WEST BROM VS WOLVES: A RIVALRY RENEWED

On Sunday lunchtime, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers renew their Black Country Derby in the FA Cup Fourth Round.

This will be the first derby between the two clubs with supporters present inside a stadium since February 2012, when the Baggies produced one of the most standout results in the history of the fixture, winning 5-1 at Molineux with Nigerian forward Peter Odemwingie scoring a hat-trick.

Despite Wolves currently possessing the greater standing of the two sides at present as fourteen places between the bottom half of the Premier League, the mix of excitement and fear is there for all to see on the respective stances of such a divide.

The History of the Derby

Credit: Allsport/Mike Finn-Kelcey

Ironically when it comes to previewing this weekend's fixture, the very first meeting between the two historic sides also came in the FA Cup when Albion ran out 3-1 winners in 1886.

Since then, its the side from the Hawthorns who have seen the better fortunes overall, with 64 further wins and 44 draws, whereas Wanderers have only emerged victorious on 53 occasions.

West Brom also have the Indian sign over Wolves at present, having gone four unbeaten and are in the midst of an 11-game unbeaten run at the Hawthorns against the Old Gold and Black with Wolves' last win there coming on 15th September 1996, in which Iwan Roberts netted a hat-trick in a 4-2 scoreline.

Wolves' last victory against their rivals came back in May 2011, during a time where Mick McCarthy's side needed three points on top of bragging rights in their eventually successful attempt at staving off relegation at the expense of fellow rivals Birmingham City. A Steven Fletcher brace and Adlene Guedioura strike gave the hosts a 3-0 lead before the aforementioned Odemwingie netted a consolation from the penalty spot.

One man synonymous with the rivalry is Wolves legend Steve Bull, who famously scored twice in four competitive appearances for West Brom. But he soon switched allegiances and became the last player to play for England outside of the top two divisions during a 13-year spell at Molineux, where he scored 306 times in 561 overall appearances. Unsurprisingly, such events have been the catalyst for chants from the Southbank at their rivals' expense.

Current Form

Both teams are enjoying relatively strong seasons in comparison to their respective Premier League and Championship campaigns, although it is so often said that in derby matches that the formbook is thrown out of the window.

Credit: Benedict Ferraby

West Bromwich Albion

To reach the Fourth Round, West Brom dismissed any chances of a potential 'banana-skin' against National League side Aldershot Town, in which Daryl Dike scored his first goal since March 15th 2023 after rupturing his achilles the following month, as Carlos Corberan's side cruised to a 4-1 victory.

However, it has since been revealed that the big American forward will not partake in proceedings through a minor calf problem, and he joins the likes of Jayson Molumby, Josh Maja & Matt Phillips as long-term absentees. However, Tom Fellows' recent breakthrough has been rewarded with the signing of a new long-term contract.

Albion will no doubt fancy their chances in this particular game, as they stand fifth in the overall Championship table, but in the exact same position when it comes to points accumulated in B71, with 30 of their 45 points won on home turf. Corberan's side also have the most clean sheets in the division, with Alex Palmer completing 12 shutouts in 28 games, so for as good as Wolves' attack has been, they have a gruelling battle on their hands, with the likes of Cedric Kipre also earning mass plaudits for his performances at the back.

Last time out was a frustrating 2-0 defeat at Norwich City. However, they can take solace from the fact they are undefeated in four at The Hawthorns, only conceding twice on such occasions.

Wolves

Meanwhile, Wolves faced further motivation to progress into round four, after finding out the potential of facing off with their bitter rivals after the draw took place on Monday 8th January, three days after Gary O'Neil's side were held to a 1-1 draw with fellow top-flight side Brentford at the GTECH Community Stadium.

There was always the probability that the West Londoners would be the archetypal side to crush the hopes of supporters on both sides of the divide, and former Wolves centre-back Nathan Collins increased such chances after he struck from close range. Even though Nelson Semedo equalised, plans for a renewal of this rivalry were put on hold as Neal Maupay found the net after 51 minutes.

But as they've demonstrated on multiple times this season, Wolves were not to be denied victory as academy product Nathan Fraser equalised before Matheus Cunha grabbed the decisive winner with a 110th minute penalty in extra-time.

O'Neil's men have only suffered defeat in one of their last nine outings in all competitions - a run which has included impressive and dominant victories over the likes of Chelsea, Everton and the aforementioned Brentford on two occasions.

Credit: Getty Images

The former Bournemouth boss has seen his side's attacking and creative exploits really come to the fore in this period, tallying 16 goals in total.

As previously highlighted, Wolves' attack has been deadly on occasions this season, and supporters will be craving that the likes of Cunha and Pedro Neto can cement their legacy as cult heroes in this current squad by scoring a famous goal at the Hawthorns. In terms of O'Neil's latest team news update, Full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri may return to the side after returning from AFCON, as well as Hugo Bueno's return to fitness.

Wolves must seek this opportunity as a chance to improve on their stuttering away form, only mustering 12 points from 11 away games in the Premier League, as well as exiting the Carabao Cup in a 3-2 defeat on the road at fellow Championship side Ipswich Town back in September.

When does the fixture take place?

The highlighted battles and clashing of styles will hopefully make this encounter one for the ages, with a ferocious and hostile atmosphere expected.

This particular clash takes place at 11:45AM on Sunday January 28th, and is a complete sell-out at The Hawthorns.

It is also available to air on ITV1, with coverage beginning at approximately 11:00AM.