This Week's Opposition: West Bromwich Albion

Jake Smith provides a closer look at The Baggies.

After a 2-1 defeat to Norwich City at Fratton Park last time out, it’s almost time to find out if John Mousinho’s Blues can turn their fortunes around when they hit the road for only the second time this season - West Bromwich Albion are the hosts for matchday number 3!

MANAGER

34-year-old Ryan Mason is now at the helm of West Brom.

This role serves as the former Tottenham Hotspur and Hull midfielder’s first in senior management, having previously held interim positions at Spurs.

Mason was forced to retire from playing early following a nasty head injury sustained at the age of just 26 - He needed 14 metal plates installed on his skull with 28 screws holding them into place following a clash of heads with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill in a Premier League fixture in January 2017.

Since taking charge of his new side in the summer, he has achieved a 66.67 win percentage from 3 competitive fixtures.

ONE TO WATCH

This weekend, we advise you keep a close eye, or ear, on Jed Wallace.

The midfielder, who predominantly plays on the right-hand side, has been at The Baggies since 2022, following a 5-year stint at Millwall.

Wallace came through the Portsmouth youth setup and went on to rack up well over 100 appearances between 2012 and 2015 before signing for Wolves.

He is now West Brom captain and even scored in their last game away at Wrexham.

TOP SCORER

Leading scorer for the club and the division as a whole is Northern Ireland international Isaac Price.

The midfielder is just 21 years of age and returned to England to sign at The Hawthorns in January after spending 19 months in Belgium with Standard Liège.

Price came through the Everton youth ranks and turned pro in 2022 - He has also registered 22 appearances for the Northern Ireland senior team, scoring 9 goals for his country.

This term, he has managed 3 Championship strikes in just 2 games.

CURRENT FORM

Ryan Mason’s side are one of just three sides to still have a 100% league record intact after matchday 2.

They claimed a 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers on the opening day at The Hawthorns before beating newly-promoted Wrexham 3-2 on the road last time out, with a penalty shoot-out defeat to Derby County in the Carabao Cup sandwiched between those fixtures.

The Baggies sit 3rd in the Championship with 6 points and a goal difference of +2.

Can the Blues bounce back to winning ways after successive defeats on home turf?

Express FM will have you covered with all of the unmissable action when Pompey Live returns with Jake Smith, Kirsty Roxanne and James Wilson this Saturday (August 23rd) afternoon from 2pm.

Kick-off: 3pm!