West Brom host Wolves in the Black Country derby as they face off in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
- Date: 28/01/24
- Kick-off time: 11:45
- Venue: The Hawthorns
Two rivals meet in the FA Cup as West Brom and Wolves bid to make it to the fifth round. This will be an exciting affair for both the clubs and their fans, as they play each other for the first time in three years.
West Brom are fighting for a play-off place, currently sitting in fifth, looking to make a return to the Premier League after three seasons away. Automatic promotion seems to be a long shot, with them 13 points behind second-place Ipswich, but they are firmly in the race for a top-six spot.
Wolves are also enjoying a good season. The club were seemingly on the brink of a crisis after manager Julian Lopetegui left the club less than a week before the start of the new campaign. They were taken over by former Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil and he has led them to 11th so far. With 28 points, they are only four behind Man United in seventh, with a game in hand.
The Baggies took on National League side Aldershot Town in the third round of the FA Cup. Goals from Nathaniel Chalobah, Jovan Malcolm, Daryl Dike and Tom Fellows put them 4-0 up before their opponents scored a late consolation.
A replay was required for Wolves to get past Brentford, as they won 3-2 at Molineux after extra time. They had drawn 1-1 eleven days earlier.
Last season, West Brom made it further than Wolves in the competition, though both sides were disappointed at how their runs finished. Wolves fell at the first hurdle, however it was against superior opposition in Liverpool. They did well to force a replay, drawing 2-2 at Anfield, before they lost 1-0 at home. Albion made it one step further to the fourth round, but couldn’t get past Bristol City, losing 3-0 away.
The visitors’ best cup run in the last 20 years came in 2019, reaching the semi-finals and losing in extra-time to Watford at Wembley. Matt Doherty and Raul Jimenez were on the scoresheet for Wolves that day. West Brom have made it past the fourth round twice in the last seven seasons.
Hwang Hee-Chan has emerged as a great offensive threat for Wolves, scoring 11 goals so far this season, but is away at the Asia Cup. He has already outscored his tally from last season by six. Matheus Cunha has provided a creative spark, recording six assists in addition to seven goals. Brandon Thomas-Asante is the go-to man for West Brom manager Carlos Corberan, as he has found the back of the net ten times.
West Brom and Wolves have played each other 162 times, with not much to split the pair. West Brom have got the better of their rivals on 65 occasions, whilst Wolves have 53 victories.
The pair have not met since 2021, when the Baggies were last in the Premier League. Their last meeting ended in a draw with Mbaye Diana scoring an equaliser for what was then Sam Allardyce’s Albion side. The first game that season ended in a 3-2 defeat for Wolves.
Despite their long history, they’ve only faced each other once in the FA Cup in the last 60 years. West Brom came out on top 3-0 in the fourth-round tie in 2007.
