West Bromwich Albion have been a fixture in the Championship for some years, having been away from the Premier League since 2021.
This is the Baggies’ fourth consecutive season in the second division, with one promotion near miss along the way when Carlos Corberan’s side tripped up in the playoffs last season against eventual promotion winners Southampton.
The Spaniard in charge of the Hawthorns dugout will just want his players to step up with more thrilling performances in order to truly push for a place in the top tier, with Matheus Pereira serving as a memorable hero for the Baggies the last time they tasted the sweet taste of promotion.
Pereira’s promotion heroics
Pereira would become a modern-day icon in the West Midlands during the 2019/20 season, with his heroics in terms of scoring goals and creating opportunities for teammates surely helping his team achieve the promised land of the Premier League.
During that unforgettable promotion-winning campaign, the charismatic South American would score eight goals and pick up a league-high 20 assists, as the ex-Baggies number 12 turned the second tier into his playground in terms of points.
He would eventually go on to be a hit in the top tier as well, until tearing West Brom hearts worldwide when he left for Al-Hilal in 2021, but he is still warmly remembered for being a significant reason why Slaven Bilic’s players rose to the top level.
Corberan will be hoping for his own version of Pereira in this sniper up top, even though his team is constantly firing blanks in the Championship.
Corberan’s very own Pereira
Josh Maja has already surpassed Pereira’s league goalscoring record, with nine strikes in just 15 league games, and the ex-Sunderland forward hopes that other members of the squad can do the heavy lifting on the assist front.
Still, every strong promotion-winning team requires a lethal centre-forward, and the Baggies have happily found one in Maja, who was struggling at the Hawthorns before bursting into the scene this season.
Maja’s championship numbers last season versus 24/25
Stat
23/24
24/25
Games played
12
15
Games started.
1
15
Goals scored.
1
9
Assists
0
1
Stats from Sofascore
Maja’s injury woes got the best of him last season, as he only made one league start for Corberan’s side. In contrast, this season, he has been a consistent starter while injury-free, as West Brom’s patience has paid dividends.
Corberan even referred to the 25-year-old attacker as “special” during the height of these previous issues in the Hawthorns treatment room, and his glowing praise has now been very much vindicated, with stylish finishes like this one away at Luton Town at the start of the month indicating a striker overflowing with confidence.
He has also played in the big leagues over his varied career, scoring three goals in 15 appearances, indicating that he could follow in Pereira’s footsteps and take the move up with stride.
There are also suspicions tying Maja with a big move away from the West Midlands this January, with claims linking him with a £16.7 million move to Celta Vigo when the frantic transfer window opens again.
Corberan will hope Maja stays loyal to the club that supported him during his problems last season, because if he does, he may be the club’s next Pereira, scoring all the crucial goals that propel the Baggies back to the Premier League.
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