The Baggies are back in action on Monday evening as they make the short trip from the West Bromwich to Leicester for what could be a El-Sackico clash in the Championship at the King Power Stadium.
Last time out both sides suffered away defeats with Leicester suffering a 3-1 defeat to Sheffield United, where West Brom lost 1-0 to Swansea City on New Years Day. Next up is a Monday night under the lights at The King Power Stadium as both are at the wrong end of the table and are hoping to end a barren run of form.
Can the Baggies prevent a 10th straight defeat on the road with a result over Leicester City?
Player To Watch – Leicester City
Abdul Fatawu is someone West Brom defenders should keep a close watch on on Monday night because he brings pace, creativity and a real goal threat from wide areas. He has already shown this season that he can hurt teams with moments of individual quality, whether that’s by beating a full-back one-on-one or cutting inside to test the goalkeeper. Giving him space or time on the ball is often an invitation for trouble.
What makes Fatawu particularly dangerous is that he isn’t just a creator — he’s also capable of finishing moves himself. His confidence in taking on defenders, combined with his willingness to shoot from range, means West Brom’s back line will need to stay switched on at all times, especially during transitions when he thrives most.
In a game that could be tight and tactical, players like Fatawu can be the difference. His ability to produce something unexpected, stretch the defence and create chances out of nothing makes him a standout player to watch, and one West Brom’s defenders will need to track carefully throughout the night.
Player To Watch – West Brom
Karlan Grant should be seen as a key player to watch for West Brom because his form in recent games has been trending in the right direction. He has been getting himself into dangerous positions more regularly, contributing with goals and coming close on several other occasions, which shows his confidence in the final third is growing. Even when he isn’t scoring, his presence around the box has been noticeable.
One of Grant’s biggest strengths is his running. He consistently looks to stretch defences with direct runs in behind, forcing defenders to turn and making space for teammates. That movement can be especially effective against teams that try to hold a higher line, as Grant is quick to exploit gaps and latch onto through balls or loose clearances.
Added to that is his overall attacking threat. Grant is comfortable drifting wide or operating centrally, making him difficult to track, and he’s always willing to take a shot or drive at defenders. His work rate, sharp movement and willingness to attack space mean West Brom can use him as a constant outlet, making him a player the opposition will need to stay focused on throughout the game.
My Line Up V Leicester City
The line-up I would change Josh Griffiths has to return back into goal with a change to the back four where Charlie Taylor be replaced by Alfie Gilchrist who would return back from suspension. In midfield I have Molumby and Mowatt back paired up and in attack I put Mikey Johnston back to the left side with Isaac Price back into the starting line up in attacking midfield and Daryl Dike his first start of the season.
Prediction V Leicester City
Predictions over Leicester City for Monday, last time out I said we would end our losing run on the road with a 3-1 win over Swansea City, however we lost 1-0 in the second half and now pressure is on both managers for this clash that could be El-Sackico but can both sides actually afford to sack them?.
Lets see how my prediction fares, I think in the first half around the first 16 minutes the deadlock would be broken with Mikey Johnston trying to attempt to make a breakthrough but finds Alex Mowatt who would shoot from distance to give the Baggies the lead.
It would be a quiet 30 minutes with both sides trying to frustrate the opponents but Leicester would try and get back into the game with Griffiths saving one if he does return to the line-up.
Second half, the Baggies would try and double their advantage with Daryl Dike missing from distance and around the 70th minute Leicester’s Abdul Fatawu would beat our keeper to put them back level and a long 20 minutes left it is.
Around 2 minutes before time, Luke Thomas’s long range throw would then reach Jordan Ayew to give a Baggies another killer blow on the road that now gives us 10 defeats on the road with another late goal conceded for us.
Prediction: Leicester City 2-1 West Brom
I’m going for another defeat, I do think we would start off well and can feel a few positives would happen in this game as Leicester are on a poor run themselves and are under pressure the same as us, I think the second half is where we would fall and the Foxes would put themselves back into the game and can see a late winner for them as we do often concede late on our travels.