Roberto De Zerbi is confident his players will produce a ‘positive reaction’ to Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Fulham.
Goals from Harry Wilson, Rodrigo Muniz and substitute Adama Traore condemned Albion to a fifth defeat in seven visits to London this season with Facundo Buonanotte closest to a reply when he hit the post. Albion dropped to ninth after West Ham and Newcastle won to overtake them in the table.
He said, “I think we deserved to lose, we played without the right energy but it can be like this. To compete this season is tough [but we have to] do better than today.
“In football you have to play every game in every competition at the same level. I am working a lot on keeping the right energy and mentality in our work. It’s a challenge every day for the club, for me, the players. But we are fighting and we have to show we deserve to play to keep at this level.
“Today we can’t explain the game with possession, shots, chances to score. The game is easier than the result says. We didn’t play well and Fulham played a good game – not an amazing game – but enough to win. We can play much better than we did today but I know my players will react in the right way on Thursday.”
With Thursday’s Europa League tie against AS Roma in mind, De Zerbi made seven changes with Pascal Gross and Danny Welbeck among those who started on the bench although Gross came on for skipper Lewis Dunk in the second half.
“I’m going to play with the players who are available to play,” added De Zerbi. “I’m positive because I know the level of my players and when we lose in this way always there is a good reaction. We have to remember this game very well.”
Match reaction in association with SnickersUK.com