West Bromwich Albion

West Bromwich Albion defender Nat Phillips has taken to life well in the West Midlands after his £3m move from Liverpool this summer.

The 28-year-old scored the only goal in the 1-0 win at fast-starters Stoke City at the weekend, putting in a player of the match performance.

Phillips, however, believes that a collective team effort helped push Albion over the line.

"We managed to get the goal to go ahead early doors and then it was a real fight from there on out and I thought as a team we were outstanding," he told BBC Radio WM.

Phillips is keen to showcase the range of his ability and is looking to become a more consistent threat.

"I want to try and add goals to my game. I feel like I can carry a threat in both boxes so I want to try and bring as many goals as possible," he said.

Having been loaned out from Liverpool six times across Europe to the likes of Stuttgart, Celtic, and Bournemouth, the permanence of his move to West Brom gives Phillips a foundation for him to have the confidence to bring stability to the backline.

"It's something that I pride myself on, my ability in the air and in aerial duels, so the more I can contribute that to the team the better."

Alongside him was a familiar presence in the form of Chris Mepham, having played together at Bournemouth in the Championship during the 2021-22 season.

The duo helped the Cherries secure automatic promotion that season, with 21 clean sheets in the league.

West Brom have made an impressive start gaining 10 points from four games and are second in the Championship table.

"It's important not to get complacent," says Phillips.

"We all know that we have to keep pushing forward. Keep moving in the direction that we want to. We just want to carry on as we've started the season with positive performances and positive results."

A sentiment sure to be welcomed by many Baggies fans.

Listen to the full interview and more West Bromwich Albion on Sounds.

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Ryan Mason hailed match-winning goalscorer Nat Phillips for his defensive performance alongside debutant Chris Mepham in the victory at Stoke City.

The West Bromwich Albion manager told BBC Radio WM: "Obviously he scored the winner but probably more importantly, (he did well) in our defensive box as well.

"He was outstanding, the sort of performance you get when you bring in a man ready to compete.

"He was mature and led by example but Chris alongside him was outstanding as well. He's had one training session and a performance like that makes me very happy."

Mason said away victory was a big moment, adding: "With the momentum Stoke were in coming into the game, the positivity to come away from home, win and keep a clean sheet, and the manner in which it was done, is so pleasing.

"We showed so much personality and quality at times, and suffered when we had to, but overall it was a thoroughly deserved three points."

Steve Hermon
BBC Radio WM journalist

Image source, Rex Features

It's always sad for fans when 'one of their own' leaves but in the age of profit and sustainability rules (PSR), Albion have waved goodbye to two young men who've been part of the club since the under-10s team.

Now both 22, Caleb Taylor and Tom Fellows are departing because money made from sales of Academy products is pure profit and goes on the books now, whereas purchases can be spread across the length of contracts.

That massively helps the club's ongoing PSR challenge, which chairman Shilen Patel reminded supporters about in an open letter earlier this summer, but it also allows the club to reinvest in multiple areas of the squad.

Taylor never started a Championship game, making just four substitute appearances, but he did prove his EFL potential on loan with Cheltenham and Wycombe.

The Baggies have pocketed £2.5m for the giant defender and, with lots of competition in front of him in his position, that looks to be solid business.

His exit has been very quickly followed by the £1.2m arrival of Alfie Gilchrist, who does have second tier experience on loan at Sheffield United and was also a captain at youth level with Chelsea. They've also signed Wales international Chris Mepham for a similar fee.

There's been a lot more debate regarding the fee for Fellows. The Longbridge lad's deal could rise to £10m and I must admit I was surprised when I first saw that figure, but there are factors to take into consideration.

First, I understand this is the highest bid Albion have received for the England Under-21 winger.

Bids rejected last summer were lower and didn't include a sell-on clause. Rumours of a £15m bid from Everton in January were just not true.

Secondly, Southampton have been the only club to submit a bid. There was no bidding war.

A lot of comparisons have been made with deals for other attacking Championship players, who've left their clubs this summer but Tyler Dibling and Omari Hutchinson, to name just two, were wanted by current Premier League teams and already have experience in the top flight - only for one season, but their talents still stood out in struggling sides.

Albion's two-time Young Player of the Year Fellows dazzled with his dribbling skills and racked up a joint-high 14 assists in the Championship in 2024-25 but only four came after top-scorer Josh Maja suffered a season-ending injury in January.

If the club left it another six months, he would only have a year-and-a-half left on his current contract and only a sharp increase in form would've increased demand for Fellows by the winter window.

However, if he does go on to achieve much greater things, the club has had a 20% sell-on clause inserted into the deal. A similar clause is part of Taylor's transfer to Millwall.

Taking the money now means it can be reinvested immediately, and the Baggies already have plans for it. They're targeting a new winger before Monday's transfer deadline and will have cash to play with as soon as the window re-opens in January.

Gone are the days of Albion legend Tony Brown, my co-commentator on BBC Radio WM, spending their whole career with one club. Unlike 'Bomber', there won't be a statue built of Tom Fellows outside The Hawthorns. But he and Caleb Taylor leave with the well wishes of everyone.

Both are genuinely nice and down-to-earth lads and neither kicked up a fuss about moving, but their departures will leave their boyhood clubs in a much better position to prosper in the future.

West Bromwich Albion manager Ryan Mason says the likely sale of winger Tom Fellows to Southampton and departure of full-back Darnell Furlong to Ipswich were no surprise and the club is still well placed to compete in this year's Championship.

The Baggies signed Wales centre-back Chris Mepham from Bournemouth on Thursday and Mason says there are still a "lot of possibilities" of other players arriving before Monday's transfer deadline.

"We're very optimistic that this club is going to be in a good place and that we are going to be able to compete and get positive results," Mason told BBC Radio WM.

"We're super happy he (Mepham) has come through the door, we know what he's going to bring with his experience.

"I think we've got strength in areas, there's three or four days (until the deadline) and maybe things will happen."

West Brom, unbeaten in their first three league games, travel to table-toppers Stoke City, who have won all three of their fixtures so far, on Saturday (12:30 BST).

Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.

Early table-toppers Stoke will seek to keep their perfect start to the Championship season going as they host West Bromwich Albion on Saturday lunchtime (12:30 BST).

Mark Robins' men have scored eight goals across their opening three wins and host the unbeaten Baggies who saw their own perfect start ended by a home draw against Portsmouth last Saturday, a game in which head coach Ryan Mason was shown a red card which will keep him in the stands for the trip to the Potteries.

• Stoke City have failed to win any of their past six league games against West Brom (D3 L3), losing this exact fixture 2-1 last season.

• West Brom have won four of their past six away league games against Stoke City (D1 L1), three of which have come via a one-goal margin.

• Stoke have won each of their opening three league games this season and will be looking to win their opening four for the first time since 1998-99 in the third tier.

• After remaining unbeaten in the Championship so far this season (W2 D1), West Brom will be looking to win three of their opening four league games of a campaign for the second consecutive season.

• Stoke will be looking to win successive home league games for just the second time since the start of last season after beating Derby 3-1 in their last outing at the bet365 Stadium.

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

West Brom are set to sign Chelsea defender Alfie Gilchrist for an initial £1.2m rising to potentially £2m with add-ons.

The 21-year-old is currently undergoing a medical in the Midlands and is expected to sign a four year contract.

Gilchrist had been training in Chelsea's so-called 'bomb squad' and was deemed surplus to requirements but proved his ability to play at Championship level at Sheffield United last season, featuring 32 times for the Blades.

The Chelsea academy graduate also played 17 times for his boyhood club under Mauricio Pochettino in a breakthrough season and scored once.

Chelsea now hold the Premier League record after selling £264.4m worth of players - not including potential add-ons.

Image source, Getty Images

West Bromwich Albion boss Ryan Mason will serve a one-match touchline ban against Stoke City on Saturday after he admitted an FA charge of misconduct following his dismissal in the 1-1 draw with Portsmouth.

Mason, who has also been fined £2,000, was given a yellow card after a penalty claim was waved away, he was then shown the red card when he felt Pompey defender Regan Poole should have been sent off.

Striker Aune Heggebo was hauled back by Poole when through on goal, with the defender having already been booked.

This came just moments after Albion were denied a penalty when Heggebo appeared to be tripped by Connor Ogilvie.

Mason was seen to kick out at the bench in the technical area and was in conversation with the fourth official.

The result ended Baggies' perfect start to the season but they still sit fourth in the table and remain unbeaten.

West Bromwich Albion midfielder Alex Mowatt felt his side were on the wrong side of big refereeing calls in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Portsmouth.

The Baggies were denied a penalty and then believed Pompey defender Regan Poole should have been sent off soon after.

West Brom boss Ryan Mason was sent off for protesting against both decisions.

"On the pitch I felt it was a penalty, that's why I went over to the referee," Mowatt told BBC Radio WM.

"I got a booking for it, the gaffer got sent off, the stadium felt it.

"Two massive decisions didn't go our way, but that's football. I'm just gutted that we didn't win the game."

The 30-year-old almost marked his new two-year deal with a goal as he struck the post, and hopes to pass on his experience over the next few seasons while sealing his ultimate aim of helping Albion to the Premier League.

"I''ve loved my time here," he added. "We haven't got promotion yet which is why I came here and what I wanted to do, so hopefully this season we can be right up there.

"I'm 30 now. Over the years players like Jake Livermore and Matty Phillips set the right example every day, so now it's time for me and a few other lads to start doing that as well."

John Bennett
BBC Final Score at The Hawthorns.

Image source, Getty Images

The fans were singing West Bromwich Albion boss Ryan Mason's name from the stands in the first half and then in the second half, after his red card, he was in the stands with them.

The chants from the supporters asking Mason for a wave are further proof that he's made an excellent impression at The Hawthorns since his arrival.

And even though his winning start to the season ended on Saturday, there was still enough from the performance to suggest that this will be a positive first season for him as a permanent manager.

He's normally so calm and composed on the touchline but two decisions in quick succession made him absolutely furious and saw him kick out at his chair in the dugout.

First he got a yellow card after a penalty claim was turned down, then he was shown a red card after feeling that Portsmouth defender Regan Poole should have been sent off.

Both decisions looked controversial from my seat in the stands, which wasn't too far from where Mason was forced to sit for the final stages.

Poole in particular was very lucky, although his overall performance for Portsmouth was excellent.

It's a tough trip to Stoke next up for West Brom and Mason will need his forwards to be more clinical, but he's got the backing of the fans and despite Saturday's draw, it still feels as though there's a real positivity around the club at the start of his era in charge.

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West Brom assistant coach Nigel Gibbs said his players responded well to Ryan Mason's dismissal during their 1-1 draw at Portsmouth.

The Baggies were held at Fratton Park when Colby Bishop cancelled out Mikey Johnston's opener.

But Mason was sent off for dissent in the second half after his side weren't given a penalty.

"From where I was it looked a penalty, as did the crowd – everyone in the stadium thought it was a penalty – they didn't. It's frustrating, disappointing what went on. That's football," Gibbs told BBC Radio WM.

"The boys really responded well after that which was the most important thing. They stayed calm, they kept playing, they kept pushing and we had a couple of moments near the end where we nearly got the ball in the right area or it fell to us but it wasn't to be."

Gibbs thought his side deserved a victory but praised the team for their collective effort.

"We're a little bit frustrated that we didn't win the game. We had a lot of possession that second-half, we just couldn't find the moment to get us the winner. We felt we had a penalty in that second-half but it wasn't given.

"We pushed right to the end and we looked like the team that was going to get the winner, they didn't have that many chances against us. The lads gave great effort today and they kept pushing to get the winner.

Championship leading goalscorer Isaac Price will look to add to his goal tally as West Bromwich Albion put their 100% winning start to the season on the line against Portsmouth on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Portsmouth's one win so far this season came away from home at Oxford United so John Mousinho's side can be encouraged by visiting The Hawthorns.

• West Brom are unbeaten across their last eight home league games against Portsmouth (W6 D2), since a 3-0 defeat at The Hawthorns in February 1998.

• Portsmouth have failed to win any of their last four league games against West Brom (D2 L2), last enduring a longer such run against the Baggies between 1987 and 1994 (nine games).

• West Brom have won each of their last three league games and will be looking to win four on the bounce for the first time since September 2024.

• Portsmouth have won two of their last three away league games (D1), one more than across their prior 16 fixtures on the road combined (D2 L13).

• Isaac Price has scored three goals in West Brom's opening two league games so far this season and boasts the league's fourth-highest non-penalty expected goals (xG) total (1.3).

Image source, PA Media

West Bromwich Albion midfielder Isaac Price has been called up to the Northern Ireland squad for their opening 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The 21-year-old is currently the Championship's top goal scorer, having netted three times in two games and helping to secure Ryan Mason's side maximum points so far.

Price has made 18 appearances for Northern Ireland and scored six goals since national team boss Michael O'Neill handed him his debut aged 19.

Northern Ireland open their World Cup qualifying campaign when they visit Luxembourg on 4 September.