Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Championship match.
On Tuesday evening, at the Stadium of Light, two former leaders of the league face off. Sunderland have only recently relinquished that title after the previous round and will be eager to reclaim it. West Bromwich Albion will match their intensity in this pursuit.
Sunderland
Sunderland lost their top spot due to Millwall, who equalised in the 93rd minute, managing to unsettle Sunderland's defence with 70% possession in the second half and just two shots on target. Naturally, it was frustrating, but Sunderland don't seem like the dominant force—they're now four games without a win. Even bottom side Queens Park Rangers are snatching points from them (0:0).
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion have only missed out on victory in one of their recent matches: they defeated Hull City away in the 15th round (2:1) and just three days ago drew with Norwich City (2:2), who are in a prolonged winless streak. This cannot be seen as a positive result, especially as it was a home game. However, they deserve some praise. They equalised with their second goal just two minutes after conceding, and the first goal by Mason Holgate was spectacular. The defender scored with a backheel from inside the penalty area. The draw was sealed by Josh Maja, who has been scoring in three of the last four rounds. This is exactly what has long been expected from the centre forward.
Sunderland vs West Bromwich Albion Prediction
We see the teams on different trajectories. Sunderland are on a downward trend, while West Bromwich Albion are on the rise, so we expect the visitors to take points from the Stadium of Light.
