Grady Diangana has earned a place in the EFL Championship Team of the Week following West Brom’s convincing 2-0 victory over 10-man QPR, and his impressive WhoScored ratings have been revealed.
West Brom reclaimed their position in the Championship’s top six with a comfortable win, and Grady Diangana’s significantly improved performance would have delighted manager Carlos Corberan.
In the match, Baggies striker Brandon Thomas-Asante scored a penalty in the 59th minute, and man-of-the-match Diangana added a second goal nine minutes later, allowing Corberan to celebrate his one-year anniversary as West Brom’s manager in style.
WhoScored announced their Championship Team of the Week on Thursday, with the former West Ham forward receiving the “fourth highest” rating for his match-winning performance, an impressive 9.22/10.
West Brom secured Diangana’s permanent signing from West Ham in 2020 after a successful loan spell. However, during his three-year tenure at The Hawthorns, he has shown inconsistency, contributing only 15 goals and 12 assists in 135 appearances [Transfermarkt].
📋 Here's @WhoScored's Team of Midweek! #EFL | #SkyBetChampionship pic.twitter.com/EmeatTH5pJ
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) October 26, 2023
Before Tuesday’s victory, he had played a total of six games, with only one assist, two big chances created, an average of 0.8 key passes, 1.5 shots, and just 0.2 accurate crosses per game [SofaScore]. These statistics may not have impressed Corberan.
In the absence of players like John Swift due to injury, Diangana was heavily relied upon to make a difference against QPR, and he did so brilliantly. Not only did he score the crucial second goal, but he also provided three key passes, won 100% of his dribbles and ground duels, hit the woodwork once, and created one significant scoring opportunity [SofaScore]. His actions in the penalty area resulted in a penalty for the Baggies.
Given the inconsistency in Diangana’s career at West Brom, it remains to be seen if he can maintain such performances in future matches. If he wants to secure a regular spot in the lineup when Corberan has a fully-fit squad at his disposal, his Tuesday performance will need to become a regular occurrence rather than a rare one.