Albion climbed to seventh in the Premier League table after a ruthless display against ten-man Sheffield United.
The game was effectively won midway through the first half, by which time Facundo Buonanotte and Danny Welbeck had both scored their fourth goals of the season against a United team who played with ten men from the 13th minute after Mason Holgate was sent off for an awful knee-high challenge on Kaoru Mitoma.
Albion kept total control in the second half and added further goals late on. Jack Robinson turned Mitoma’s cross into his own net – a deserved assist for the Japanese winger – before Simon Adingra netted twice to take his tally for the season to seven. Just over 2800 Albion fans in the away end acclaimed the delighted Ivorian and a first away win in the league since November.
The Blades had been boosted by last week’s win at Luton and came flying out of the traps. Bart Verbruggen was called to make a fine save low to his right inside the first minute to keep out Jayden Bogle’s shot.
But Albion soon settled and the returning Adingra showed he was in the mood when he took a long ball from Adam Webster out of the sky with a wonderful touch. His cross had Anel Ahmedhodzic struggling to clear and keeper Wes Foderingham scrambled the ball off the line with Welbeck ready to pounce.
On 13 minutes the hosts went down to ten men and could have no complaints when Holgate wiped out Mitoma with an awful challenge just above the knee. Referee Stuart Attwell initially showed a yellow card but the briefest glance at the pitch-side monitor, on the VAR’s advice, was enough to change his mind and rightly so.
Albion took advantage and led on 20 minutes. Gross’s corner was headed back across goal by Webster and Buonanotte applied the merest of touches with his knee to force it over the line.
Gustavo Hamer waltzed past two defenders but his effort went wide of the far post but Albion were in control and doubled their lead on 24 minutes. There was no pressure on Gross on the corner of the D and his cross was met by an unmarked Mitoma at the far post. Foderingham did well to keep his shot out, but Welbeck lashed the loose ball into the roof of the net.
Albion’s wide men had so much space and used it well. Lewis Dunk’s threaded pass found Mitoma and his deep centre to Adingra was volleyed over by the Ivorian. Mitoma then dribbled his way to the line and pulled it back to Gross, but his effort and Welbeck’s follow-up were blocked by desperate defenders. Gross, again in splendid isolation on the corner of the box, picked out Welbeck whose header was well saved by Foderingham before Adingra, from a tight angle, blasted a right-footer over the apex of crossbar and post.
Albion had enjoyed 78 per cent possession in the first half but they had a warning deep into the first half when Ben Osborn turned the ball home at a corner. The referee disallowed it for a foul and didn’t change his mind after another visit to the pitch-side monitor.
Igor and Jakub Moder came on for the second half with Gross switching to right-back and Albion continued where they had left off. A typically intricate move ended with Welbeck digging out a shot and forcing a save then Mitoma dribbled his way to the line and forced Foderingham to save instinctively at his near post.
Evan Ferguson replaced Buonanotte and almost scored with his first touch but his header from Gross’s corner went straight at Foderingham before Albion’s dominance finally produced a third goal with 15 minutes to go when Mitoma’s cross was diverted into his own net by Robinson under pressure from Welbeck.
It was 4-0 on 77 minutes and another assist for Gross, whose cross was clipped home with wonderful power, precision and placement by Adingra. Five minutes from time Gross and Ansu Fati set up Adingra again and his angled effort looped over Foderingham after taking a deflection off Auston Trusty. Five goals and very much in the race for European football, the afternoon couldn’t have gone much better for Albion.
Albion: Verbruggen, Lamptey (Igor 45), Dunk, van Hecke, Webster (Moder 45), Gross, Gilmour, Adingra, Mitoma (Fati 76), Buonanotte (Ferguson 66), Welbeck (Estupinan 81).
Subs not used: Steele, Baleba, Veltman, Baker-Boaitey.