Mark Lawrenson predicts West Brom FA Cup clash v Charlton
Mark Lawrenson has predicted that West Brom will be held to a draw by Charlton when they meet the Addicks at The Valley in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.
However the former Liverpool defender has tipped the Baggies to win the replay at The Hawthorns should the match in London end in a stalemate.
West Brom have won just one of their last six matches in the Championship, with four of those games ending 1-1.
And Lawrenson reckons it will be the same scoreline for Albion this weekend despite Charlton’s injury concerns.
“Charlton have had a lot of injuries to contend with and I think West Brom will get the better of them, eventually,” said the pundit on the BBC Sport website.
Lawrenson, unfortunately, might be right.
Even though West Brom are second in the Championship and Charlton are way down in 19th, this just seems like the type of game that Slaven Bilic’s men might struggle to win.
The festive period has not been one that’s been full of joy for the Black Country club.
They have lost top-spot to Leeds and have picked up just maximum points on one occasion in their last six outings.
Bilic is likely to rest a few players this weekend when West Brom travel to The Valley and that could offer the home side a lot of encouragement.
Would it be the end of the world if the Baggies were to lose against Lee Bowyer’s side? Probably not.
However one thing that we do not want as we try to win automatic promotion is a third-round replay.
In other West Brom news, Albion are eyeing up this Premier League player who is willing to drop into the Championship in January.