Sheffield Wednesday picked up yet another win in their fight to stave off the Championship relegation zone last night, Danny Rohl's Owls overcoming Plymouth Argyle 1-0 to plunge the visitors into their own tense battle against the drop.
That slim victory was Wednesday's fifth win from their last six second-tier games, with the South Yorkshire side full value for the three points come full-time at Hillsborough.
Coming away from the contest with a superior 1.78 xG to Argyle's lesser 0.64, Wednesday would just about clinch the three points courtesy of Djeidi Gassama's decisive second-half strike breaking the deadlock.
Djeidi Gassama's performance vs Plymouth in numbers
The former Paris St. Germain youngster would fire in only his second-ever Owls goal against Ian Foster's Pilgrims, converting Ike Ugbo's pass into the box superbly to send Hillsborough into pandemonium.
Away from this crucial strike clinching another big win for the hosts, the high-octane Wednesday number 41 would prove to be a thorn in Plymouth's side all game.
Result
4th of March 2024 – Championship
1-0 Wednesday win
25th of October 2023 – Championship
3-0 Plymouth win
4th of February 2023 – League One
1-0 Wednesday win
4th of October 2022 – League One
2-1 Plymouth win
15th of January 2022 – FA Cup
4-2 Wednesday win
Gassama would successfully complete one dribble from his three attempts when aiming to break through with pace, whilst also firing four shots on the Argyle goal in total to try and make the scoreline more convincing in the favour of Rohl's men.
Moreover, the ex-PSG attacker would show off his tenacity and energy further with seven duels won to regain the ball to then push his team forward again.
With Ugbo arguably carrying games for the Owls recently – the Troyes loanee bagging six goals since joining in January – it must have been refreshing for Rohl to see another member of his re-energised squad step up to be a vital hero against Plymouth last night in Gassama.
It wasn't just a game that saw Gassama stand out in isolation amongst his teammates underwhelming, however, with Leeds United loanee Ian Poveda on the opposite right-hand flank equally as dangerous and effective.
Ian Poveda's performance vs Plymouth in numbers
Poveda could well have had a goal to show for his efforts on a different night, but the Colombian attacker saw an effort that hit the back of the net in the first half get chalked off owing to a potentially dubious offside call.
Still, that decision going against the Wednesday number 36 didn't derail his night whatsoever.
The new Owls recruit would better Gassama with three successful dribble attempts pulled off at the expense of a disorientated opposition defence, on top of matching his electric teammate with seven duels won of his own.
Poveda would end up receiving an 8/10 rating by Yorkshire Post journalist Tom Coates off the back of the 1-0 win, who stated that the Whites loanee 'continues to endear himself to the Hillsborough faithful' with tricky displays down the wing such as the one offered up last night.
Enjoying the current freedom to express himself away from being stuck on the fringes back at Elland Road, Rohl will hope Poveda continues to be a bright spark – alongside Gassama – as Wednesday try to attempt the most unbelievable relegation escape.
Only in the bottom three on goal difference now after this 1-0 victory, it could well be a realistic aim now rather than a once speculative pipedream.
