Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi was left unimpressed by his side’s performance at the Amex but hailed their character and personality to rally back and sink the Cherries with a 3-1 victory, writes Anujit Viyakumar.

The win sees Albion move up to third in the Premier League following an emphatic brace by super-sub Kaoru Mitoma.

De Zerbi said: “Today we played one of the worst games of my time (here). Two, three or four times we were lucky. Bournemouth were great in the first half.

"We were better in the second half, but still not at our best level.

"When you play with the young or new players, they need time to understand the new ideas on the pitch.

“We won with character, passion, behaviour and not with the style of play. It's a very important part, maybe the most important.

De Zerbi also highlighted the significance of Mitoma to the team and emphasised the need for him to be rested to ensure his performances remain consistent, crediting Albion owner Tony Bloom in the process for retaining the Japanese winger’s services for the season.

“The credit is to Tony Bloom, not me. I think Mitoma is one of the most important players but sometimes he needs to stay on the bench to rest, to play better the next game.”