Adam Webster admits that it’s nice for the Albion players to have their first Premier League cleansheet of the season at the 20th attempt after Tuesday’s goalless draw at West Ham.
Albion’s unwanted sequence actually stretches back into May last season, when we defeated Arsenal 3-0 at the Emirates.
The stalemate at the London Stadium coincided with Adam Webster’s return after a six-week absence with a calf injury.
“I feel really good," Webster said after the game. "I was really enjoying it out there. I didn’t want to come off but cramp in both your calves isn’t ideal! I am really happy, it’s nice to be back.
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“Sometimes when you come back it can take a while to get back in the team and that’s rightly so. You’ve got to build up your fitness, but it was good to get the opportunity to play and to get a cleansheet. That is really pleasing for us – it’s been hanging over our heads a bit.
“It was a really good performance. I think if we had won it would have been one of the best performances under the gaffer. We can build from that.”
Albion enjoyed just under 70 percent of possession and 22 shots, compared to West Ham’s six efforts.
“We’re not happy with a point at all,” Webster added. “You could see there was only one team probably trying to win the game.
“On another night we might have been a bit more ruthless and clinical and we win it by two or three. The performance as a whole was really good and pleasing.”
The 28-year-old’s withdrawal after 70 minutes left Albion with only one natural centre-back on the pitch in Jan Paul van Hecke, with Jack Hinshelwood and Pervis Estupinan filling in as part of a back three.
“It’s funny because last Friday I tried to do the session but I just physically couldn’t do it, I tried but I was ill. The gaffer came over to me and asked if I could play 30 minutes against West Ham, I said "no, I want to play 60." I said I was ready even though I hadn’t trained, so the physios were probably having a heart attack!
“Everyone knows the roles and responsibilities of each position, the players that have come in and are playing out of position do so well and it just goes to show how well we’re coached. We’ve got some fantastic players in the squad.”