How albion players rated against Aston Villa.

ROBERT SANCHEZ 6/10

Hard to mark given he had so little to do as the last line of defence. Confident playing out from the back as the first line of construction.

BEN WHITE 7/10

Made one important, improvised clearance from a dangerous cross in the first half and was generally part of another secure defensive effort.

LEWIS DUNK 7/10

Rock solid again at the back and looked to vary the attacking strategy with longer passes when they were on.

DAN BURN 8/10

A really strong performance on a night when Adam Webster was another name on the injury list. Can operate on the left of a three or wider, as was often the case here. Covers ground quickly getting forward. Helped create and was unfortunate not to score.

JOEL VELTMAN 9/10

An immense performance will be remembered for the disciplined and unflustered way he kept Grealish quiet, something Albion have probably never managed since they first came across him in the FA Youth Cup. That in itself was a huge contribution. But worth remembering he also provided the cross of the night, which Mac Allister headed over, and arguably forced Martinez’s best save. Very close to a complete performance.

YVES BISSOUMA 7/10

Has a habit of making balls his when, at best, he looks joint favourite to get there first. And of keeping hold of that possession under duress until he is ready to make the pass. A couple of heavy touches in his own half early in the second half but got away with it.

PASCAL GROSS 7/10

The usual blend of careful distribution, decent set-pieces and tireless running. Disappointing with a well-placed free-kick in the first half but generally good to watch.

STEVEN ALZATE 6/10

Handicapped by an early booking when he invited Grealish into a tumble but did quite well in the unaccustomed left wing-back role.

ALEXIS MAC ALLISTER 7/10

Always looks like he might make something happen which, allied to his enormous effort and tenacity, makes him so fun to watch. Would have scored very highly had he put a free header or a free-kick on target rather than too high.

LEANDRO TROSSARD 8/10

A bundle of tricks and among those to be denied by the athleticism and strong arms of Martinez. We know the talent. This is the type of engaged performance we want to see (and generally have done of late).

NEAL MAUPAY 6/10

Lots of good effort and team play. Might have done better with a second-half effort which seemed to see him take an extra touch.

SUBS

ADAM LALLANA 7/10

Looked fired up to impress. Made Albion play and the stats say he created more chances than any team-mate.

DANNY WELBECK N/A

Maybe could have come on a bit earlier. Was denied by his mate and former Arsenal colleague Martinez from close range after getting into a great near-post position ahead of Konsa. Having got there, he might feel he should have scored.