West Brom will host relegation side Peterborough at the Hawthorns Stadium in the Championship. They last squared off in the reverse fixture in August of last year. West Brom edged Peterborough 0-1, thanks to a 94th-minute winner by Semi Ajayi.
West Brom comes into this game on the back of a 1-0 loss against Queens Park Rangers. Before that, they crashed out of the FA Cup against Brighton, where they took the lead but Kipre’s red card turned the game in Brighton’s favor. The Baggies have failed to win in any of their last five games in all competitions with two draws and three losses.
Their recent loss against QPR means they are now 5th on the table, 2 points behind QPR, having played one game extra. They are also 7 points off Bournemouth and the automatic promotion places to the Premier League. Despite their recent blip in form, the fact remains that they are still unbeaten at home in the league.
The Baggies will be the favorites to win this game. It is certainly a good opportunity for Valérien Ismaël’s men to get back to winning ways and find some form.
West Brom Championship form: W D L D L
The away side Peterborough have entirely different objectives to the Baggies. They are 22nd on the table with 19 points, 3 points from safety. But they also hold two games in hand over Reading.
Peterborough have lost two consecutive games in the league against Coventry and Blackpool before this game. But they did manage to progress in the 4th round of the FA Cup by beating Bristol City.
A win in their two games in hand can bring them out of danger but they have the worst away record in the league. They have won just 3 points out of a possible 33.
Peterborough Championship form: D L W L L
West Brom vs Peterborough: Team news
West Brom
Sam Johnstone and Alex Mowatt will both miss the game as they are serving their suspension.
Robert Snodgrass, Dara O’Shea, and Kean Bryan will also be unavailable for selection due to injuries. Semi Ajayi who scored the winner against Peterborough back in August will also miss out as he is away at the African Cup of Nations.
Possible West Brom starting line-up
David Button; Matt Clarke, Kyle Bartley, Conor Townsend; Darnell Furlong, Jake Livermore, Jayson Molumby, Adam Reach; Karlan Grant, Grady Diangana; Callum Robinson
Peterborough
Peterborough will be without Jack Marriot who is recovering from an injury. They have a fully fit squad other barring Marriot.
Idris Kanu will miss out on this game against West Brom due to his suspension.
Peterborough possible starting line-up
David Cornell, Nathan Thompson, Frankie Kent, Ronnie Edwards, Bali Mumba, Jack Taylor, Oliver Norburn, Harrison Burrows, Jorge Grant, Jonson Clarke-Harris, Siriki Dembélé.
Our prediction
West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Peterborough
All the stats lean strongly in favor of the home side. They are yet to lose a game on home soil. West Brom also holds the best defensive record in the division. They have only conceded 20 goals this season, which is 3 less than leaders Fulham and Bournemouth.
To add to that, Peterborough have the worst away record in the league. They have only won one of their twelve away games, losing eleven. They have let in 33 goals on the road.
The Baggies should win this game comfortably with a clean sheet.
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