The Baggies are at home again for the 2nd time in 3 days as they take on the Black Cats with a win here and Coventry lose to Birmingham would secure all but a place in the Championship Play-Offs. It is also the penultimate home game of the season and the last Saturday 3pm kick off at home.
Last time out The Baggies came out with a 2-0 victory on Wednesday night against Rotherham with Thomas-Asante netting his 11th league goal of the season and a John Swift penalty secured three points on the night. Sunderland drew 0-0 away at Leeds on Tuesday night and will travel to The Hawthorns on Saturday to try and get a double over us with them beating us 2-1 back in December at The Stadium of Light.
After our 2-0 home win against Rotherham on Wednesday, I think this will be a difficult game also as I said it would be on Wednesday but Sunderland have beaten us twice 2-1 in a row, last April we lost 2-1 to Sunderland where we missed out on the play-offs and again 2-1 in December at The Stadium of Light where I think that was the worst away games I been this season with that and Norwich in January.
Player To Watch – Sunderland
My player to watch for Sunderland is going to be Jude Bellingham’s brother Jobe Bellingham he had a goal ruled out against us in December where it felt like he was onside. He also played for Birmingham like his brother Jude and say he has been one of their best players for Sunderland this season and think he will play in the top-tier like his brother in years to come.
He has scored 7 goals this season in 41 games for The Black Cats and as he is a ex-blues player he could add to his tally on Saturday. As he had a goal ruled out in December could he gain his chance against the Baggies.
My prediction he could be a threat at The Hawthorns and feel he is definitely my player to watch out for and it should be the defenders job when he comes on our turf to take on us and could he be the one that denies us a play-off spot and come out with unhappy faces on Saturday?
Player To Watch – West Brom
The Player to watch for us on Saturday is Adam Reach as I wouldn’t be saying this many months ago but in the last few games he has got to be up there. After his performance on Wednesday against Rotherham and his build up for the Asante goal he is going to be my player to watch against Sunderland.
I think he has completely transformed into a different player and did get Man of the Match in our mid-week game to Rotherham. With his great runs and him being excellent in defense also stopping Rotherham’s shots he should be in the first 11 to replace Townsend and could help us get another clean-sheet or maybe an assist to Sunderland at The Hawthorns.
Do you think Adam Reach should be our player to watch against Sunderland?
My Line-Up V Sunderland
My line up against The Black Cats is where I start Adam Reach to replace Conor Townsend, Mowatt and Yokuslu come in with Mikey Johnston and Tom Fellows play wide with Diangana sitting in the middle where I give Josh Maja his first start since injury to replace Brandon Thomas-Asante as we feel we could start with a number 9 against Sunderland as I say it is one of the toughest home games we could face this season with us being four points away from qualifying for the play offs.
Predictions
My prediction at The Hawthorns it is against Sunderland who we lost the last two games to and on Saturday it will be a difficult game for us and could be hard to gain all three points here, with us winning 2-0 against Rotherham and we currently on a 10 match unbeaten run with me also predicting our last 10 games also I’m still making us unbeaten in those games.
Here I say Black Cats will win I hate it to say it but I went for a 1-1 draw against Rotherham but I feel that we will lose on Saturday with Sunderland got the likes of Jobe Bellingham, Dan Neil and Jack Clarke I think they could get something out of us and with our performances of late we are lucky to be on a unbeaten run but I think it will end here on Saturday unfortunately.
The opening goal will come from Sunderland I say Jobe Bellingham will score just before half-time to make it 1-0 Sunderland, then second half I say Josh Maja will get on the scoresheet to make it 1-1 before we have our hearts broken with Jack Clarke finding the winner in injury time to make us come out The Hawthorns fuming that we lost.
I hate saying it but it’s a bad prediction to say we will lose here as Sunderland is our bogey team but with me backing draws and defeats we have gone on to win games and they proved me wrong. It is the first time since doing this blog I have gone on to predict we will lose.
Prediction: West Brom 1-2 Sunderland
Goalscorers for West Brom: Josh Maja
Goalscorers for Sunderland: Jobe Bellingham, Jack Clarke
Lets hope I’m wrong and lets all back the Baggies on Saturday afternoon, Come on you Baggies!