This Sunday, the Hawthorns will host a fascinating clash as seventh-placed West Bromwich Albion take on second-placed Sheffield United.
West Brom enter this game on the back of a frustrating run of results. Three consecutive draws have extended their run to nine draws in their last ten games. While the Baggies have proven tough to beat, their inability to convert stalemates into victories has seen them slip out of the playoff positions. Manager Carlos Corberan will be eager to find a way to turn this consistency into winning momentum, especially against a high-flying Sheffield United side.
Despite their struggles, West Brom boast a strong squad that is both well-drilled and resilient. Wilder acknowledged this, calling them “a real top Championship squad” with quality throughout the lineup and bench. However, the pressure is mounting, and the Baggies will need a statement performance to reassure their supporters and reignite their playoff push.
Chris Wilder previews West Brom vs Sheffield United Clash
Wilder said in his press conference: “I think they’re an incredibly strong squad, unbeaten in so many games, so a little bit like Sunderland. I should imagine from their point of view they will have looked at a few of those games and should’ve turned draws into wins, but I look at their squad and I think that is a real top Championship squad right the way through. Real strong bench, good players, well-coached. Yeah there’s a little bit of noise in terms of them not winning games of football. Started off the season right on the front-foot, well coached, difficult opponents, don’t really give anything away. Solid. Compact.”
In stark contrast, United arrive at the Hawthorns full of confidence. The Blades are riding a seven-match unbeaten streak, including five clean sheets, despite facing significant adversity in recent weeks. Their ability to grind out results, even when reduced to ten men, highlights their resilience and cohesion under Chris Wilder’s leadership.
United have collected seven points from their last three games, further solidifying their position in the Championship. Wilder’s tactical adjustments and motivational style have revitalised the squad, creating a feel-good factor reminiscent of their remarkable 2018/19 promotion campaign.
Speaking about the season so far, Wilder reflected: “I’m absolutely delighted in terms of where we are at the moment. I don’t think anybody could have foreseen that we would be top of the league at this stage of the season, people were talking about us ‘are we going to go through the trapdoor again? Is this the slide? Are we going to go back to League One?’ Maybe it’s being underplayed a little bit. People have this lazy opinion of we’re set to go back up, everything’s ok, we just had a poor season, we’ve lost one or two players, but really the group is a Premier League team that’s had a poor season and ready to go back in.
“The team wasn’t a Premier League team last year. From the off it wasn’t and it got brutally exposed. It was miles off of it, absolutely miles off of it. We had fleeting moments, but we were undercooked and absolutely miles off of it. I don’t think it was the normal ‘lose a couple and bring a couple in’ like the majority of Premier League teams go through. It was a complete rebuild and a complete changing of the style and how we play. I’ve really enjoyed it, the coaches have really enjoyed it, Al’s [Alan Knill] really enjoyed it. There’s a good feel about it, reminiscent of 2018/19, and I don’t want people to take this as ‘he had that feeling and we went up’ because there’s no guarantees, but it has got that feel.”
In his press conference, Wilder also revealed Rhian Brewster is available for selection again, while Kieffer Moore is still a doubt.
