Exclusive: Kevin Phillips predicts West Brom clash v Crystal Palace
We’re delighted to welcome former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Hawthorns…
Kevin Phillips predicts West Brom will draw away at Crystal Palace when they meet Roy Hodgson’s side at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon.
Although they lost 1-0 to Everton last Thursday, Albion are in the best form they’ve been in all season in terms of their results and performances.
Sam Allardyce’s men have lost just once in their last five Premier League matches, earning a point against Manchester United and beating Brighton in the process.
However, the 19th-placed Baggies are still in trouble and sit eight points adrift of safety with by far the worst goal difference in the league.
Palace, on the other hand, look safe in 13th place with 34 points to their name. However, the South Londoners have won just one of their last six Premier League games and were easily beaten 4-1 by Tottenham last week.
The Eagles hammered West Brom 5-1 at The Hawthorns earlier this season in what proved to be Slaven Bilic’s final match in charge.
Phillips, who played up front for both Albion and Palace, predicts a different outcome this weekend though, tipping his two former clubs to cancel each other out and draw.
“They’ve got Palace away next – they’re not great. I watched them at the weekend and they weren’t great against Tottenham so it’s a game the Baggies could win,” Phillips told West Brom News.
“It’s a tough one but I’m going to go for a 1-1 draw.”
West Brom face a tough run of fixtures after playing Crystal Palace this weekend.
After a three-week break, they return to London on April 3 to play Chelsea before matches against Southampton, Leicester, Aston Villa, Wolves, Arsenal and Liverpool.
Albion finish their season with a home clash against West Ham before the final match against Leeds at Elland Road on May 23.
It seems almost impossible to stay up at this point with those fixtures on the horizon but a win against Palace would be very welcome as it’s hard to see where another three points might come from.
In other West Brom news, John Percy has shared a major transfer update on the Baggies.
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