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The EFL Championship returns with a fresh set of fixtures as Preston North End welcome West Bromwich Albion to the Deepdale Stadium on Saturday.
The hosts head into the game off the back of a 2-2 draw against Sheffield United, while the visitors were held to a bore draw by Derby County.
Preston North End failed to return to winning ways last time out as they played out a 2-2 draw against Sheffield United.
Sheffield looked set to run away with all three points after Sander Berge put them ahead in the 84th minute, but Emil Riis scored a 95th-minute leveler to force a share of the spoils.
Frankie McAvoy’s side have now been held to draws in their last two outings and this slight drop-off in form has seen them fall to 14th place in the table.
Similarly, West Bromwich Albion continued to drop points in the EFL Championship as they played out a goalless draw against Derby County last time out.
Despite dominating proceedings, Valérien Ismaël’s men were guilty of wasteful finishing as they failed to convert a plethora of clear-cut chances.
The Baggies have now drawn their most recent two outings and this slump in form has seen them lose top spot in the league table.
They currently occupy third place, level on 15 points with Bournemouth and Coventry City.
Preston North End vs West Bromwich Albion Head-To-Head
West Bromwich Albion head into the game as the superior side in the history of this fixture, claiming 49 wins from their last 124 meetings. Preston North End have picked up 39 wins, while 26 games have ended in draws.
West Brom are currently on a five-game winning streak against the hosts.
Preston North End Form Guide (all competitions): W-W-W-D-D
West Bromwich Albion Form Guide (all competitions): W-L-W-D-D
Preston North End vs West Bromwich Albion Team News
Preston North End
The hosts will be without Matthew Olosunde, Ched Evans, Scott Sinclair and Izzy Brown, who have been ruled out through injuries. Tom Barkhuizen is also unavailable due to COVID-19.
Injured: Matthew Olosunde, Ched Evans, Scott Sinclair, Izzy Brown
Suspended: None
COVID-19: Tom Barkhuizen
West Bromwich Albion
The Baggies will have to cope without the services of Matt Clarke and Dara O’Shea, who are both recuperating from injuries.
Injured: Matt Clarke, Dara O’Shea
Suspended: None
Preston North End vs West Bromwich Albion Predicted XI
Preston North End Predicted XI (3-4-1-2): Daniel Iversen; Andrew Hughes, Patrick Bauer, Jordan Storey; Josh Earl, Ryan Ledson, Ben Whiteman, Sepp van den Berg; Daniel Johnson; Emil Riis, Sean Maguire
West Bromwich Albion Predicted XI (3-4-3): Sam Johnstone; Dara O'Shea, Kyle Bartley, Cedric Kipre; Darnell Furlong, Jake Livermore, Alex Mowatt, Conor Townsend, Grady Diangana, Callum Robinson, Karlan Grant
Preston North End vs West Bromwich Albion Prediction
Both sides head into the game on a four-game unbeaten streak and will be looking to keep the ball rolling. However, the hosts head into the game on a five-game winning streak against the hosts and we predict they will maintain their dominance and come away with all three points.
Prediction: Preston North End 1-2 West Bromwich Albion
