West Bromwich Albion vs Preston North End Match Analysis & Prediction
29/12/2022 11:00 pm
West Bromwich Albion play host to Preston North End at The Hawthorns on Thursday, with both teams looking to mount playoff bids this season.
The hosts were victorious on Boxing Day as the beat Bristol City at Ashton Gate, while Preston were surprisingly beaten by Huddersfield Town at Deepdale.
After five straight victories during the start of Carlos Corberan’s tenure as West Brom manager, a true test of the resolve of his squad would come at their first significant setback, which came when a late Viktor Gyokeres penalty for Coventry City condemned Albion to defeat last week.
Although West Brom are going through a tough spell recently, credit must be given to the way the Robins controlled large parts of the 2-0 win against Bristol City, something this current crop of players looked incapable of doing under Steve Bruce just a couple of weeks ago.
That victory moved West Brom to just three points behind the playoff spots at the end of Championship action on Boxing Day, an impressive achievement for a side that had its fanbase wondering about League One football not so long ago.
Meanwhile, Preston are experiencing a Christmas wobble in the second tier after successive defeats at Deepdale and need to get back to winning ways quickly in order to keep up with the playoff spots.
Ryan Lowe’s matchday squad has been depleted due to several injuries since a return from the World Cup break, and it might be the case that those absences are beginning to take their toll on a side that has been forced to fill its substitutes bench with academy graduates in recent matches.
Preston are one of the few teams in the divisin to be happier when playing away from home, with Lowe’s side collecting 21 points from 11 Championship games, compared to just 13 points picked up at Deepdale.
West Bromwich Albion vs. Preston North End Head to head
These two teams have previously met on 64 occasions across all competitions, where West Brom have claimed 30 victories while Preston have won 20, and they have drawn in 14. Preston have scored 75 goals and conceded 97 in the process.
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02/12/2019Preston North End0West Bromwich Albion1Championship
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25/02/2020West Bromwich Albion2Preston North End0Championship
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18/09/2021Preston North End1West Bromwich Albion1Championship
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26/01/2022West Bromwich Albion0Preston North End2Championship
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05/10/2022Preston North End1West Bromwich Albion0Championship
West Bromwich Albion Team News
West Brom have no fresh injury concerns from Boxing Day but are likely to make some changes to freshen up the XI, with Brandon Thomas-Asante pushing for a starting spot.
Grady Diangana had to settle for only a substitte appearance on Monday, and will most likely be given the same role in this contest.
West Bromwich Albion's Last 5 Matches
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02/12/2022Elche1West Bromwich Albion0Club Friendlies
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12/12/2022Sunderland1West Bromwich Albion2Championship
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17/12/2022West Bromwich Albion3Rotherham United0Championship
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21/12/2022Coventry City1West Bromwich Albion0Championship
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26/12/2022Bristol City0West Bromwich Albion2Championship
Preston North End Team News
Preston were able to welcome back Ali McCann and Alan Browne to the matchday squad against Huddersfield, with both appearing off the bench but could start here.
Sean Maguire was not involved on Boxing Day but is close to return now, while Troy Parrott will be sidelined until sometime in January with a hamstring injury.
Preston North End's Last 5 Matches
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04/11/2022Reading1Preston North End2Championship
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12/11/2022Preston North End2Millwall4Championship
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10/12/2022Blackburn Rovers1Preston North End4Championship
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17/12/2022Preston North End0Queens Park Rangers1Championship
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26/12/2022Preston North End1Huddersfield Town2Championship
West Bromwich Albion vs. Preston North End: Odds and Predictions
Main Prediction
1X2: 1
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