Burnley, Leeds United and co must have a cautious eye on West Brom: View

Burnley and Leeds United should be wary of West Brom

In the Championship, West Bromwich Albion has had an incredible start to the year.

Although West Brom’s loss to Southampton in the previous season’s play-off semifinals caused them great pain, they appear to be among the favourites to win the promotion this season.

On Sunday, the Baggies defeated Portsmouth 3-0 at Fratton Park to win their third straight game. Josh Maja’s goal and Alex Mowatt’s double sealed the victory.

In addition to scoring an incredible nine goals and collecting 13 points from their first five league games, Albion presently leads the table with the greatest defensive record in the division. They have only let up two goals.

The Baggies’ success is especially noteworthy in light of the fact that they had to operate under a business plan mandated by the EFL this summer to avoid breaking the league’s financial regulations, which restricted their freedom to conduct business.

Albion nonetheless managed to sign 11 new players during the transfer window in spite of their problems, and as they have shown in the first few weeks of the season, they have a roster that is more than capable of challenging for promotion.

West Brom are emerging as serious automatic promotion contenders

Corberan has done an incredible job since taking over at The Hawthorns in October 2022, and he is widely regarded as one of the best managers in the Championship, so perhaps it should not be a shock to see his side sitting top of the table.

After news of the club’s financial restrictions emerged in the summer, Corberan admitted that he was “prepared to face the most difficult challenge of my life as a coach”, and many questioned whether his side would be able to push for promotion, but just as he has done previously with the Baggies and during his time at Huddersfield Town, the Spaniard is proving the doubters wrong.

Corberan’s influence is clear to see throughout the Albion team – from the excellent defensive solidity, to the development of young players such as Tom Fellows, and the way he has helped the likes of Alex Mowatt and Karlan Grant rebuild their careers at the club after bringing them back into the fold following their loan spells elsewhere.

The Baggies finished fifth in the table last season, but their strong start to the campaign has offered hope that they could potentially challenge for automatic promotion, and there are some crucial differences that may allow Corberan’s men to set their sights higher.

Albion lacked depth in their squad last season, which proved problematic when injuries and suspensions hit or when players needed to be rested due to fatigue or a loss of form, but they face no such issues this time around, with competition for places in most areas of the team.

The absence of a prolific goalscorer was also a problem for the Baggies last term, with Brandon Thomas-Asante finishing as their top scorer with just 12 goals in all competitions, but in Maja, they may have found the man capable of firing them to the Premier League.

Maja was sidelined for much of his first season at The Hawthorns due to injury, but after returning to full fitness, he has enjoyed an incredible start to the season, scoring five goals in five appearances, which is more than any other player in the Championship.

Burnley and Leeds United should be wary of West Brom

Though they are the clear favourites, Burnley and Leeds United will have to be wary of West Brom. A lot of people have predicted that they will automatically advance from the Championship this season.

Of course, it is still early in the season and difficult to make too many assumptions at this point because the table hasn’t really taken shape, but the Baggies’ early success should come as no surprise to the Clarets or Whites.

Corberan was reportedly on Burnley’s list of targets to replace Vincent Kompany this summer before the appointment of Scott Parker. He was previously on the coaching staff at Leeds under Marcelo Bielsa and was linked with a return to Elland Road last February after the sacking of Jesse Marsch, so the pair will know exactly what he is capable.

Despite their strong start, there are still worries about Albion’s ability to sustain an automatic promotion drive, and if they do, their away record will have to improve dramatically.

Corberan will need to improve the Baggies’ poor road record from the previous season, as they only managed six victories in the league and lost to all eight teams who finished in the top eight of the division.

In addition to being considered for the Leicester City position, Corberan was also on Burnley’s radar this summer. If the 41-year-old keeps up his impressive play, Albion may lose him.

But for the time being, Corberan is still totally dedicated to the Baggies, and with his team leading the Championship right now, a memorable season at The Hawthorns may be in store.

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