#west-brom

#west-brom

When looking at Gareth McAuley's signing at face value, it was an addition that appeared pretty underwhelming. The central defender had an established career within the EFL pyramid up to that point but was considered not quite good enough to make the jump to the Premier League. But McAuley would prove all the doubters wrong, improving season-upon-season to be such a valued and vital cog to the Albion machine.

Embarking on an extended flurry, Chris Davies' men have their sights firmly set on mounting a genuine play-off charge in 2026 and the open Tuesday's showdown sat just two points adrift of skyrocketing into the top-six. Last seen over the weekend clinching a 2-1 victory at home against Leicester, the mood around St. Andrew's is at a red-hot high and they will certainly be smelling another golden opportunity here.

However, making an immediate return to losing ways last time out as they opened the New Year with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Sheffield United, the pressure on Marti Cifuentes' shoulders has now reached a boiling points. Coming under a huge amount of scrutiny on December 20th as they slumped to a 4-1 drumming against QPR, the Foxes have lost three of their previous four Championship appearances.