West Brom defenders to be on their toes for Leicester City’s new Riyad Mahrez
Ryan Mason will look to get back to winning ways as West Brom face Leicester City in the Championship on Friday.
The Hawthorns will host Marti Cifuentes’ team on 26 September as two teams who are arguably in contention for promotion places battle it out.
Having lost consecutively to Derby County and Middlesbrough, fans in B71 will want to see a much better performance from the Baggies and a positive result at the end of it.
Mason has a solid partnership with Nat Phillips and Chris Mepham, but they will need to be careful coming up against the Foxes’ attack.
Abdul Fatawu a threat for West Brom vs Leicester City
Abdul Fatawu may be the closest thing to Riyad Mahrez at Leicester, Andy Smith says.
The Foxes’ season ticket holder hasn’t seen anyone like the Ghana international at the King Power Stadium since the former Manchester City star, and Mason will undoubtedly need to be careful with him at The Hawthorns.
With the 21-year-old right-winger possessing the quality to pull off something special against the Black Country outfit, the likes of Callum Styles will arguably need to have an impressive game.
Speaking to Adrian Goldberg on The Liquidator, Smith said: “The star player really going forward is Fatawu. He’s an absolutely incredible player. His dribbling skills are just unbelievable. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that since Mahrez.
“He literally picks up the ball on the halfway line and nutmegs somebody at pace, goes on the outside, inside. He’s a really good player, really special player.”
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Ryan Mason should make changes to starting lineup at The Hawthorns vs Leicester City
Aune Heggebo has struggled to be a reliable goalscorer at The Hawthorns this season, and it feels like the right time to put Josh Maja back into the starting lineup.
The Norway international has shown glimpses of his talent at the Baggies, but he’s failed to take a lot of opportunities in recent matches.
Alfie Gilchrist and Charlie Taylor could also contribute for Mason, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them get their first starts for the Albion sooner rather than later.
| Fatawu in the Championship (2025/26) | Statistics |
| Appearances | 6 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Big chances created | 1 |
| Successful dribbles per game | 4 |
West Brom are seventh in the league table after dropping some crucial points in the last few weeks, and they should prioritise beating Leicester.
The English manager will evidently be confident about his defence after some resolute displays from the Baggies, but the attacking part of the game is worrying some supporters.
Whether Mason has learnt anything from the losses to Derby and Boro remains to be seen.
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