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AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United, Premier League

Louis van Gaal’s side would go back into fifth spot with a win at The Hawthorns today.

Hello and welcome to this afternoon’s Premier League liveblog.

Another massive weekend of sport has nearly passed us by so we may as well enjoy it before the Monday blues set in.

You won’t miss Memphis Depay this afternoon anyway…

A timely reminder to wish your mother a Happy Mother’s Day where possible — it’s not worth the alternative.

This is a 4pm kick-off and will be screened live on Sky Sports 1. Coverage starts at 3.30.

Team news to follow shortly.

As usual, feel free to get in touch with us via Facebook, Twitter or the comments section below.

How do you see this one going? Another narrow win for United? Or will West Brom continue their decent run of form that has seen them claim seven points from their last three Premier League games.

A draw looks the most likely result.

Elsewhere today it’s currently 1-1 between Crystal Palace and Liverpool with about 10 minutes to play.

Here are today’s teams:

 

West Brom are unchanged from the side that drew 2-2 with league leaders Leicester City during the week.

Matteo Darmian, Chris Smalling and Michael Carrick return for Manchester United for whom teen sensation Marcus Rashford once again leads the line in the absence of Wayne Rooney.

Liverpool won today’s earlier kick-off 2-1 with a last-minute penalty from substitute Christian Benteke. Cork man Damien Delaney was the one who gave away the spot kick.

Doesn’t really bode well …

This is shaping more and more like a drab 0-0 draw as the stats come through. Hopefully not.

The teams are on the field and getting the formalities out of the way.

And they’re off.

Early shot on target from Martial. Decent start from United.

Manchester United are dominating possession but West Brom look pretty well organised early doors.

Juan Mata has looked a class above so far. He’s been lively, been passing and dribbling well.

CHANCE for West Brom. Rondon does well to make some space out wide. He swings a decent cross into the box. Dawson rises highest but sends his header well wide.

Not been a great game to watch so far, the atmosphere seems a bit dead at The Hawthorns too.

Some sloppy play from both attacks. Martial and Berahino have both been guilty of poor control.

West Brom with a free kick in an attacking position. A high boot from Blind is penalised right on the edge of the area.

Gardner tries to whip it in towards the back post but Martial does well to clear.

WHAT A CHANCE — A great ball in from Gardner towards the back post finds Long. But the defender is called for straying offisde. He headed wide from close range anyway.

Juan Mata has been booked for not retreating from a free kick.

It’s been pretty even for the first quarter, quite uneventful by and large though.

Juan Mata sent off for second yellow card after just 25 minutes. He can’t have any complaints really.

Massive blow for United, he’s looked the most likely of their players to create anything.

CLOSE — Dawson shoots from distance and it sails just wide of De Gea’s top-right corner. That would have been a serious double blow.

Mata’s second challenge wasn’t nasty but it was late and clumsy, thoroughly deserving of a yellow. His first card, for stopping West Brom take a quick free-kick looks particularly daft now.

De Gea saves comfortably from a Sessegnon half-volley. West Brom have been the much better side since the sending off.

I wouldn’t fancy being the guy having to put a highlights reel together from this 45 minutes; it’s been pretty dull except for the sending off. Just a couple of minutes left in the first period.

HT: West Brom 0 Man United 0

That was Manchester United’s first red card of the season and the first of Juan Mata’s career.

We’re back under way.

The second half has begun similar to the first. It’s all been a bit dull to be perfectly honest.

Better from Manchester United. Martial makes a good run down the left the ball falls to Rashford and his shot is deflected wide.

GREAT EFFORT from Lingard goes just over the bar. A good, dipping shot from distance grazes the top of the net from the United winger.

Dawson is being replaced by Pocognoli, looks like it’s due to injury.

Martial wins a free kick on the edge of the area after getting on the end of a long ball. Olsson took him down. Mata would have fancied this one.

Herrera’s effort is a poor one, not even close to beating the wall.

You’d think both managers would be looking at making changes to try and win this.

Right on cue, it looks like Ireland winger James McClean is coming on for the Baggies.

Schneiderlin is on for Herrera in the Manchester United midfield.

McClean still standing by, it looks like he’ll be on during the next break in play.

West Brom 1 Man United 0 (Rondon ’67)

Finally this game comes to life. And it’s their form man Rondon who breaks the deadlock; that’s his fourth goal in his last six games.

A good cross from Pocognoli found the Venezuelan in plenty of space and he took a touch before burying it in the corner. No chance for De Gea, United’s defenders seemed to switch off there.

McClean on for Sessegnon.

The crowd has finally come to life now too.

Memphis Depay is on for Rashford. United have just 15 minutes to try and salvage this.

Depay has been in good form of late.

Good start from Depay, he earns a free kick out wide after a mistimed tackled by Gardner.

He whips it into a dangerous area but there is no United player attacking the ball. Olsson clears the danger.

United don’t look like they’ll be getting anything out of this one. They’re lacking imagination in attack — West Brom have looked relatively comfortable at the back today. Ten minutes to play.

Fosu-Mensah is on for United. Darmian makes way.

Into injury time at The Hawthorns. There will be four additional minutes.

FT: West Brom 1 Manchester United 0

And that’s that. A massive blow for United’s top-four aspirations.

United never really looked like creating an equaliser. The loss of Mata proved decisive, he had looked like the best player on the park up to that point.

That’s all for this liveblog, thanks for joining me.

Report and reaction to follow shortly.

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