West Bromwich Albion will entertain Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday with three crucial points up for grabs in the Premier League. Both teams come into this contest at the back of victories in the FA Cup which would give them some confidence going into this clash. The Baggies are currently in 19th place in the Premier League standings and are in dire need of a victory on Saturday to get themselves out of the relegation zone. Meanwhile, the Seagulls are in 12th place and a win at the Hawthorns could take them to the top half of the league table. With so much at stake, it is set to be an exciting Premier League encounter with both sides looking to go for the win.
Alan Pardew is yet to taste a Premier League victory since taking over as the new West Brom boss which would be a cause for concern for the Baggies faithful. The recent history of the fixture makes a grim reading for the West Midlands outfit as Brighton has won three of their last four league meetings versus West Brom. However, the contest will be another opportunity for Pardew’s Baggies to bounce back in the league with the manager expected to opt for a 4-4-2 formation. He might make three changes to his side that won against Exeter City in the FA Cup with a return for star defender Jonny Evans set to be on the cards.
4-4-2 West Bromwich Albion Predicted Lineup To Face Brighton And Hove Albion
Defence
Ben Foster will start in goal for the Baggies and might be shielded by a backline of Jonny Evans and Ahmed Hegazi in central defence along with Kieran Gibbs taking his place at left-back while Craig Dawson starts on the right side of the back four.
Alan Pardew will be hoping that his side can keep a rare clean sheet at home in Saturday’s clash against the Seagulls.
Midfield
The duo of Gareth Barry and Jake Livermore will take their place as holding midfielders with James McClean hugging the left touchline while Chris Brunt looks to cut in from the right. The Baggies midfielders will be tasked to create some chances for their forwards to feed on and their performance on the day could decide the fate of the contest.
Attack
The striking duo of Salomon Rondon and Jay Rodriguez will be expected to start up top for the Baggies. It is high time that they started scoring regularly for their team and a home clash versus Brighton might serve as the perfect opportunity to do so.
