Blackburn will start off their season with the visit of West Brom at Ewood Park in the Championship. Rovers were part of the playoff-chasing pack last term but ultimately fell short. West Brom needs Premier League football more than any other club.
Preview (Blackburn vs West Brom)
Following their automatic promotion from League One in 2018, Blackburn is entering their sixth straight season in the second division. The Rovers are steadily moving their way up to the top six. The Lancashire was at its most effective during the first half of the 2022–23 season. A run of only one victory in ten games to close out the year put a stop to any dreams of a playoff appearance. Ben Brereton Diaz scored frequently for Jon Dahl Tomasson’s team at Ewood Park. He left for La Liga club Villarreal when his contract with the club expired over the summer break.
As a result of the departures of Bradley Dack and Thomas Kaminski to Sunderland and Luton Town, respectively. Their supporters will be hoping they do not lose twice in a row this weekend. In a level where many teams have undergone significant changes this summer, West Brom is gearing up for the 2023–24 season with a squad that is substantially the same as the one that went to Swansea City on May 8 for the season’s final game. As seen by the signing of Jeremy Sarmiento from Brighton & Hove Albion, Albion have had to concentrate their attention on the free transfer and loan markets thus far this summer as they are no longer receiving parachute payments from the Premier League.
The young Ecuadorian participated in all three of his country’s games at the 2022 World Cup. He is highly regarded on the South Coast. It would seem that the Baggies still have some appeal left in them. West Brom’s ability to sign top-tier players for the Championship is eroding. Though, now that teams like Leicester City and Southampton are active in the division. Albion are no longer the favorites to return to the Premier League.
Team News
Blackburn manager Tomasson acknowledged that his team is thin going into this weekend’s Championship opener. Sam Gallagher and Arnor Sigurdsson will sit out of this game. Niall Ennis, a recent addition, will be charged with replacing Brereton Diaz’s goalscoring threat this season. However, the former Plymouth Argyle striker is still getting fit, so he might not play a significant role at Ewood Park in this match. Alex Palmer will play in goal. After being left out of the group that traveled to Bolton Wanderers for a friendly last weekend owing to transfer rumors.
Although Josh Maja, who recently moved to the Hawthorns from Salford City, is challenging Brandon Thomas-Asante to be Albion’s primary striker this season, the former Salford City player is looking forward to the task. Daryl Dike has the ability to win the Championship’s Golden Boot, but his awful luck with injuries has prevented him from properly settling in since his transfer from Orlando City last year.
Blackburn 1 – 2 West Brom
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