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This article is part of Football FanCast's In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets... 

West Brom are the only side in the Championship that remains unbeaten following their 1-1 draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage – but that record wasn’t easy to keep hold of.

The home side took the lead early in the second half when Anthony Knockaert’s cross fooled Sam Johnstone in the Baggies net by dipping over him at the far post, but that was cancelled out late on by Semi Ajayi’s equaliser.

The defender headed home from a Matheus Pereira corner with Marcus Bettinelli being left to protest in spite after he believed Charlie Austin had fouled him during the build-up.

Albion’s young prospect Nathan Ferguson, primarily a right-back, stunned on debut at the start of the season winning the Man of the Match award.

This time he deputised in Kieran Gibbs’ absence on the left and put in a performance that will leave Slaven Bilic with a rather welcoming headache.

The 18-year-old already showed his versatility when playing for England’s Young Lions over the international break, featuring at centre-back, and his latest performance further proves how he can be a vital player in the Croatian’s defence.

He won all nine of his duels on top of five clearances. He also won three of five tackles, per SofaScore, all of which came while playing out of his regular position in unfamiliar territory.

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Gibbs, the usual option on the left, has failed to find his feet this season – averaging the lowest rating of any player that has featured in five or more matches at 6.45.

He has won an average of just 0.4 aerial duels per game while recording a respectable 1.4 tackles per match.

There are over ten years between the two and Gibbs has even won honours with Arsenal, but Ferguson could well be the answer long-term.

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