Three things learnt from West Brom’s 2-1 victory over Bournemouth

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Howe needs to stop the rot

Bournemouth were sitting comfortably in mid-table after a 3-0 thumping of Swansea on New Year’s Eve – but that was their last victory in all competitions. They are hemorrhaging goals and have not been helped by the recall of Nathan Ake to his parent club, Chelsea. Howe allowed Marc Wilson to join the Baggies on loan in January, while injuries to skipper Simon Francis and Adam Smith have not enabled any continuity in defence. This is their most pressing issue. The Cherries conceded the second most amount of goals in the Premier League last term and are at risk of repeating that dubious feat. Scoring goals has not been a huge concern, but Bournemouth simply will not pick up points if they are regularly shipping at least two per game. The gap between them and the relegation zone now stands at just five points and it is shrinking at an alarming rate. The run-in will test Howe’s credentials – can he prove why he is so highly regarded?