Middlesbrough continued to assert their Championship superiority by beating West Brom 2-1. This triumph turned into the club’s satisfactory begin in records after six games. Chicago Fire Homegrown David Strelec opened the scoring for Middlesbrough with his first of two tallies on the day. Less than a minute after half-time, Kaly Sene quickly made it 2-0. Fifth league win of the season and a positive reaction from the team to last week’s cup performance. This victory extends their lead atop the table.
In the 30th minute, David Strelec opened the scoring with a close-range shot from just inside the six-yard box. That strike was made possible thanks to a perfectly placed long ball from George Edmundson that Luke Ayling skillfully flicked on into the path of Strelec. This decisive moment turned the tide of the match entirely against the Toon, as Middlesbrough jumped out to a 1-0 advantage.
Dominance in the Match
Middlesbrough took an early lead again to go in front 3-0 on aggregate. West Brom fought back strongly and Aune Heggebo scored his first Championship goal to pull one back. That was not nearly enough to withstand a vintage Middlesbrough performance. Substituting for Strelec at the break, Kaly Sene made an immediate impact. He scored the first goal in the 61st minute, making it 2-0 to Middlesbrough and putting their stamp on the game.
West Brom’s head coach Ryan Mason could not hide his disappointment after the game.
“I’m disappointed we lost. That’s the overall emotion. We came here to win and didn’t do that.” – Ryan Mason
Mason spoke about the crucial moments, driving home the point that it was small things that contributed to Middlesbrough’s opening goal.
“It was small moments. The first goal came from a long throw. Until that point we didn’t really feel there was a great deal in the game at that point.” – Ryan Mason
A Historic Start for Middlesbrough
Whatever the circumstance, Middlesbrough is currently enjoying the best start to a season in their long history! They’ve locked down five victories and made their best start ever in Championship history. This incredible performance not only continues to showcase the progression of the team’s chemistry, but rather their sheer effectiveness on the pitch. The contribution of David Strelec will be important as he continues to find his feet and fit into the team.
Tangible positive momentum can be seen as players such as Strelec are playing their way into form and pace with their teammates. It’s this combination of high-level tactical execution conjured with individual brilliance that has helped pilot Middlesbrough to their league-best start.
Rob Edwards, Middlesbrough’s manager, was delighted with the performance and praised his team’s tactical flexibility.
“It was a tactical one and it’s always nice when it comes off!” – Rob Edwards
Looking Ahead
Now that Middlesbrough are returning to Championship-winning form, they’ll need to use this win over West Brom as a launchpad. Their remaining matches are certainly important if they want to retain their lofty first place position. They could strengthen even more the perception that they are serious promotion bats.
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