West Brom vs Swansea City preview: Team news, lineups, prediction
West Brom face a quick turnaround in the Championship as they face Swansea City at The Hawthorns on Saturday.
West Brom’s 1-1 draw against Birmingham City on Wednesday once again highlighted the fragile mindset of Ryan Mason‘s side, as another two points were thrown away in B71.
Alex Mowatt’s beautiful strike was cancelled out by Marvin Ducksch’s 78th-minute header, and West Brom‘s point was not enough to move them out of 17th place.
The Baggies now take on a Swansea side that sits 19th in the table, and the game could have a huge impact on the trajectories of both of their seasons.
West Brom News highlights everything you need to know ahead of the match.
Preview
West Brom have been woeful under Mason, and there are real concerns over his future at the club after yet another winless performance against Birmingham.
The lack of creativity in attack has been alarming, and the Baggies are beginning to set a trend of dropping points after taking an early lead.
As Mason continues to face pressure from all angles, the players must end their dreadful run of one win from seven games and show fighting spirit against their opponents on 29 November.
Swansea come into the match hoping to win their first game under 37-year-old head coach Vitor Matos, whose first in charge ended in defeat to Derby County on Tuesday.
Having sacked Alan Sheehan on 11 November, this season is clearly not going to plan for the Swans, and a clash against an out-of-sorts West Brom side could be exactly what they need to record a first win since 25 October.
Form guide
West Brom (last six games all comps): L D L W D L
Swansea (last six games all comps): L D L L L L
Head-to-head
The all-time record between the pair doesn’t look good for West Brom, who have lost 23 out of their 53 meetings against Swansea.
Since their first meeting in 1927, the Baggies have won 19, while the remaining 11 have been draws.
Having drawn 1-1 on 4 January, both sides will be aiming for a better outcome this time around.
The positive news for the supporters is that the Baggies have won the last two clashes between the pair at The Hawthorns.
Team news and predicted lineups
Aune Heggebo is likely to retain his place, and he could be joined by Josh Maja as Mason looks to make a change in attack.
Isaac Price was slammed for his performance against Birmingham, and it wouldn’t be a shock if he was dropped for Saturday’s encounter.
Jayson Molumby is back from suspension, but Ousmane Diakite is the most likely man to come into the midfield after being subbed on for the injured Toby Collyer on Wednesday.
The backline should remain unchanged, although the Baggies’ defence still has a lot to prove after conceding numerous sloppy goals in recent weeks.
The Swans aren’t expected to make many changes for Saturday’s clash, and they have their full squad at their disposal.
Ethan Galbraith is a goal threat in midfield, while Zan Vipotnik is the danger man up front, and both players are expected to start.
West Brom predicted XI: Griffiths; Campbell, Phillips, Mepham, Styles; Mowatt, Diakite; Johnston, Grant; Maja, Heggebo
Swansea predicted XI: Vigouroux; Key, Cabango, Burgess, Tymon; Galbraith, Franco, Fulton; Inoussa, Eom, Vipotnik
Prediction: West Brom 2-1 Swansea
West Brom’s away form has been woeful all season, but the fact that they’re playing Swansea at home bodes well for Mason.
Having only lost one match at The Hawthorns all season, fans should be confident of victory.
The problem for West Brom is that they can’t convert those home draws into wins, and Mason will be sacked before Christmas if he can’t achieve that.
As for the visitors, it’s unclear how they’ll line up under new boss Matos, although their 2-1 loss to Derby in midweek highlighted the fact that they played possession-based football in a 4-3-3 formation.
Saturday’s match involves two teams so devoid of confidence and belief, but it seems that West Brom may just have enough to overcome Swansea and alleviate the scrutiny on Mason.
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