The 2-0 Arsenal defeat could have been worse and for 45 minutes against Tottenham Hotspur – a goal down – it seemed to be only a matter of time before Spurs went on to inflict even more damage on a shaky defence. But no – a revitalised Tony Pulis side throwing off the negative shackles took the game too Spurs and well deserved the Craig Dawson equaliser. Roars of applause from the TV watching audience, especially Baggies and Leicester fans.

Naturally this has led to frustrated supporters asking “Why can’t they play like that every week?” This goes down to Tony Pulis; the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition, the team he selects to counter their strengths and conversely play on their perceived weak links. Sometimes he’s right, sometimes he’s wrong but at the end of the day it’s the players who ultimately determine the result.

Boaz Myhill in place of the injured Ben Foster made some great saves. Lone striker Salomon Rondon was a constant threat while the midfield led by Stephane Sessegnon created situations that could have seen Baggies poach a very unlikely late winner. Well done to all. More of the same please, starting against West Ham at the Hawthorns. A third in form London club pushing for a Champions League spot, playing attacking football, will provide a tough nut to crack.

Which Albion will we see on Saturday is anyone’s guess. Baggies’ home form has been very poor especially against the lower clubs but as the Hammers are certainly among the top six clubs hopefully that can be discounted?