West Bromwich Albion picked up a fourth win from their last five games away at Cardiff City, Carlos Corberan’s men breaking the deadlock in the tight encounter courtesy of a sensational solo effort from Jeremy Sarmiento early into the second half to win the game 1-0.
The Brighton loanee’s excellent strike just minutes into the second half was a goal worthy of winning any contest, the Baggies now eyeing up the automatic promotion spots above them after the win – the slim victory over the Bluebirds catapulting West Brom up to third spot in the division.
It wasn’t just Sarmiento’s strike that ensured the Baggies would travel back to the west Midlands with all three points however, a resolute team effort from all of Corberan’s men kept the Bluebirds at bay for the full 90 minutes to get the victory over the line.
West Brom’s game in numbers
In truth, the game at the Cardiff City Stadium lacked overall quality from both teams minus Sarmiento’s curled effort – both sides only registering one shot on target apiece, with Corberan relieved that his side’s only on-target effort sailed into the back of the net.
The Baggies did edge the possession stats on the night however, holding the ball for 56% of the contest with Alex Mowatt for the away side amassing 92 touches of the ball from midfield as per Sofascore.
West Brom would also hit the post in this contest, leading to a more favourable xG of 1.22 to Cardiff’s lesser 0.48 who failed to consistently test Alex Palmer in the opposing net.
Despite the hosts being largely ineffective going forward, Cedric Kipre stood out as a key performer in defence for the Baggies in the Welsh capital.
Facing off against his former club, the 26-year-old battled valiantly throughout and ensured Palmer behind him retained a clean sheet.
Cedric Kipre’s game in numbers
The 6 foot 4 colossus was instrumental in nullifying the attacking threats Cardiff had, clearing the ball away a grand total of seven times to alleviate pressure.
Moreover, Kipre used his towering frame to his advantage throughout the game in the Welsh capital – winning three of his five aerial duels in the contest, opposition striker Yakou Méïté having a torrid night up against the determined defender as a result.
Cedric Kipre’s game vs Cardiff | |
|---|---|
Touches | 83 |
Pass Success | 59/67 (88%) |
Long Ball Success | 2/5 |
Duels Won | 3/6 |
Clearances | 7 |
Blocked Shots | 3 |
Interceptions | 3 |
Stats via Sofascore. | |
Kipre wasn’t just dogged in his game however at the Cardiff City Stadium, displaying an unerring composure on the ball when the Baggies attempted to construct a move out from the back.
Only losing possession eight times in total during the game, West Brom’s number four was also accurate with 88% of his passes in an error-free night for the ex-Bluebirds man who got the final laugh over his former employers come the full-time whistle.
It even led to Birmingham Live journalist Joseph Chapman describing Kipre as the “brightest” player on the pitch against Erol Bulut’s Welsh hosts, West Brom full value for the three points in their luminous away kit offering with Kipre even garnering a 7/10 rating too from Chapman in his player ratings.
Corberan will hope that his in-form side can pick up another win this coming weekend, even with table-topping Leicester City coming to the Hawthorns up next.
Yet, with Kipre at the heart of defence solidifying an already strong Baggies backline, West Brom will hope they can pull off another impressive victory against an automatic promotion candidate when the Foxes stroll into town on Saturday.
