Saturday lunchtime sees the Baggies travel to top of the Championship side Leeds United as they look to put an end to their 16 league game unbeaten run.
This is one of the biggest games of the season for the Baggies, 5th in the league and only one point above 7th placed Coventry City and 24 points behind the league leaders Leeds United where we are heading to.
Last time out West Brom faced Oxford United and won the clash 2-0 with goals from Alex Mowatt in the first half and another dramatic finish with John Swift scoring in added time to seal the three points.
Leeds United however faced 2nd placed Sheffield United on Monday and was behind 1-0 before another late comeback by scoring 3 goals in the last 18 minutes.
Our opposition are scoring late goals at the moment the same with Sunderland and Sheffield United and the Baggies are also scoring late goals under Tony Mowbray with a late winner over Sheffield Wednesday and a late goal by John Swift against Oxford United. I do think this is the biggest test to date this season and we are unbeaten in 3 games and the last win at Elland Road for us was back in 2007 with current manager Tony Mowbray was the manager at the time.
Player To Watch – Leeds United
The player to watch for Leeds is going to be Joel Piroe, he is the current Championship top goalscorer and has overtook Josh Maja by netting 15 goals in the league this season.
He is the one player who likes to score past the Baggies back in his Swansea City days he normally scored past us and did deny us a play off place couple of seasons ago with his late free kick to defeat us 3-2 in the last game of the season. Would he on Saturday again give us more pressure to maintain our play off place come the end of the season.
I do think our defenders know he be the target man to watch over 90 minutes when we travel to Leeds and there be eyes on him and other attacking players for Leeds aswell as they know this could be a tough task for them too after facing Sunderland and Sheffield United in the last few games.
Player To Watch – West Brom
The player I’m going for is Isaac Price, he played a solid game against Oxford United last weekend and he be up again against the league leaders.
He did get an assist for the first goal for Alex Mowatt and won all his tackles and did have the most key passes in the game with a 90% pass accuracy. He is only 21 years of age and signed in January from Standard Liège.
For this clash he would show his potential and knows this is the key fixture to do it, I do think he give the Leeds defenders a tough time and hopefully shut them down and gives us some hope against the league leaders.
My Line Up V Leeds United
I start with a few changes I play Kyle Bartley as Semi Ajayi is expected to be out due to a injury setback, Diakite would come into midfield to pair up with Jayson Molumby, I have a strong attacking midfield with Tammer Bany making his first start alongside Isaac Price in the centre and Tom Fellows play in the right. Adam Armstrong would play as a lone striker just behind Isaac Price.
Prediction V Leeds United
Predictions are always tough as we face the league leaders who’s been at it all season and are now 24 points ahead us of in the league as back in September we was in that position before defeats to Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough put us in a drawing run from October to December.
Since then we have had a managerial change and a mixture of wins and defeats along the way and now sit 5th in the Championship with 12 games to go.
Right onto the early kick off at Leeds United, The Baggies would start off strong trying to get an early lead but we would have a few chances that would lead to nothing.
In the 30th minute mark, the hosts would get into the scoresheet with a goal from Joel Piroe following a Daniel James cross would see Piroe hit in to give Leeds the lead in the first half.
It be 1-0 to Leeds United at the break with them doing the most of the control in the half and the Baggies not put in much effort in the first 45.
Second half, Leeds would try again but a few good saves from Wildsmith is expected as Piroe and Gnonto would both be denied by the Albion keeper.
In the 70th minute a few changes from the Baggies as Daryl Dike and Alex Mowatt would come on and then Mowatt would be taken down and Leeds would go down to 10 men where we now face a team with one man down but would it be enough to comeback in this game?
The free-kick would be taken and Isaac Price would want to take it and Mowatt would allow him and it would pay off as his effort would give us the equaliser and give the Baggies hope as Leeds are down to 10 men.
Leeds would try and get a response after being a man down and the scoreline is now at 1-1 with 15 minutes to go. Heggem would be at his best trying to deny Leeds to get a winner in this encounter.
It all be end to end throughout the next 10 minutes as both sides would want this and do predict it to be intense and scrappy. It be 7 minutes added time at Elland Road and in the 95th minute Mikey Johnston would try and look to fire it but then realizes he sees Daryl Dike in a suitable position and crosses it to allow him to score a late header in what would be a great moment due to his long-term injuries and a great result at Elland Road to give the Baggies all three points away to league leaders Leeds United and our first away win since November.
Prediction: Leeds United 1-2 West Brom
Goalscorers for Leeds United: Joel Piroe
Goalscorers for West Brom: Isaac Price, Daryl Dike
A late Daryl Dike winner I’m predicting it’s happening as he has had a long-term injury with his knee and most players who have had major injuries do come back and show the footballing world there still got their talent.
I think this be the start of Dike’s time at the Baggies and it be a fairytale ending if he does get a late winner on Saturday afternoon so Leeds have been doing the game around late on in recent games but I don’t see it happening this weekend as we do concede quite early when we play away and do manage to get a draw like we did at Millwall and Sheffield United.
For this one, I’m going for a dramatic late win at Elland Road and would put us in a suitable position.