending a free kick from deep on the left towards the far post where Duffy stretched to steer it past Krul with his right foot.
Alzate could have added a third goal late on but fired over after a sweeping move by Albion. In stoppage time substitute Ezequiel Schelotto curled an effort wide of the far post, as the Seagulls ended the game firmly in control.
ALBION: Ryan, Montoya, Webster (Duffy 35), Dunk, Burn, Alzate, Stephens, Propper, Gross (Trossard 60), Maupay, Connolly (Schelotto 86).
SUBS NOT USED: Button, Murray, Mooy, March.
ATTENDANCE: 30,539