Match Reports

Welbeck heads in again as Albion take deserved point

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Striker comes off the bench to score his third goal of the season in 1-1 draw at King Power Stadium.

By Charlie Hanson • 23 January 2022

By Paul Hazlewood
Danny Welbeck headed in with ten minutes to play.

Danny Welbeck came off the bench to score his third goal of the season as Albion drew 1-1 at the King Power Stadium against Leicester City.

Welbeck, who also scored earlier in the season in the 2-1 home win over the Foxes, pounced in the 82nd minute after Patson Daka put the home side two minutes into the second half.

Albion could well have won the game late on with Kasper Schmeichel making some fine saves while Dan Burn's header was cleared off the line as the visitors pressed for a winner. 

With Graham Potter and his assistant Billy Reid both testing positive Covid, it was Bjorn Hamberg who was in charge in the technical area.

By Paul Hazlewood
Albion players celebrate their point at the King Power Stadium

On the field, Albion made two changes from Tuesday night’s draw to Chelsea, with Tariq Lamptey and Welbeck dropping to the bench, while Leandro Trossard and Neal Maupay were restored to the starting XI.

After an early effort from James Maddison, Albion were in the ascendancy but lacked the cutting edge to take the lead.

Pascal Gross sliced a volley from inside the box over before Neal Maupay’s acrobatic effort from eight yards, on the back of an Albion counter, gave the away supporters something to get behind.

By Paul Hazlewood
Neal Maupay was denied in the first half, before he setup the equaliser in the second.

The momentum swung the other way as Maddison’s free-kick hit the side-netting before Ademola Lookman should have scored when played through on goal by the Leicester no.10, but Rob Sanchez spread himself well and the man on loan from RB Leipzig fired his effort straight at the keeper.

Albion’s hard work in the first half was undone within two minutes of the restart. Maddison’s deflected effort was poked towards goal by Harvey Barnes, Sanchez parried instinctively but the loose ball fell to the feet of Daka, who hammered home.

Mac Allister was guilty of missing a decent chance five minutes later when Gross teed up the Argentinian to shoot from just inside the box, but he got under his effort and sent it well over the Leicester goal.

Hamberg changed Albion’s setup on the hour as he brought Welbeck and Lamptey, switching from a back four to a three. It nearly bore fruit ten minutes later when Lamptey found Welbeck with a well floated  ball to the near post which the striker met, guiding it towards the bottom right corner where Schmeichel saved well and Daniel Amartey cleared.

It set the tone for the final stages of the game as Albion pinned back the hosts.

The reward finally came. Maupay crossed in from the right and Welbeck nodded in at the back post in the 82nd minute. It was the 31-year-old’s third headed goal of the campaign.

By Paul Hazlewood
Danny Welbeck nodded in his third Premier League goal of the campaign.

Albion had found momentum at the perfect time and Dan Burn’s header from Mac Allister’s corner was cleared off the line by Youri Tielemans before Trossard’s low strike was expertly kept out by City skipper Schmeichel.

Albion pushed for a winner but had to settle for a point. 

Line-up: Sanchez, Cucurella, Webster ©, Maupay, Mac Allister, Trossard, Gross (Lamptey 62), Moder, Alzate (Welbeck 62), Burn, Veltman (March 78).

Unused subs: Scherpen, Dunk, Lallana, March, Caicedo, Roberts, Leonard.