Match Preview: WBA v Sunderland - everything you need to know ahead of kick-off!

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Sunday 24th April, 2023

(7th) West Bromwich Albion v Sunderland (9th)

Championship

The Hawthorns

Kick-Off: 12:00

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Tickets & Match Coverage

Tickets: Tickets are sold out.

TV/Stream: Full live match coverage is available via Sky Sports.

Radio: Full live match commentary available via BBC Radio Newcastle (not online)

Don’t forget to follow the blow-by-blow account of the game on the Roker Report Twitter feed (@RokerReport) and check out the player ratings after the full-time whistle at www.RokerReport.com!

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The build-up...

Three points now separate seven sides in the race for two playoff spots with three games remaining. If the results during the week showed us anything, it’s that there are going to plenty of twists and turns before we’re done.

A quarter of a century ago this month, Peter Reid’s side travelled to The Hawthorns over Easter where a last-minute Lee Hughes goal resigned the Lads to only a play-off position rather than an automatic promotion spot, but this time around the pressure doesn’t feel quite as heavy.

Although we would have liked to have picked up a few more points recently, we remain unbeaten in the last six games and travel to the West Midlands still boasting the 5th best away record in the division.

In addition, there are only two sides that have scored more on the road and only three sides that have conceded fewer on their travels than the Lads this term, reminding us that on our day we’re capable of pulling off a results against anyone in the Championship.

Photo by John Early/Getty Images

It feels a long time since West Bromwich Albion parted company with Steve Bruce back in October after a disastrous start to the season, but the man to replace him, Carlos Corberan has done a sterling job to turn things around.

The Baggies were second bottom of the table and three points adrift of safety the day the new manager was appointed and they now find themselves in the mix for a top six finish. Incidentally, Corberan’s first home game in charge in late-October against Sheffield United was the last time West Brom suffered defeat at The Hawthorns.

Since then they remain unbeaten at home in 13 games and only Burnley have conceded fewer on home soil this season. They have done this under the backdrop of protest directed at the boardroom, although they have been put on ice in an effort to not disrupt the push for the play-offs.

We have to go back to 2006 for our last victory over West Brom at The Hawthorns (thanks to a Steve Watson own goal), which is our only win there in our 12 attempts so far this century. Let’s hope we can double that number in today’s fixture.

Photo by Adam Fradgley/West Bromwich Albion FC via Getty Images

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The betting...

The bookies fancy the home side to claim all three points this afternoon with odds of 19/20, with the Lads priced at 11/4 and the draw is around 12/5.

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Head to head... at West Brom

(All competitions)

• Sunderland wins: 18
• Draws: 19
• WBA wins: 41
• Sunderland goals: 104
• WBA goals: 148

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Last time we met... at The Hawthorns

Saturday 21st January, 2017

Premier League

West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Sunderland

[Fletcher 30’, Brunt 36’]

Sunderland: Mannone, Jones, Denayer (Borini), O’Shea, Djilobodji, van Aanholt, Larsson, Rodwell, Honeyman, Januzaj (Anichebe), Defoe Substitutes not used: Mika, Love, T. Robson, E. Robson, Embleton

West Bromwich Albion: Foster, Nyom, Brunt, Yacob, Dawson, McAuley, Phillips, Fletcher, Rondon (Robson-Kanu), Morrison (Livermore), Chadli (McClean) Substitutes not used: Myhill, Olsson, Field, Leko

Attendance: 24,380

Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

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Played for both...

Kevin Kilbane

Kevin Kilbane started out at Preston North End in the mid-1990s and joined West Brom in 1997 where he played under former Sunderland manager Denis Smith. Two years later Peter Reid snapped up the Republic of Ireland international for £2.5 million.

Kilbane’s four years on Wearside could be described as mixed, but a move to Everton put him back under the stewardship of David Moyes as he was at Preston, and Kilbane flourished at Goodison.

Three years on Merseyside was followed by three years at Wigan Athletic and three more at Hull City before he hung up his boots after a brief spell at Coventry City in 2012.

Photo by Steve Morton/EMPICS via Getty Images

Don Goodman

Don Goodman was a £900,000 club record signing by Denis Smith from West Bromwich Albion in 1991 as a direct replacement for Marco Gabbiadini.

Goodman started his career at Bradford City in 1983 and moved to West Brom in 1987, where his form stepped up, scoring an impressive 60 goals in 158 appearances ahead of his move to Sunderland.

Goodman was a popular figure during his time on Wearside, scoring 47 goals in 132 appearances leading to a move to big spending Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1994. Four years later Goodman left Wolves for Japan, signing for Sanfrecce Hiroshima for a year.

A period at Motherwell, before a move back to the West Midlands with Walsall ahead in 2001, spells at Exeter City and Doncaster Rovers followed before Goodman finished his career at Stafford Rangers in 2004.

Photo by Neal Simpson/EMPICS via Getty Images

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