Watch for the sparks as WBA square up to Burnley

Watch for the sparks as WBA square up to Burnley

When Carlos Corberan arrived in October last year, West Bromwich Albion were facing a real risk of being dragged into a relegation battle following a woeful start to the season.

They had won only one of their first 13 games in the English Championship under Steve Bruce and had gone from being one of the pre-season favourites to win promotion back to the English Premiership favourites to a club in free fall.

But the Spanish manager, whose previously jobs were at Huddersfield Town in the Championship and Olympiakos in Greece, has managed to alter the mentality at the club since being handed the reins. In just a few weeks the Baggies are now a long way away from the drop zone and instead have moved into the top six - in other words the promotion play-off places.

Last weekend’s win at Luton was their fourth league success in a row and their ninth in their last 10 league matches. With Corberan at the helm, West Brom have managed to accumulate 27 points from 11 league games.

But they face a real test with Friday’s visit to Turf Moor and a clash with Championship log-leaders Burnley, where a new manager in Vincent Kompany is also doing the business in a big way.

Burnley have won nine of their last 10 games with the only blemish a League Cup loss at Old Trafford to Manchester United just before Christmas.

It is going to be a litmus test for West Brom, whose midfield is stacked with class, and they have three solid attackers in USA international Daryl Dike, Brandon Thomas-Asante and Karlan Grant.

At the back, Dara O’Shea is proving to be a real leader while 26-year-old goalkeeper Alex Palmer has emerged as one of West Brom’s most important players under Corberan.

Palmer has had to bide his time at West Brom. He’s been loaned out on several occasions and was forced to play as the club’s no. 2 under Bruce earlier this season, looking on as David Button struggled in goal.

He will have his handful with the Burnley attack for whom former England international Jay Rodriquez has nine league goals this season and new Belgian addition Benson Manuel seven. It’s a mega clash - don’t miss it.