Roberto Di Matteo reserved special praise for Gonzalo Jara after witnessing him open his Albion account with a 30-yard belter. The 24-year-old Chile international again showed his versatility at The Walkers Stadium impressing alongside Graham Dorrans in midfield.
The £1.4 million summer signing from Colo Colo has settled quickly in England and has established himself in Roberto Di Matteo’s starting XI. And while the Italian is still unsure on Jara’s best position, the Baggies boss believes he’d have no problem competing in the Premier League.
"I can't yet answer whether I feel central midfield is Jara's best position," Di Matteo admitted.
"He's only been with us a short while so it would be better for me to answer that at the end of the season.
"One of the reasons we signed him is that he's so versatile and can cover a number of positions.
"Can he play higher up? Absolutely.
"We like him very much as a player.
"He brings a bit of steel and experience to the team.
"His distribution is also very good.
"He's an all-rounder."
Albion’s head coach also praised 19-year-old Joe Mattock for his maturity shown on his return to his hometown club after his summer switch to The Hawthorns. Despite being exposed to a hostile reception, Mattock was solid throughout and eventually silenced his critics on his return.
"Joe responded fantastically," he added.
"He was very strong mentally throughout.
"He had a good game, remained cool and didn't let their supporters influence his performance."