Ainsley Maitland-Niles won the Man of the Match award for his performance against Southampton on Monday, in a 3-0 win.

West Bromwich Albion have been full of surprises over the last week or so, and they followed up their 5-2 victory away to Chelsea with a 3-0 win at home to Southampton on Monday night.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles started both matches, but it was the Southampton game where he really caught the eye. The on-loan Arsenal midfielder won the official Man of the Match award for his display to help earn his side a crucial three points.

Maitland-Niles made more passes in the opposition half than any other West Brom player on the day, as well as making two tackles, two interceptions, and three clearances on the defensive end. For the ninth game in a row, he played the full 90 minutes.

It will have been particularly sweet to win the Man of the Match award in a game against the very side that pulled out of signing him on loan on deadline day in January.

There’s no doubt that the West Brom loan has given the 23-year-old regular Premier League game-time, which is just what he wanted when he made the move.

Whether it’s enough to keep West Brom up is another matter, as well as whether it earns him another chance at Arsenal – or indeed a good move away. But it’s progress.