Slaven Bilic made a deliberate decision to protect his two main strikers Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho this afternoon although both or either could have appeared had they been DESPERATELY needed.
Carroll was still feeling a problem from a sore groin and Sakho was suffering from some bumps and bruises and general fatigue following the game against Arsenal.
They will both likely be available for the game against Sunderland next weekend – a team that has failed to score a goal in ten games.
We were told: “Had this afternoon’s game worked out differently and we have been looking for a goal, either of both of the two main strikers could have appeared.
“But the manager was keen to protect them if he could and thanks to that great goal and us holding the lead he was in a position to follow his game plan of keeping them out of the action and giving them more recovery time.”
