West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Manchester United: 5 talking points

West Bromwich Albion recorded their first ever victory against Manchester United in the Premier League era as Salomon Rondon's strike gave them all three points against Louis van Gaal's side, who played more than an hour with 10-men.West Brom were more dynamic in the first half with 6 attempts on goal compared to United’s two. The away side’s already tall task of breaking down a well-drilled Baggies defence was made even more mountainous when Juan Mata was sent off in the 26th minute for two bookable offences.Tony Pulis side made the numerical superiority count in the 65th minute when the Venezuelan Rondon pounced on a whipped in a cross from Sebastien Pocognoli to beat David de Gea. United failed to create a meaningful chance since their numerical disadvantage costing them dearly in the end.The result lifts West Brom up to 11th with 39 points, just a draw away from the relegation easing 40-point mark, while United remain in sixth position, 3 points off rivals Manchester City in fourth ahead of the Manchester Derby two weeks from now.Here’s a look at the five talking points that shaped up the encounter at the Hawthorns:

#1 Juan Mata\'s red card sinks United

It was always going to be a gigantic task for Manchester United to break a resolute Baggies defence down. To do it with 10-men was nearly mission impossible. The culprit was Juan Mata, who received two bookings within a couple of minutes to reduce his side to 10 men.

The 4-4-1 formation deployed after the sending off was never going to threaten West Brom thanks to Claudio Yacob and Darren Fletcher’s effective shielding of the back four. United did create a couple of half-chances in the second period via. a Jesse Lingard shot from the edge of the box and a free-kick, but West Brom effectively held on to a valuable clean sheet.

#2 Sebastien Pocognoli\'s introduction inspires West Brom

Michael Dawson’s injury meant that he had to be replaced by Belgian full-back Sebastien Pocognoli, who barely featured for the Baggies this season. Until then, Tony Pulis’ side were more than content to sit behind the ball and shut out their opponents.

Pocognoli’s introduction, however, inspired his side to an intensity-filled performance by delivering dangerous crosses from the flanks – one which was met by Rondon and powerfully struck past a diving David de Gea to win the game for West Brom. He looked threatening throughout, keeping Matteo Darmian on his toes and helping Albion settle down to see the game out.

#3 Should Olsson have been sent off?

Anthony Martial’s quick feet was probably West Brom’s only headache in the game, as they struggled to deal with his mazy runs. Centre-back Jonas Olsson will have breathed a sigh of relief in the 57th minute to see referee Mike Dean brandish just a yellow card after he hacked Martial down just outside the penalty area.

Replays suggested that the Frenchman was about to go through on goal, but some critics may argue that there were men just about covering Olsson. A controversial one, but the benefit of doubt was rightly given to the defensive side.

#4 Rondon\'s sublime form leads to safety

It seemed in mid-February that West Brom’s lack of goals were going to pull them into a possible relegation battle. All those fears have now been more or less dispelled, and striker Solomon Rondon’s rich vein of form has ensured that West Brom have all but secured their Premier League status.

With four goals in his last six outings, he has helped the Baggies climb up to 11th in the table and well clear of the relegation spots. His physical attributes and ability to win aerial duels have been key to his exploits in front of goal, and Pulis will be extremely proud of the Venezuelan’s recent impact on his side’s results – they have now taken 10 points out of a possible 12.

#5 Manchester Derby will decide United\'s top four hopes

An acceptable, however, body-blowing defeat for Louis van Gaal’s side means that their next league fixture – the Manchester Derby – becomes a do-or-die game for them. Win and they will be in touch with their neighbours in fourth. Lose, and any hopes of finishing in the Champions League spots will be all but extinguished.

With Leicester, Spurs and a rampant West Ham still to come up in the league, a victory against Manuel Pellegrini’s men becomes all the more important as far as confidence is concerned. By then, the Red Devils will also be hoping to have a few more senior players return from injury, as they will need every ounce of experience and quality required to overcome Manuel Pellegrini’s men.