EFL Championship | Gameweek 41

Apr 8, 2025 at 7.45pm UK

Robins High Performance Centre

Bristol City vs West Brom

Match preview

After finishing 11th in the Championship last season - 11 points adrift of Norwich City in the final play-off spot - Bristol City are making a real push for a top-six finish this term.

Fellow top-six contenders Watford were the visitors at Ashton Gate and were put in their place inside the opening 30 minutes as goals from Ross McCrorie and Bermuda veteran Nahki Wells secured maximum points for the Robins, before the Hornets grabbed a late consolation.

Bristol City, who have lost only to leaders Burnley in their last nine games in the second tier, have moved from mid-table obscurity to sixth in the Championship table, one point above Coventry City in seventh and three points clear of West Brom, who visit on Tuesday.

Liam Manning's men are currently on a five-match unbeaten run at their West Country base and have collected an admirable 39 points from 20 trips to Ashton Gate, with only the top four in the division boasting a better home record at this stage of the campaign.

With the departure of youngster Tommy Conway to Middlesbrough at the start of the season, former Wycombe Wanderers playmaker Anis Mehmeti has stepped up to the goalscoring plate for Bristol City in 2024-25, netting 12 goals in what has been the Albanian's best attacking season to date.

With former head coach Carlos Corberan working wonders in sunny Valencia, Tony Mowbray's West Brom are currently in the final stretch of their 2024-25 campaign, with the opportunity to avoid a fifth successive season outside the Premier League.

Despite making a number of shrewd January signings and bringing in a number of high-profile attacking options, the Baggies are currently missing out on a top-six finish, with Tuesday's visitors to the West Country struggling to find the back of the net on a regular basis against fellow Premier League hopefuls.

That depressing theme continued at The Hawthorns on Saturday afternoon, as despite registering 21 shots on target against Sunderland, it was yet another disappointing result, with a suspect first-half free-kick from Trai Hume securing all three points for the young Black Cats.

Having won just one of their last six games in the second tier, the Baggies have unsurprisingly slipped out of the play-off places and currently sit eighth, three points behind Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough and Tuesday's opponents Bristol City in fifth and sixth respectively.

West Brom have struggled in attack without top scorer Josh Maja, although a number of available players have failed to reach their usual heights, such as Tom Fellows, who has just one assist in 20-25 after providing 10 in the first half of the season.

Recent Performance

Bristol City Championship form:WDDWLW

West Bromwich Albion Championship form:DWDDLL

Team News

Bristol City will be without the services of right-back George Tanner, who is expected to return at the end of July from an injury sustained in mid-March.

Joining him in the Robins' medical room is defender Luke McNally, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in February and is not expected back until October.

West Brom will be without the services of Jed Wallace and Semi Ajayi, who are struggling with calf and hamstring problems respectively.

With Maja on the treatment table and Adam Armstrong failing to set the world on fire, there is a case to be made for Daryl Dike to make his first start in over a year.

There could be further changes in attack for Mowbray, with Fellows, Tammer Bany and Will Lankshear all likely to feature.

Possible starting lineup

Bristol City possible starting lineup:

O'Leary; Vyner, Dickie, Pring; Sykes, Knight, Williams, McCrorie; Earthy, Bird, Wells

West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:

Wildsmith; Furlong, Bartley, Heggem, Styles; Fellows, Molumby, Diakite, Johnston; Armstrong, Dike