West Bromwich Albion travel to Deepdale this Saturday aiming to extend their winning run against a Preston North End side in poor form. The Championship fixture kicks off at 3pm local time on 24 October, with Albion looking to close the three-point gap to league leaders Swansea.
That result made it back-to-back wins, following a 2-1 success at Wrexham, and halted a brief two-game losing skid. Their current form of two wins, one draw and two losses from the last five has them firmly in the play-off picture.
Opponent's slump
Preston arrive in dire straits, having lost their last four matches in all competitions. They were thrashed 4-1 at Wrexham and 4-0 at Birmingham City in their most recent outings, conceding eight goals in those two games alone. Their defensive frailties present a clear opportunity for a West Brom attack that has scored 15 goals this season.
Isaac Price, the club's top scorer with four goals in 11 appearances, will be central to Albion's plans. The midfielder netted the equalising penalty against Blackburn and also scored in the win at Wrexham. He is supported by the likes of Barney Stewart and Felix Horn Myhre, who both found the net in the last match.
Building momentum
A victory at Deepdale would send Albion into their next set of fixtures with significant momentum. The club's recent fixtures have been a mixed bag, but the response after the Birmingham defeat has been positive. The last meeting between these sides at The Hawthorns ended in a 2-1 win for West Brom just over a year ago.
With Preston currently 24th in the table, this represents a chance for West Brom to solidify their top-six standing. The team will look to their experienced core, including the defensive pairing of Mepham and Campbell, to manage the game and secure what would be a valuable three points on the road.
