Baggies newboy providing midfield spark

Well known in Yorkshire circles, after spells at Barnsley and Leeds, Alex Mowatt has made an immediate impact in the Midlands with Championship promotion hopefuls West Bromwich Albion.

The former Barnsley captain rejected what was described as a 'lucrative contract offer’ from the Tykes in order to follow new Baggies manager Valérien Ismaël from Oakwell to the Hawthorns this summer.

Mowatt's move was perhaps unsurprising given his electric form over recent seasons in the Championship.

In the 2019/20 season, he picked up Barnsley's 'Player of the Year' award under Daniel Stendel before raising his game a notch last term - the midfielder scoring eight goals, and assisting seven, as the Tykes made an unlikely play-off charge that ended in semi-final defeat to Swansea.

©Getty / Adam Fradgley - AMA

Following his summer transfer to West Brom, the 26-year-old Mowatt appears to have settled quickly.

During the opening stages of this Championship campaign, Mowatt has lauded praise for his performances in his first competitive games for the Baggies - Albion, in general, looking an exciting prospect as they implement the high-pressing brand of football that brought Ismaël to their attention.

With playmaker Matheus Pereira joining Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal and Romaine Sawyers loaned to Stoke City, Mowatt is part of a first-choice midfield pairing with Jake Livermore - and the combination has certainly hit the ground running.

Mowatt has proven to be a real creative threat when progressing into the opposition third, and West Brom knew what they were getting: Millwall's Jed Wallace (23G, 18A) the only midfielder currently in the second tier involved in more Championship goals than Mowatt (12G, 16A) over the past three seasons.

So far in 2021/22. Mowatt has been exemplary as a box-to-box midfielder in Ismaël’s high-functioning and energetic system. The midfielder has managed 2.8 interceptions per 90 minutes played, sitting joint-top in the Championship charts for this stat among centre-midfielders who have played all four games so far.

Mowatt also sits in the Championship's 'Top 5' (of centre-midfielders who have made 4 appearances) for key passes this season (6). 

©Getty / Adam Fradgley - AMA

To delve into a little more detail, let's look at how Mowatt is being deployed at the moment by the Baggies.

He often begins passages of play on the toes of his back three, and then moves through the pitch breaking beyond the opposition defensive line and creating chances.

This progressive streak was perfectly illustrated by the Baggies’ second goal in their opening league game against Bournemouth: Mowatt breaking beyond the Cherries’ backline and serving up an assist for Callum Robinson, who tapped home. In similar fashion, Mowatt grabbed his first goal in a Baggies' shirt in a 4-0 win against Sheffield United last week - finishing expertly with his right foot after bursting forward.

With his dead-ball delivery added into the mix, Mowatt has a bit of everything in his game - and the early signs are that he and the Baggies will be frontrunners in the Championship this season.

📈 Most interceptions in the #Championship (2021/22):

1⃣6⃣: ⏯HELIK*⏯
1⃣3⃣: R Yates
1⃣2⃣: Naismith
1⃣1⃣: Flint, Mowatt, O'Shea, Pedersen, Smallwood

* one of only three C'ship players with 100+ intercepts in 19/20 (+ Mads Anderson & Yoann Barbet).#COYR @BarnsleyFC pic.twitter.com/vexDn9Ok9g

— playmakerstats (@playmaker_EN) August 23, 2021