PREVIEW: WEST BROMWICH ALBION (A)

30 August 2023

A look ahead to Huddersfield Town’s next Sky Bet Championship opponent

- West Bromwich Albion vs Huddersfield Town
- Town travel to the Hawthorns on 2 September 2023
- Full preview of what to expect from our next opponents

With the September international break just around the corner, Town’s final fixture of this opening period of the season comes at the Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Beaten at home by Norwich City last time out, the Terriers will be looking to get their first three points of the season in the Midlands, where they narrowly missed out by a goal to nil at the tail end of last season thanks to a penalty for the home side.

THE OPPOSITION

Currently sat in 7th place in the Sky Bet Championship, the Baggies will be looking to improve on their 9th place finish last season. A summer of change, West Brom have brought three new players in with Josh Maja and Ruben Shakpoke arriving on free transfers, with Jeremy Sarimento joining them from Brighton & Hove Albion on a season-long loan.

Outgoings have been much busier, however, with 23 players departing either permanently or on loan, including Dara O’Shea who has signed for Burnley and Karlan Grant, who has moved to Cardiff City on loan.

A return to the Premier League is clearly the ambition of the club, and the Baggies will be hoping the changes made in the summer will result in a stronger showing this season.

HEAD COACH

Carlos Corberán remains at the helm for West Brom having joined the Baggies in October 2022, with familiar faces in Jorge Alarcón and Michael Hefele in his backroom staff. Since arriving, the Spanish coach has won 50% of his fixtures in charge, with six draws and 13 losses making up the rest of his 38 game reign.

The fifth club of his managerial career, the now 40-year-old has also spent a short time in charge of both Doxa and Ermis in Cyprus, Huddersfield Town and most recently Olympiacos in Greece.

Jorge Alcaron WBA 2023 16x9.png

LAST TIME OUT

Losing on the opening day to Blackburn Rovers, the Baggies form has since improved with two home wins against Swansea City and Middlesbrough coming either side of an away draw with Leeds United.

In that last home win against Middlesbrough, goals from Cedric Kipre, John Swift, Brandon Thomas-Asante and Jeremy Sarmiento were the difference in a 4-2 victory. Middlesbrough did play much of the second half with 10 men, but by this point the home side already led 3-1.

West Brom lined-up as follows: Palmer; Ajayi, Kipre, Pieters; Furlong, Yokuslu (Mowatt 65), Molumby, Phillips (Townsend 64); Wallace (Sarmiento 69), Thomas-Asante (Maja 65), Swift (Chalobah 81)

FORMATION

Losing on the opening day to Blackburn Rovers playing four at the back in a 4-2-3-1, West Brom have since adjusted and moved to a three-man defence.

Fluid between a 3-4-3 and 3-4-2-1, there is a reliance on their wing backs to provide width going forward, with two attacking midfielders – usually Swift and Wallace – playing in the space behind a lone striker, which is most often Brandon Thomas-Asante.

Pressing aggressively, looking to play wide early and already settling on what appears to be their favoured starting side, West Brom are well organised and potentially difficult to play against.

WHO TO WATCH

Alex Palmer

Looking to once again secure his place between the sticks for West Brom this season, Palmer was in and out of the team across the 2022/23 campaign as the side tried to settle on who would be their starting goalkeeper.

Not playing in the Sky Bet Championship until October, he remained in goal until January but lost his place for three months until April, but finished the season starting.

Palmer has started all four of West Brom’s fixtures this season, but is yet to keep a clean sheet.

Alex Palmer WBA 2023 16x9.png

Cedric Kipre

Central defender Cedric Kipre is decisive in both boxes, with his physicality and aggression giving him a real advantage in the air. A goal threat with one to his name already this season, he is a difficult obstacle to overcome at the back.

An ever-present for the Baggies, he has taken to sitting in the middle of the back three with Semi Ajayi and Erik Pieters usually at either side of him.

Cedric Kipre WBA 2023 16x9.png

John Swift

A product of the Chelsea academy, attacking midfielder Swift ended a series of loans by joining Reading in 2016, staying and captaining the Royals until his departure to West Brom in the summer of 2022.

Since signing for the Baggies, Swift has made 53 appearances in all competitions, scoring nine times and assisting a further 10 as he continues to make himself a focal point of the attack. Making a bright start to the current campaign, he already has two goals to his name in four outings.

John Swift WBA 2023 16x9.png

TOWN TEAM NEWS

As usual, Town Manager Neil Warnock provided a full insight into his squad availability in his latest press conference on Thursday 31 August 2023.

KIT

With the home side in their own variation of blue and white, the Terriers will wear their Acid Lime away kit for the first time in competitive action this season at the Hawthorns!

Worn on tour in pre-season as we visited Cornwall and Devon, you can make one your own by CLICKING HERE!

TICKET NEWS

We kick-off at 3pm on Saturday 2 September at the Hawthorns, with tickets on general sale until 2pm on Friday 1 September.

CLICK HERE to read our full ticket information.

iFOLLOW HTAFC

Saturday’s match will be available to listen to on iFollow HTAFC.

Town fans will be able to listen to Saturday’s game through our live audio commentary by purchasing either a Season, Monthly or Audio Match Pass to tune in. You can purchase a Season Pass for £45, a Monthly Pass for £4.49 or an Audio Match Pass for £2.50.

CLICK HERE to sign up to iFollow HTAFC!

Match Reports

REPORT: WEST BROM 1-2 TOWN

2 September 2023

Terriers record their first win of the season!

- West Bromwich Albion 1-2 Huddersfield Town
- Delano Burgzorg and Jack Rudoni score
- A fantastic victory at the Hawthorns

Town recorded a welcome and deserved first win of the 2023/24 Sky Bet Championship season at West Bromwich Albion.

Summer signing Delano Burgzorg capped his first start in English football with his opening goal for the club, with Jack Rudoni netting deep into added time to secure a win after a home equaliser.

Every player deserved credit for a wholehearted performance in what was a great game, but captain Jonathan Hogg was an outstanding presence in central midfield throughout.

Neil Warnock made four changes for the game, handing first Town starts to new recruits Ben Wiles and Burgzorg to facilitate a change of shape to 3-5-2. That also saw a welcome return for David Kasumu, who was deployed at right wing back after his pre-season ankle injury, with Jaheim Headley making his first league start of the campaign on the opposite flank.

There was plenty of action at both ends throughout, and Town were denied an eighth minute goal by an adjudged foul. Wiles won the ball and worked a corner kick, and Kasumu returned it into the box once the initial effort was half-cleared. His cross found Rudoni at the back post, who volleyed home expertly – only for referee James Linnington to rule it out for a foul by Helik.

Wiles tried his luck himself two minutes later with a daisy-cutter from range that Palmer had to push around the post, and Town were in the ascendancy at this point. Matty Pearson soon headed a Rudoni free kick over the crossbar, just after Helik had planted a header at the goalkeeper from a corner.

West Brom threatened at times too, but Lee Nicholls was back to his best and the back three of Ruffels, Helik and Pearson defended the box very well.

It was no surprise when Town took the lead in the 33rd minute, with Dutchman Burgzorg scoring beautifully. Another corner, won by the battling Danny Ward, was eventually cleared to the edge of the box, where Delano chested it smartly past Conor Townsend before volleying sharply between Palmer and the near post.

The unpredictable Mainz loanee tried his luck again in first half added time after working his own space for a shot on the edge of the box but pulled this effort wide of the near post.

The home side’s best chance of the first half came just before the interval when they worked the ball to striker Brandon Thomas-Asante in our area, but his snapshot was straight at Nicholls.

Town threatened again early in the second 45 when Rudoni got down the right, only to be flagged offside, but that signalled our intent to get forward and not sit on the single goal lead.

Unfortunately, that led to the equaliser when West Brom broke in clinical fashion from our corner. Headley was outnumbered two to one and Thomas-Asante drew him over before slipping the ball right to John Swift, who swept the ball past Nicholls one-on-one.

The game was now wide open, with both sides trying to find a winner. Several crosses were flashed across both goalmouths without finding a finishing touch, and several substitutes came on for both sides. That included a welcome return to league action for Yuta Nakayama when Ruffels went down with cramp, and a change in the front two for the final quarter of an hour when Koroma and Harratt came on.

Harratt was lively, and before having a big hand in the winner he tried to sneak another shot between the goalkeeper and the near post from the narrowest of angles that didn’t work out.

In the end, a big Nicholls save preceded the dramatic late winner. Lee did very well to get down low to his left to save a shot from substitute Josh Maja after Pearson had tried to force him wide - and then Town broke swiftly.

Koroma broke down the left and went on the outside before sliding a reverse pass into the path of Harratt’s forward run. Kian steadied himself before picking out Rudoni in space at the back post, who calmly took the ball on his chest before slamming it low to the goalkeeper’s left. That sparked wild celebratory scenes in front of the travelling Town faithful, who were fantastic throughout.

Town saw out the final two minutes to record a big first win of the season.

Town’s team (3-5-2)
Lee Nicholls; Matty Pearson, Michał Helik, Josh Ruffels (Yuta Nakayama, 82’); David Kasumu, Ben Wiles, Jonathan Hogg (c), Jack Rudoni, Jaheim Headley (Ben Jackson, 85’); Danny Ward (Kian Harratt, 73’), Delano Burgzorg (Josh Koroma, 74’)

Unused substitutes
Chris Maxwell; Rarmani Edmonds-Green, Brahima Diarra, Pat Jones, Kyle Hudlin

Town goals
Delano Burgzorg (33’), Jack Rudoni (90+6’)

Town booking
Josh Ruffels (41’)

Get your ticket for our next game at home to Rotherham United on Saturday 16 September 2023 - click HERE to buy online now!