West Brom 3-1 Watford: Tony Pulis's men into top six after another victory

West Brom leapfrogged Watford into the Premier League's top six after a fiery 3-1 win at The Hawthorns on Saturday.

Two set-piece goals from Jonny Evans and Chris Brunt in the first half helped Tony Pulis' side into the lead despite Watford's strong start, before Christian Kabasele pulled one back for the visitors after the break. 

Walter Mazzarri was furious with a number of refereeing decisions as his side searched for an equaliser, with Roberto Pereyra seeing red late on for Watford, who sit bottom of the fairplay table.

Matt Phillips sealed the win against their 10-man opponents with a sweet strike in added time to see West Brom also move above Manchester United and Everton ahead of their Super Sunday clash. 

Pulis - who was this week assured his job was safe despite a High Court ruling he must pay former club Crystal Palace £3.7m - named an unchanged West Brom side from the 1-1 draw at Hull City, while Mazzarri was forced into four changes to his team which lost 1-0 to Stoke last weekend.

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Mazzarri also switched to a 4-4-2 formation, which pegged West Brom back in the opening stages, with Nordin Amrabat's swinging strike forcing a surprised Ben Foster into a smart save inside a minute.

Asked about West Brom's set-piece threat before the game, Mazzarri said his side "knew their characteristics well" but it was the hosts' first corner of the match which swung the game in their favour, Evans outmuscling Kabasele to meet Brunt's delivery on 16.

Watford came back into the game with Amrabat again causing problems, but his goal-bound effort was blocked by team-mate Stefano Okaka.

West Brom made the visitors pay from another set-piece though, with Brunt's drilled free-kick deflecting off Zuniga in the Watford wall and past the helpless Heurelho Gomes (34) to make it 2-0.

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The visitors' best attacking threat came through Amrabat, whose cross almost led to Troy Deeney pulling Watford back into the game shortly after half time, but for a vital Gareth McAuley block.

Kabasele did pull a goal back for Watford with their own set-piece in the 61st minute though, poking Deeney's effort over the line from close range after Amrabat's corner.

Mazzarri was unhappy with referee Graham Scott as a number of decisions went against the away side when searching for an equaliser and a frustrated Watford, who had already collected 33 yellow cards and committed 184 fouls before kick-off, received a red card in the 84th minute when Pereyra appeared to kick out at James McClean.

With a man advantage Phillips sealed the points for West Brom with a superb curling strike in added time after a neat one-two with Darren Fletcher, giving Albion their third win in four league games.

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Player ratings

West Brom: Foster (7), Dawson (6), McAuley (7), Evans (8), Nyom (7), Yacob (6), Fletcher (6), Brunt (7), Morrison (6), Phillips (8), Rondon (6)

Subs: Robson-Kanu (6), McClean (6), Chadli (6)

Watford: Gomes (6), Zuniga (5), Prödl (6), Kabasele (6), Holebas (6), Guedioura (6), Amrabat (7), Capoue (6), Pereyra (5), Deeney (6), Okaka (5)

Subs: Sinclair (6), Ighalo (6)

Man of the match: Matt Phillips

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