Pulis praises team after defeat at Chelsea

West Brom boss Tony Pulis praised his players after their 1-0 defeat at Chelsea.

Albion defended superbly until Diego Costa nudged Gareth McAuley off the ball and fired home the winner 14 minutes from time.

The visitors were well organised and caused Chelsea problems on the break, although Pulis felt they could have used the ball better.

“We were well set up without possession and caused them some problems on the break, especially in the first half,” Pulis said.

“What we needed to do when we regained possession was just to get that pass up the pitch earlier to cause them problems.”

The hosts struggled to create chances before McAuley allowed Costa to squirm away from him on the right-hand side.

The striker’s finish was emphatic and gave Chelsea a ninth consecutive league win.

“Gareth should have dealt with it but I’ve got no qualms about him or the other lads,” Pulis added.

“Gareth made a mistake. We all make mistakes. We’ve got to move on.

“I’m disappointed for them because they put so much effort into the game.”