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West Bromvs.Watford

sportsmole.co.uk, 30 March 2024, 20:21
Aiming to maintain their tight grip on a playoff place, West Bromwich Albion will welcome a new-look Watford side to The Hawthorns for an Easter Monday offering of Championship action.

The Baggies secured a point away at struggling Millwall on Good Friday, whilst the Hornets forced promotion-chasing Leeds United to share the spoils at Vicarage Road.

Match preview

West Brom extended their unbeaten run in the Championship to seven matches on Good Friday, when they travelled to the capital to face Neil Harris's Millwall, and the visitors were able to bounce back from an early setback to ensure that they did not suffer a maiden defeat since February 16.

Netting only his second Championship goal of the campaign, former Sunderland youngster Duncan Watmore put the Lions ahead in the opening 25 minutes, but after Grady Diangana was fouled in the box, John Swift held his nerve from 12 yards out to collect a point at The Den.

After collecting a highly-respectable seven points from their last three Championship outings, Carlos Corberan's men remain in fifth place in the second-tier standings, seven points ahead of seventh-placed Coventry City who enjoyed their fourth-straight success in the league on Saturday.

Coming off the bench at the half-time interval and inspiring West Brom to a comeback at Millwall, academy graduate Tom Fellows is going through a breakout campaign in the first team, with the 20-year-old's performances enough to earn him a recent call-up to England Under-20s.

The Baggies have been formidable foes at their Black Country base this term so far, winning 13 and collecting 42 points from 19 Championship matches at The Hawthorns - only Leeds, Ipswich Town and David Wagner's Norwich can better that tally in front of their respective home faithful.

Following the sacking of former West Brom manager Valerien Ismael from the managerial hotseat at Vicarage Road, interim boss Tom Cleverley has collected four points from his first two matches in charge of a first-team side, with Saturday's result being particularly impressive.

With Leeds racing towards the Premier League under Daniel Farke, the Hornets hit the front on two occasions courtesy of strikes from Vakoun Bayo and Emmanuel Dennis, but goals from Crysencio Summerville and Mateo Joseph for the visitors forced a share of the spoils.

Watford have found memories of their most recent trip to the West Midlands prior to the March international break, when Nottingham Forest loanee Dennis pounced following a mistake from Birmingham City's Emanuel Aiwu to seal maximum points at St Andrew's @ Knighthead Park.

Having lost just one of their last four second-tier fixtures, the Hornets have managed to move up to 49 points and all but secure their safety in the division, with 22nd-placed Huddersfield 10 points behind the Hertfordshire club with just seven matches left to play.

West Bromwich Albion Championship form:

D

W

D

W

W

D

Watford Championship form:

L

L

D

L

W

D

Team News

Making his first appearance since early December, West Brom's Matt Phillips played the final nine minutes at The Den, with the winger now looking to help the Albion secure a remarkable promotion via the playoffs.

The Baggies are still short of options in striking positions, though, with both Josh Maja and Daryl Dike currently occupying places in the medical room.

Brandon Thomas-Asante has forced to settle for a spot on the bench last time out but could start on Easter Monday, meaning that Austria international Andreas Weimann could be dropped to the substitutes.

Watford remain without the services of right-back Jeremy Ngakia, so youngster Ryan Andrews will continue in a right wing-back role for the visitors.

Francisco Sierralta moved back into a defensive position against Leeds after spending the majority of the time under Ismael in the midfield, and the Chilean should start alongside Matthew Pollock and Ryan Porteous in the backline once again on Monday.

West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:

Palmer; Furlong, Bartley, Kipre, Townsend; Mowatt, Yokuslu, Wallace, Diangana, Johnston; Thomas-Asante

Watford possible starting lineup:

Bachmann; Pollock, Sierralta, Porteous; Andrews, Kayembe, Dele-Bashiru, Lewis; Asprilla; Bayo, Dennis

We say: West Bromwich Albion 2-1 Watford

West Brom have been renowned for their stellar home form this season, and we are expecting the Baggies to continue their Black Country form on Easter Monday.

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