Championship news: West Brom vs Sunderland – Five key battles and score prediction
Tony Mowbray’s West Brom welcome fellow Championship play-off chasers Sunderland to The Hawthorns for a mouth-watering showdown in the early kick-off on Saturday.
The sixth-placed Baggies will look to put some breathing room between themselves and the duo of Middlesbrough and Bristol City, with all three teams locked on 57 points.
Fourth-placed Sunderland, meanwhile, are beginning to look up the table again as the difference between them and the automatic promotion spots was shortened to nine points after last weekend’s victory over Millwall.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Liam Caffry takes a look at the two managers as well as some key battles to be fought on the pitch before offering a prediction on the scoreline.
Tony Mowbray vs Régis Le Bris
Mowbray will have had this date saved in the calendar for some time as his old side – where he shared a special bond with the fans – are set to try and spoil his play-off push.
With Mowbray’s deep knowledge of the Sunderland team, which has only a few new faces, he will likely use their flaws to West Brom's advantage.
The gaffer will certainly use his knowledge of skilful winger Patrick Roberts to instruct his defenders to not allow the Englishman any space.
He may also look to force Black Cats goalkeeper Anthony Patterson to play out from the back in order to create problems for Sunderland as that has proved difficult for the young shot stopper this season.
Le Bris will be happy after his side’s relatively comfortable win over Millwall and be looking to put a good run-in together as part of a late automatic promotion push.
The Frenchman will want to exploit West Brom’s weaknesses as exposed against Norwich City on Saturday.
The Baggies full-backs really struggled with striker Josh Sargent’s runs in behind, which could mean that winger Romaine Mundle is instructed to make similar runs this weekend.
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Alex Mowatt vs Jobe Bellingham
One man who will look to impress in Saturday’s fixture is midfielder Alex Mowatt, who has played 36 out of 39 games for West Brom in an ever-present season.
Mowatt provides at both ends of the pitch, with 4.6 ball recoveries per 90, 1.4 key passes per game, and a tally of six league goals.
Someone who will look to get the better of Mowatt is Jobe Bellingham.
The 19-year-old is attracting attention from big clubs such as Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, and RB Leipzig, with good reason.
Jobe is a complete midfielder, averaging 6.1 duels won, 5.8 ball recoveries, and 1.3 key passes per game while completing 59% of attempted dribbles.
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Callum Styles vs Patrick Roberts
Left-back Callum Styles will need to be on top of his game on Saturday to keep Patrick Roberts quiet, but the stats prove he has the ability.
He averages two tackles per game and is only dribbled past 0.5 times per 90 – this will prove useful when facing Roberts.
Roberts provides 1.7 successful dribbles per game and is always looking to beat his man before doing anything else.
His end product, often criticised, is shining through this season with seven assists so far.
Styles will need to make the battle a physical one as Roberts is only five foot four inches and wins a paltry 0.2 aerial duels per game.
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Adam Armstrong vs Chris Mepham
This is arguably the highest quality battle on this list, with both players having played Premier League football within the past 12 months.
Adam Armstrong joined the Baggies on loan from Southampton in February looking to find some form.
He has netted twice in nine games but proves his worth in the high press, recovering the ball an average of 1.6 times per game.
The striker is also a boyhood Newcastle United fan so should relish scoring against the Wearsiders again after doing so when he last faced them in May 2024.
The man who will look to keep Armstrong from scoring is defender Chris Mepham, the Bournemouth loanee who has fast become a fan favourite for the Black Cats.
Mepham wins an average of 4.8 duels per game while making 6.1 clearances and is generally solid at the back.
The Welshman proves his worth in build-up play too, with a pass accuracy of 87% and 1.3 accurate chipped passes per game, which are mostly for the runs of striker Wilson Isidor.
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Torbjørn Heggem vs Wilson Isidor
Norwegian defender Torbjørn Heggem has a good record against Sunderland, earning the Man of the Match award in his only appearance against the Black Cats in a 0-0 draw last November.
Heggem has played every league game for the Baggies this term, keeping 12 clean sheets and averaging 1.6 tackles per game.
He will look to stop Wilson Isidor from scoring on Saturday, but the French striker will not make it easy.
Isidor has scored 12 goals in the Championship this season, striking against sides such as league leaders Sheffield United and high-flyers Leeds United.
The Frenchman has the ability to score against the best of defenders.
Heggem will further need to consider Isidor’s ability to provide, with the Frenchman boasting a pass accuracy of 70% and creating nine big chances for his team already this campaign.
Summary
The last time these sides met it was an uneventful 0-0 draw.
However, with Mowbray now at the helm for West Brom, the game will likely be free-flowing and very attacking.
Both teams will be desperate to win, with West Brom trying to get into the play-offs and Sunderland looking up to the automatic spots.
This has all the makings of a high-scoring and close affair, with a draw very much on the cards.
Score prediction: West Brom 2-2 Sunderland (14/1 with Bet365)
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