Match Preview: West Bromwich Albion (H)

17 September 2021

Preston North End take on one of the Championship’s early pace-setters on Saturday when West Bromwich Albion come to Deepdale.

Match Information
Venue: Deepdale
Date: Saturday 18th September, 3pm kick-off
Competition: EFL Sky Bet Championship (Matchday 8/46)
Kit: Home kit – available to order here!

Supporter Information

Tickets for this game will be on sale right up until kick-off from the Deepdale ticket office, which closes at half-time of Saturday’s game, or you can purchase online now at www.mypne.com or over the phone on 0344 856 1966.

Our fan zone will once again be open to supporters, with a few new additions on its way for this weekend. Full details will be confirmed later on today.

For those unable to come to the game, audio commentary is available as usual on iFollow PNE for supporters worldwide. As this game is being streamed on television overseas, supporters outside of the UK and Ireland can check whether they are able to watch the game by clicking here.

PNE Team News

Frankie McAvoy is in a similar situation to Tuesday night’s fixture against Sheffield United in terms of those he has available to him.

Ched Evans is likely to miss out again, while Tom Barkhuizen and Scott Sinclair are still recovering after illness.

Summer signing Matt Olosunde is back out on the grass, but this game will come too soon for him.

The Opposition

The Baggies have enjoyed a good return to the second tier after last season’s relegation, taking 15 points from their opening seven matches under new boss Valerien Ismael.

He joined the club in the summer from Barnsley, who he had led from relegation troubles to promotion hopefuls, overseeing a Play-Off charge which ended in semi-final defeat.

In coming to Deepdale, West Brom are bringing a number of familiar faces, with five former PNE players making a return: Jordan Hugill, Callum Robinson, Adam Reach, Jayson Molumby and Sam Johnstone.

Key Stats

The players listed above featured a combined 355 times for Preston North End, with striker Callum Robinson accumulating the most with 160.

Robbo started the season in fine form, scoring a goal in each of the first three league games, but he was substituted at half-time in West Brom’s last game.

The Baggies have the better of this fixture both historically and recently, winning 49 compared to PNE’s 39 victories, and the last time North End got the better of their opponents was in a 2-1 home victory in January 2008.

Our Last Meeting

The last time these two met, West Brom were sat top of the Championship table and came out 2-0 victors at the Hawthorns.

First half goals from Hal Robson-Kanu and Jake Livermore sent the Baggies on their way, before Darnell Fisher’s red card, which was later rescinded, seemed to kill the game off.

Man In The Middle

Referee for Saturday’s fixture will be Hampshire-born Andy Davies.

It will be the first time since November 2020 that Davies will take charge of a PNE fixture, with that game ending in defeat for North End away at Rotherham.

The official handed out six red cards in the 20 games he oversaw last season, but this season he is yet to dismiss a player and he’s averaging just over two yellow cards shown per game.

Linked Stories

Frankie: "We Will Try And Take The Game To Them"

Emil Hoping To Impress Family On First Visit

Match Reports

Match Report: PNE 1 West Bromwich Albion 1

18 September 2021

Preston North End were pegged back to a draw at home to West Bromwich Albion, with Ben Whiteman’s goal being cancelled out by Matt Phillips.

Whiteman gave his side the lead inside 26 minutes as he saw his effort deflect past former North End goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, but West Brom were level in added time of the first half as Phillips headed home.

After a stop-start opening to the game, with Sepp van den Berg going into the book and Patrick Bauer receiving treatment for a head injury, the latter was then involved in the first chance of the game.

He headed wide from Ryan Ledson’s corner 20 minutes in, before Johnstone took a quick goal-kick to launch it forward towards Grady Diangana, who blocked Daniel Iversen’s clearance with his hand before putting the ball in the back of the net, rightfully being pulled up for the offence.

Diangana soon tested the Dane legally, though, producing a tip over the bar from North End’s shot-stopper just two minutes later. From the resulting corner, the Baggies earned another from the opposite side, which found Kyle Bartley but his header was blocked by his own team-mate, Jordan Hugill.

It was the home side who would go ahead on 26 minutes as Emil Riis worked hard to keep the ball and find Whiteman on the edge of the box, and his deflected effort wrong-footed Johnstone on its way into the back of the net.

The visitors very nearly drew level on 32 minutes, as Phillips struck a fierce volley just wide on the end of Adam Reach’s cross.

Ten minutes later, Riis came close to his side’s second as he did remarkably well to take Ledson’s floated cross down, but the ball landed just too far away from him for the forward to make the meaningful contact.

It looked as though PNE were set to head into the break ahead, however Phillips drew his side level two minutes into added time, heading home at the far post on the end of Darnell Furlong’s long throw-in.

Phillips tried his luck again early in the second 45, seeing his curled effort five minutes into the period land on top of Iversen’s goal.

The game remained tight as time went on, with both sides making attacking changes, including Connor Wickham, who came on for his PNE debut and Callum Robinson making his return to Deepdale from the West Brom bench.

Ali McCann also came on for his home debut and he almost created a winner, with his cross falling to Ryan Ledson, who hit a sweet half-volley goalwards, only for Johnstone to save down low.

Jordan Hugill then had a late opportunity himself, being played onto the edge of the box with Iversen to beat, but the Dane comfortably saved.

PNE line-up: Iversen; Storey, Bauer, Hughes; van den Berg, Whiteman (McCann, 64), Johnson, Ledson, Earl; Maguire (Wickham, 64), Riis (Murphy, 83). Subs not used: Rudd, Cunningham, Lindsay, Potts.

West Brom line-up: Johnstone; Ajayi, Bartley, Townsend; Reach, Mowatt, Livermore, Furlong; Diangana (Grant, 63), Hugill, Phillips (Robinson, 69). Subs not used: Button, Molumby, Kipre, Snodgrass, Taylor.

Attendance: 13,840 (3,219 West Brom fans)

Referee: Mr A Davies

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