West Bromwich Albion found Watford to be a sterner test than maybe they anticipated at the Hawthorns, with Darnell Furlong’s last-gasp equaliser in the West Midlands securing a share of the points in a 2-2 draw for the Baggies.
Having held Leeds United to a draw by the exact same scoreline on Good Friday, the Hornets spoiled another promotion-chasing side’s day by ridding the Baggies of a third win from their last five Championship clashes.
Okay Yokuslu surprisingly had an off-day for Carlos Corberan’s men in the 2-2 draw, having become an integral player under the Spaniard this campaign from holding midfield.
Now, his secure spot in Corberan’s starting eleven could be on shaky foundations after a disappointing display against Tom Cleverley’s tough Hornets.
Okay Yokuslu’s performance vs Watford in numbers
The forceful Turkish midfielder was timid by his usual standards on Easter Monday, with Corberan putting the 30-year-old out of his misery just shy of the 70-minute mark by substituting him.
The Baggies number 35 would win just 25% of the duels that came his way, a lacklustre return compared to the seven duels he was successful with when West Brom tore Huddersfield Town to shreds 4-1 last month.
| Yokuslu’s numbers vs Watford | |
|---|---|
| Minutes played | 67 |
| Touches | 40 |
| Accurate passes | 27/32 (84%) |
| Duels won | 1/4 |
| Tackles | 0 |
| Dribbled past | 2x |
| Stats by Sofascore | |
Moreover, when glancing over the table above, Yokuslu’s lack of tackles allowed Watford to grow in confidence with the Hornets dribbling past the 6 foot 3 enforcer with ease twice when he is usually alert to darts forward breaching the Baggies at the back.
Having amassed 39 Championship appearances this season, with his last absence coming last December against Sunderland, Corberan could decide to freshen things up away from Yokuslu when West Brom travel to Stoke City this coming weekend.
That could mean it is finally time for Yann M’Vila to get some first-team minutes under his belt at the Hawthorns, with the ex-Sunderland man joining on a free transfer in mid-February.
Yann M’Vila as Yokuslu’s replacement
Linked with a move back to the Stadium of Light before the Baggies swooped in on a short-term deal, M’Vila will relish the chance to be in the West Brom starting lineup against the Potters if chosen.
The French defensive midfielder shone in spurts against the Hornets replacing Yokuslu, eclipsing the number 35’s successful duels count with five won from just 23 minutes of action.
The former Black Cats warrior also launched himself into two tackles, giving Corberan’s men more steel and grit, which helped in the late comeback that then ensued.
Adam Reach and Grady Diangana were also inspired substitutions that changed the complexion of the contest drastically alongside M’Vila, with Diangana’s delightful assist for Brandon Thomas-Asante to fire home setting the promotion hopefuls on their way to collecting a point.
Therefore, there will be a whole host of selection dilemmas for Corberan to get right when West Brom do travel to Stoke this upcoming Saturday.
The Spanish boss might well be loyal to sticking by Yokuslu based on his everpresent nature in the Baggies first-team ranks of late, but after such an underwhelming display against Watford, he could be left with little alternative but to unleash M’Vila from the start against Steven Schumacher’s men in his place.
Jonathan Jonathan