West Brom showed steel and character to come back from two goals down against Burnley to grab a point in a 2-2 draw at Turf Moor.
Goals from Chris Brunt and Brown Ideye pulled off what looked at one point like an unlikely result for Tony Pulis’ men and he will be hoping they can make it slightly easier for themselves this week against a Swansea side enjoying a strong season.
Saido Berahino will likely be key again for the Baggies should he feature against Swansea, the young striker being one of their most dangerous attacking threats so far this season. He’s compiled a squad-leading 45 attempts on goal according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, with 48.9% of those being on target. His strike total means he’s scored on average with every five shots he’s had on goal. Berahino is 9/5 with 888sport.com to score at any time.
Defender Andre Wisdom has been using his time on loan at The Hawthorns to full effect this season, racking up the miles whilst on the pitch for the Baggies. Indeed, he leads the squad for total distance covered this term, with 217.8km to his name.
West Brom’s midfield looks very solid with the addition of Darren Fletcher from Manchester Utd to add to James Morrison’s impressive form this season. Morrison has been West Brom’s key midfielder pivot this season, compiling 471 completed passes in the opponent’s half at an average rate of one every 3.2 minutes this season.
Swansea created plenty of chances last weekend but were unable to see off a stubborn Sunderland as the points were halved in a 1-1 draw after Ki Sung-Yueng’s second half header.
It could be argued that Ki Sung-Yeung’s work ethic was what enabled him to nab his goal last weekend, the South Korean international captain clearly wanting to turn in a stellar performance against his old club. The midfielder covered more ground than any other player on the pitch against Sunderland, with 7.3 miles to his name. Sun-Yeung is 13/2 with 888sport.com to score at any time.
Winger Jefferson Montero has adapted quickly to life in the Barclays Premier League following his arrival at the Liberty Stadium last summer. He’s been using his pace and close control to great effect, his statistics showing that he’s completed a dribble on average an impressive 17.4 minutes he’s been on the pitch this season according to the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index.
Gylfi Sigurdsson has clearly been relishing his return to south Wales, adopting a key role in the Swans attack. Not only does he have the joint highest total for attempts on goal in the Swansea squad (27 - tied with Bafetimbi Gomis), he’s also completed a pass in the opponent’s half on average every 3.9 minutes this season.
Will the Throstles beat the Swans this evening? Have your say at Baggies Banter.