West Bromwich Albion face Sunderland on Saturday seeking to protect their formidable unbeaten run in the Championship.
The Baggies are unbeaten in 10, with five wins and five draws, ahead of the 3pm kick-off.
They face a Sunderland team who have won one and drawn three over the same number of games.
With 66 goals in 42 games so far this season, West Bromwich are scoring more than average in the league with 1.6 goals per game. And they are conceding fewer than average, letting in 41 goals at a rate of 1.0 per game.
Sunderland, meanwhile, are below average scorers, with 1.2 goals per game, compared to a league average of 1.3. They have also conceded 1.2 goals per game.
In Alex Palmer, Albion can rely on one of the league's safest pair of hands. He has kept 17 clean sheets in his 42 appearances this season, and only one other ‘keeper – Leeds United's Illan Meslier – has been able to prevent the opposition scoring on more occasions in the Championship.
In the Black Cats's net, Anthony Patterson has 12 clean sheets in 42 games. He has conceded a goal every 77 minutes, 30% more often than the 99 minutes between goals for Palmer.
In the last 10 years, West Bromwich and Sunderland have played each other on 10 occasions. They won three each, and they drew four times.
On average, the Baggies scored 1.0 goal and the Black Cats 1.0 in those matches.
Their last meeting was on December 9, when Sunderland won 2-1 at home.
The Baggies are fifth in the table after 42 games, of which they have won 20 and drawn 12, earning 72 points.
The away side are eight places behind the hosts in 13th, with 15 wins and eight draws putting them on 53 points.
West Bromwich's last match was on Wednesday, a 2-0 win against Rotherham United, with Brandon Thomas-Asante and John Swift getting the goals for the Baggies.
Sunderland drew 0-0 with Leeds United last time out, on Tuesday.
Saturday's match will be refereed by Matt Donohue, who has taken charge of 27 Championship games so far this season, issuing one red card and booking 113 players. He has awarded four penalties.
The last West Bromwich game Donohue refereed was a 1-1 away draw with Leeds United on August 18. His last Sunderland match was their 3-0 loss at home against Coventry City on December 23.
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West Bromwich Albion v Sunderland
Championship | The Hawthorns
Saturday, 13 April 2024 @ 3.00pm
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