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Should the Baggies navigate beyond their local rivals and progress at Wembley, they will have achieved a rare feat indeed in gaining promotion after sacking their manager three-quarters of the way through the season.
The dismissal of Darren Moore, an immensely popular figure at the Hawthorns, still chides with the controversial decision made after just three poor results and performances back in March and with West Brom firmly in the promotion reckoning.
Yet, such is the way football moves on that is all history now and in James Shan the Midlands club have a caretaker manager shrewd enough not to rip up the blueprint and instead seek to re-energise a talented squad. Under his watch Albion have picked up 19 points from a possible 30 and that has been enough to comfortably finish in the play-off spots with games to spare.
Much of this has been down to their attacking arsenal. Matty Phillips has consistently been one of the most under-rated performers outside of the top flight for several seasons and again the winger has shown up more times than not.
Up front, meanwhile, Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez have struck up a formidable partnership, firing home 45 goals between them with the former often coming in from a wide position to ensure they retain a 3-4-2-1 shape. As for Rodriguez, he was this week voted the 11th best player outside the Premier League by FourFourTwo.
They will need such firepower here as the Baggies venture to Villa Park for the first leg of their play-off semi-final and particularly as their veteran metronome Gareth Barry is missing. They will need their fair share of luck too.
That’s because under Dean Smith last season’s Play-Off Final losers look an even better prospect this time out. The Villans have lost only once since mid-February and that was to Norwich on the final day of the season, with key figures Jack Grealish, John McGinn, Tammy Abraham and Tyrone Mings all rested. It’s pertinent however to note who they lost to back in February – West Brom, at home.
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Even so, Villa are presently flying and will again look to Grealish to run the show with the 23-year-old being inspirational, exceptional and pivotal to his hometown club’s fortunes this term. There are obvious reasons why links with a Premier League move this summer continue to grow, per the Daily Mail.
That should not take anything away though from McGinn, his midfield partner-in-crime, who has equally been effective while up front Abraham’s 25 goals have proven vital.
All told Villa have clicked at just the right time and should be favoured here.
Overview
Don’t discount set-pieces playing a large part in proceedings this Saturday and in the corresponding second leg next week. Aston Villa have scored more from corners and free-kicks – 24 – than anyone else in the Championship in 2018/19 while the visitors rank highly in aerial duels won.