Stoke ease the pressure on Mark Hughes by holding on to beat West Brom

Mark Hughes was presented with just what he wanted in the run-up to Christmas as his team ended a run of three straight defeats by eking out a nervy but deserved win over West Brom. First-half goals by Joe Allen and Eric Choupo-Moting, and a late third by Ramadan Sobhi, lightened the threat of the sack that still hangs over the manager who must hope this result is the start of a serious revival. Alan Pardew, meanwhile, remains winless as West Brom manager after five games in charge despite Salomón Rondón’s second-half goal.

Ahead of this critical showdown Hughes aired some dubious grievances about recent results not being an accurate reflection of his team’s performance but here, at least, the final score was a fair indication of the play. The first half was one of Stoke’s most coherent displays of the season and, as such, vindication for some bold decisions by the manager, especially the deployment of 18-year-old Tom Edwards at right-back, which allowed Geoff Cameron to remain as a midfield sentinel giving strong protection to the hosts’ defence, which featured Kevin Wimmer as a left-back. This was only Edwards’ third senior appearance, his first at home.

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