Preston’s unbeaten Sky Bet Championship record was emphatically ended as they lost 4-0 at home to West Brom.
After six wins and two draws, North End were comprehensively dispatched by the impressive Baggies.
Goals from Darnell Furlong, Alex Mowatt, Matt Phillips and Kyle Bartley gave West Brom a third win of the season, lifting them to within three points of the play-off places.
With rain lashing down on the lush Deepdale surface, the Baggies took just four minutes to open the scoring. Phillips touched the ball tidily to Furlong, and he drilled home superbly first-time from 22 yards.
It was a timely early boost for Carlos Corberan’s men, one which gave them a spring in their step.
Centre-back Cedric Kipre was next to threaten when his close-range effort was bravely blocked by Brad Potts.
Preston were uncharacteristically poor in possession, and the visitors could have punished them again, only for Erik Pieters to volley wildly over the top from a promising position.
As the hosts were finally finding some rhythm, a howler from Jordan Storey cost them a second goal just before the half-hour mark.
The defender was far too casual trying to bypass Mowatt, losing the ball easily as the Baggies’ midfielder went on to coolly beat a stunned Freddie Woodman from eight yards.
Nothing was going Preston’s way, with West Brom patiently probing for another opening.
They came close when skipper Jed Wallace’s strike was deflected wide, while Okay Yokuslu planted a free header woefully off target in first-half added time.
The Baggies were straight on the attack at the start of the second period when Mowatt flung in a terrific cross for Grady Diangana, but he scooped a shot disappointingly over.
Diangana was then thwarted by an assistant referee’s flag as West Brom thought they had grabbed a third goal.
Like the rain, the Baggies’ forward play was persistent, and next to go close was Phillips, who curled a sweet strike just past the far post.
West Brom finally got a third goal – rather fortuitously – in the 62nd minute as Phillips fired home via a wicked deflection off Storey from 15 yards.
That prompted many North End fans to head for the exits, with their team’s day heading from bad to worse.
That was summed up when sub Mads Frokjaer somehow missed the target from eight yards, further compounding the home supporters’ frustration.
Three-quarters of the stadium almost instantly emptied when Bartley converted Wallace’s cross to complete the scoring in the 87th minute.
Al-Ittihad 0-5 Al-Ettifaq: Ekambi scores hat-trick in five-star display
Karl Toko Ekambi netted a hat-trick as Al-Ettifaq got back to winning ways in style with a 5-0 thrashing of Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
He scored twice in four minutes at the end of the first half to send the visitors into the break 4-0 up before getting his third just 10 minutes after the break.
Seko Fofana had already given Steven Gerrard’s side the lead five minutes into the contest, while Moussa Dembele doubled their advantage from the penalty spot.
Al-Ittihad had the chances, but they could not find the back of the net, as they stayed fifth, but are now just six points above Al-Ettifaq.
Data Debrief: Clinical finishers
Al-Ettifaq had five shots on target against Al-Ittihad, scoring with all of them while creating an xG of 3.62.
With his hat-trick against Al-Ittihad, Ekambi has now scored 11 goals for the season, netting more than once for the first time since joining the club.
Al-Akhdoud 2-3 Al-Nassr: Brozovic stunner delays Al-Hilal coronation
Marcelo Brozovic scored twice – including a fine half-volley in second-half stoppage time – as Al-Nassr beat Al-Akhdoud 3-2 to delay Al-Hilal's Saudi Pro League title coronation on Thursday.
Former Inter midfielder Brozovic fired in a seventh-minute opener from outside the area before Cristiano Ronaldo tapped into an empty net to double the visitors' lead.
Sadio Mane struck the woodwork early in the second half and Al-Nassr relinquished control of the game from there, with goals from Hassan Al Habib and Saviour Godwin making it 2-2.
However, Brozovic blasted a bouncing ball home following a goalmouth scramble in the first of seven minutes of stoppage time to hand Al-Nassr a fifth straight win and keep them within nine points of Al-Hilal, with three games still to play.
They have only delayed the inevitable though as the leaders – who have only dropped four points all season – need just one more point to secure their crown ahead of facing Al-Hazm on Saturday.
Data Debrief: Brozovic upstages Ronaldo
While it's usually Ronaldo writing the headlines for Al-Nassr, he was upstaged by Brozovic on Thursday as the Croatian found the net with both of his shots, also leading all players on the pitch for final-third passes (19) and completing 90.1 per cent of his passes overall (81/95).
Liam Rosenior departs Hull City after 18 months in charge
Hull City have parted company with head coach Liam Rosenior with immediate effect.
Rosenior departs the MKM Stadium after 18 months in charge of the Tigers, who narrowly missed out on the Championship playoffs this season.
Hull were one point above the relegation zone when the former Derby County assistant succeeded Shota Arveladze in November 2022, but he guided them to safety in 15th place.
Rosenior signed a new three-year deal in December and oversaw just one defeat in Hull’s last seven games of this season, in which they finished seventh and just three points behind sixth-place Norwich City.
"This has been the most difficult decision I have had to make as chairman of this wonderful football club," said chairman and owner Acun Ilicali.
"Since Liam’s arrival, we have enjoyed an open working relationship and progress has undoubtedly been made over the course of his tenure. He will always be a part of this family and I thank him for all his work.
"However, it has become evident that our visions for the future are not aligned, and I feel that now is the time to make a change. I know what this football club can achieve, and we will not stop in the pursuit of that.
"We have worked hard over the last two years to develop our squad. We now have many highly talented players at our disposal, and we will continue to invest and improve our playing personnel to give this club and its fans the success they deserve."
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