Baggies blown away? Southampton's history at the Hawthorns points to another away win
Southampton will be aiming to make it a hat-trick of away wins in the Championship this season when travelling to West Bromwich Albion.
On paper, it should be an evenly fought contest, as West Brom currently sit in fourth position in the second tier, with three victories secured across their last five matches.
The Saints are one win better off over their last five clashes, as they aim to leapfrog the Baggies after Tuesday night's showdown has concluded.
The head-to-head history between the two teams does suggest that Tonda Eckert's men will reign supreme when travelling to the Hawthorns, as the two sides inside the expanded playoff picture butt heads later on today...
History points to a Saints away win
Southampton vs West Brom has been a pretty regular fixture in recent memory.
In 2024, the two teams actually played each other three times in the Championship, as the Saints and the Baggies duelled in the heated lottery of the playoffs.
On that occasion, the South Coast side battled hard to collect a 0-0 draw in the first leg of two competitive playoff semi-final clashes, with Russell Martin's men eventually winning 3-1 on home soil.
Away from this stalemate, Southampton have picked up several wins when travelling to the West Midlands over the years, with a 2-0 win that same season during the regular campaign.
When the teams competed in the Premier League during the late 2010's, the Saints also enjoyed their visits to the Hawthorns, with a dramatic 3-2 away win sticking out from 2018, as Jack Stephens and James Ward-Prowse - who are both in the side now - got on the scoresheet.
Eckert didn't come unstuck last season, either, when he was in charge of the encounter in the Championship, as Cyle Larin - who looks as if he will unfortunately be injured for tonight's game - bagged a last-gasp equaliser to grab a 1-1 draw from the jaws of defeat.
Staggeringly, if my maths is correct, West Brom have only won two of the last ten encounters between the two sides on their own turf.
They were mere minutes away from winning last season, as Jimmy-Jay Morgan tries to get one over on his ex-employers this evening with a rare victory.
Eckert and Co. will be quietly confident they can pick up another three points, as they strive to infiltrate the top two, with West Brom shaky at points this season at the Hawthorns.
The Baggies have struggled at home
That last statement will initially feel strange to read, as James Morrison's men have only lost one home game all Championship season long.
But, they have struggled against some promotion chasers on their own patch, with a 1-0 loss against Birmingham City, seeing the Baggies register just two weak shots on target.
They also had to make do with a flat 1-1 draw against Charlton Athletic earlier in the season at home, as they somehow gave up an Addicks goal, despite Nathan Jones' team only amassing 0.39 xG.
They are there to be had if Southampton are firing on all cylinders for their trip to the West Midlands, but the Saints will know they will need to be at their best to overcome the Baggies, with the likes of Isaac Price and Felix Horn Myhre needing to be shut out of the game.
It could end up being an enthralling watch, as two promotion chasers do battle at the Hawthorns, with the Saints hoping that another away win at West Brom's stomping ground is forthcoming when the full time whistle is sounded.
