New leaders of the Championship, Coventry City head to The Hawthorns full of confidence as they prepare to face the Baggies desperate to get out of relegation trouble.
Here we are in the middle of February and the Baggies now sit 21st in the Championship, just two points above the bottom three. The pressure is mounting as the sides around us begin to act. Blackburn Rovers have turned to Michael O’Neill and were rewarded with a win in his first game in charge last Saturday, while Leicester City have recently appointed Gary Rowett in search of their own new-manager bounce.
Meanwhile, results elsewhere have only deepened the concern at The Hawthorns. In midweek, Portsmouth FC beat Charlton Athletic 3–1 to climb above us in the table, adding to the sense that trouble is brewing. The downward spiral shows little sign of slowing, and unless something changes quickly, the situation for the Baggies could become even more precarious.
Eric Ramsay is still searching for his first win after seven games in charge, and the run has been nothing short of alarming. Defensive frailties have been ruthlessly exposed, with the Baggies conceding three or more goals in four of those seven matches — a record that underlines just how difficult this spell has been.
The low points have been particularly painful: a humiliating 5–0 home defeat to Norwich City, a 3–0 loss at Fratton Park against Portsmouth FC, a 3–2 defeat to Middlesbrough FC in his first game in charge, and a 3–1 FA Cup loss — again to Norwich City. The numbers paint a stark picture, and the pressure is only intensifying as the wait for a turnaround continues.
Coventry City have hit form at just the right time, underlining their promotion credentials with a 3–1 win on Monday night against rivals Middlesbrough FC. With confidence high and momentum building, this looks set to be one of our toughest tests of the season.
The reverse fixture back in November still lingers in the memory. We were 2–0 up away at Coventry thanks to a brace from Aune Heggebo, only for a red card to Jayson Molumby to completely swing the contest. Down to ten men, we were eventually turned over 3–2 by the Sky Blues — a collapse that could yet prove symbolic of how our campaign has unravelled.
Player To Watch – Coventry City
With Brandon Thomas-Asante sidelined — a player who had been one of the standout performers in the Championship this season — you might have expected Coventry City to feel the impact. Instead, they look stronger than ever in attack.
That’s largely down to Haji Wright, who has stepped up in emphatic fashion. The forward underlined his importance with a hat-trick on Monday evening against Middlesbrough FC, proving the Sky Blues are not missing Asante at all — and giving Albion yet another major threat to worry about.
The striker has now taken his tally to 13 Championship goals this season, making him the division’s second-top scorer — just two behind Žan Vipotnik of Swansea City. Haji Wright is in red-hot form, and on current evidence he looks more than capable of giving the Baggies’ defence a torrid afternoon this Saturday.
While Albion have managed to keep clean sheets in their last two league outings, the recent Cup defeat has dented confidence heading into this clash. With the side still looking fragile at times, the defence will need to be on high alert to keep Wright quiet. In this kind of form, he thrives against teams struggling for momentum — and right now, the Baggies fall firmly into that category.
Player To Watch – West Brom
Aune Heggebo could be the key figure for West Bromwich Albion as they prepare to face Coventry City. The Norwegian striker has already shown he can hurt the Sky Blues — netting a superb brace the last time the sides met at the Coventry Building Society Arena, nearly inspiring a famous away result. On his day, he is direct, physical and clinical inside the box — exactly the kind of presence Albion have relied upon this season.
Despite being the Baggies’ top scorer this campaign, Heggebo has endured a frustrating goal drought since finding the net against Sheffield United in December. If he can rediscover the sharpness and confidence he showed in the middle of the season, he could prove pivotal in steering Albion clear of relegation trouble. A return to form now wouldn’t just boost his own tally — it could define the outcome of West Brom’s season.
Line up V Coventry City
A few changes has to be made for this important league game over Coventry, we have a big week coming up with table topping Coventry and then a Tuesday evening game against Charlton, two important home games where we need to get points. I believe this side can get something over Coventry if they get back into form and be full of confidence.
In goal Max O’Leary would come back in after two great performances over Stoke and Birmingham and picking up two man of the match awards in those games, Alex Williams would make a start in Right Back in place of Out of Sorts Danny Imray and Alfie Gilchrist. In centre back Nat Phillips and Chris Mepham would come in and Callum Styles back in as left-back.
In midfield Jayson Molumby and Ousmane Diakité would play in the centre with Mikey Johnston and Ollie Bostock getting his first league start with a front two of Aune Heggebo and Josh Maja into the side after his goal over Norwich in the Cup.
Prediction V Coventry City
Prediction over League Leaders Coventry City, I expect it to be a tough game but do we have something to get a result out of, I think we can but the players are on low confidence and Eric Ramsay has not yet seen a win. There has been positives in the last two league games with two clean sheets, a front two of Aune Heggebo and Josh Maja might be the answer but they are lacking goals in the league and have a goal drought if they pick up form they could actually win this game.
In the first 15 minutes, Coventry would be all over us trying to get a early goal but great saves from Max O’Leary would keep the scores goalless, in around the 27th minute mark Mikey Johnston would make a great run to develop a great cross for Josh Maja to attempt to strike and delivers and gives the Baggies the lead over Coventry and give the fans some joy.
Around the 43rd minute mark Coventry would actually bounce back with a great pass by Victor Torp for Haji Wright to then pick up where he left off from Monday evening to equalise and it be 1-1 at half-time.
In the second half around 52 minutes Baggies would have a corner after a Isaac Price shot would make the keeper save for a corner, then Mikey Johnston’s corner would then hit for Chris Mepham to make a remarkable header to give us the lead early on in the second-half as we be 2-1 up. Then around the 56th minute Isaac Price would payback the fans after his meltdown at Portsmouth with a remarkable goal to put us 3-1 up and it would look like a famous victory here at The Hawthorns.
Around the 73rd minute the Referee would point to the spot and it would be Coventry’s after a handball from Alfie Gilchrist would be a penalty then Haji Wright would despatch from the spot to get the Sky Blues a goal back to put the scores at 3-2, it give us fans a nervy 17 minutes and we must be used to it all by now, in the 82nd minute the Sky Blues would actually get a equaliser as Ellis Simms would go past O’Leary to be 3-3.
It would all be end to end in the last 5 minutes plus a good 7 minutes added time, the Baggies always seem to concede late though but I do feel there be a goal very late on but I have a really mad feeling that Molumby would make a smart move for Jimoh-Aloba who then make a pass for Daryl Dike who eventually go past one defender to then strike it and give us a famous 4-3 victory at The Hawthorns and make it a rocky place come full-time.
Prediction: West Brom 4-3 Coventry City
Goalscorers for West Brom: Josh Maja, Chris Mepham, Isaac Price, Daryl Dike
Goalscorers for Coventry City: Haji Wright (X2), Ellis Simms
A 4–3 victory? It might sound ambitious, but if the Baggies approach this game on the front foot and play with belief, there’s no reason they can’t hurt Coventry City. The key would be intensity from the first whistle — pressing high, committing bodies forward, and showing the kind of attacking intent that has been missing in recent weeks.
Josh Maja could pick up where he left off against Norwich City in the Cup, providing that cutting edge in the final third. An early second-half goal from a set-piece would swing momentum in Albion’s favour, and with Isaac Price growing back into form, there’s every chance the Baggies could match Coventry blow for blow. Even if it goes 3–3 late on in a frantic, end-to-end finale, this time — instead of conceding — Albion might just find that decisive last-minute winner. A statement victory like that would not only lift spirits but could be a turning point in the fight for survival.