League Leaders Sheffield United take on West Bromwich Albion in the Sky Bet Championship on Sunday afternoon as the Baggies look to push back into the promotion play off places.
Currently, the Baggies are 10 games unbeaten in the Championship but nine of them are draws and one of them was a win over Hull City 3 weeks ago, imagine if some of those draws turned into wins we could still be top of the league and this fixture would be a key clash of the season. However, 1st take on 7th and with Sheffield United they are top despite their 2 point deduction and have won five out the last six, can the Baggies end the Blades winning run on Sunday?
In the recent game, the Baggies drew 1-1 at Preston North End, meanwhile Sheffield United beat Sunderland 1-0 last week in a Friday night game. I think this is a massive game for us and pressure is on Carlos Corberan’s shoulders as we also got 2 home games in a big week in our season.
Player To Watch – Sheffield United
Player To Watch for the Blades I’m going for Gustavo Hamer who has been of the key players in the Championship this season. He has been a standout performer for Sheffield United, contributing significantly to their success.
Hamer’s versatility allows him to excel in various midfield positions, offering both defensive support and offensive creativity. His ability to control the game’s tempo and deliver precise passes makes him a key player to watch.
Given his current form and influence on the pitch, Hamer is expected to play a significant role against us on Sunday. His performance could be a determining factor in the team’s success this season.
Kyle Bartley and Torbjørn Heggem, will need to be vigilant to counter Hamer’s influence. Bartley brings extensive experience to the backline, while Heggem, has shown versatility and adaptability since joining the club in July 2024.
To mitigate Hamer’s impact, Bartley and Heggem must maintain strong communication and positional awareness, effectively closing down spaces to limit his playmaking abilities. Their combined defensive skills will be crucial in neutralizing Hamer’s threat during Sunday’s match.
Player To Watch – West Brom
Karlan Grant would be my player to watch for this encounter. The 27-year-old forward has been a consistent contributor this season, scoring four goals in 18 league appearances. He has now got a chant from the fans “Karlan Fuckin Grant Ole Ole” that has been ringing out in games such as Oxford United away and the last match at Preston last weekend. This chant reflects the fans’ appreciation for his performances and contributions to the team.
Grant’s versatility allows him to operate effectively across the front line, utilizing his pace and technical skills to challenge defenses. His ability to find space and create scoring opportunities makes him a significant threat in the attacking third.
Can Karlan Grant carry on his incredible form since returning to the Hawthorns from his loan spell at Cardiff City last season?
Line Up V Sheffield United
The line up I’m going for is a 4-4-2 with Heggem back at left-back allowing Bartley and Holgate play in centre backs, Mowatt and Molumby who would be my midfielders with Mikey Johnston play in the wing alongside Tom Fellows, I also have Josh Maja and Karlan Grant play a striking pair for this encounter against Sheffield United.
My Prediction V Sheffield United
A difficult time of the blog post, predicting the outcome of any fixture in the Championship, as we also drew to Bournemouth in the FA Cup I would be previewing the cup games in January too all the way till we get knocked out of the competition.
However, time to predict I say it be a very quiet 30 minutes with neither side wanting to score or create any chances there be a few corners but nothing would happen till around the 35th minute mark where I feel another Karlan Grant goal just before half-time would make it 1-0 to the Baggies to put us ahead.
At half-time it would be us leading the game against the league leaders, in the second half the Blades would start out the strongest showing why they are top of the Championship they would find us difficult to break down.
I predict they would get a goal in the 55th minute mark where Tyrese Campbell would equalise to put more frustration for our fans who are thinking another draw is on the cards here and it’s 1-1 with 35 minutes to go.
The Blades would cause more problems and Alex Palmer would be on his game saving important shots from Sheffield United that would keep the scoreline level. In the 75th minute mark West Brom would have a corner from Mikey Johnston but Sheffield United keeper would make a mistake and give the ball away to Josh Maja to pounce and put the Baggies back ahead at 2-1 giving the Blades their first defeat in 8 games.
Prediction: West Brom 2-1 Sheffield United
Goalscorers for West Brom: Karlan Grant, Josh Maja
Goalscorers for Sheff Utd: Tyrese Campbell
A victory then for West Brom, I don’t know why I’m not feeling confident about it but we tend to do well at home against the bigger sides like last season we beat Leeds at our place 1-0 and I feel we would get a victory here on Sunday against the league leaders and would be enough to get us back into the Play-Off places. Pressure is on for our manager and he would do enough to put it right as we are now in a new month and could be the month to get us into a winning run around Christmas time.