As the second-tier campaign approaches its conclusion, West Bromwich Albion appears poised to secure a play-off spot. The Baggies have been enjoying a successful Championship campaign thus far, spending the most of the season in the top six.
The 4-1 triumph over Huddersfield Town on Sunday afternoon showcased the excellence of Carlos Corberan’s team, who have won all five of their Championship games.
After forty-five minutes, the Baggies trailed 1-0, but a brace from Mikey Johnston, a tap-in from Kyle Bartley, and a rocket from Okay Yokuslu sealed a thrilling victory away from home.
With just nine games left, Albion has created a five-point buffer between themselves and seventh place, so this was a crucial outcome for them.
The defense of Corberan’s team has allowed just 36 goals in 37 games, a record surpassed only by the current top two teams, Leicester City and Leeds United. This is one of the main advantages the Baggies have over their play-off competitors.
In the playoffs, Albion’s defense will be crucial.
The Baggies’ defense will be even more crucial in the play-offs than it has been thus far in the regular season if they manage to finish in the top six.
A strong defense is crucial in play-off matches since they tend to be cagey affairs, and the Baggies have definitely got one.
Only champions Burnley had a superior defensive record in the 2022–23 Championship than Luton Town, the play-off winners from the previous season, who tied with Sheffield United for the automatic promotion.
The Hatters’ defense was also crucial to their play-off victory; they advanced to Wembley, where they defeated Coventry City by penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw, thanks to a clean sheet they achieved against Sunderland in the semi-final second leg.
If the Baggies want to duplicate Luton’s 2023 success, their defense must hold strong for the balance of the regular season and into the postseason.
However, as January signing Mikey Johnston has demonstrated since joining on loan from Celtic, Albion’s excellent defensive record is not their sole ideal asset that might see them win promotion.
Johnston has made just nine appearances for the Baggies thus far, but he has already contributed one assist and scored six goals. Having such a talented player available to them might be extremely beneficial for Albion in the playoffs.
Johnston magic might be essential come playoff time.
Despite being new to the Championship, the ace has already made a name for himself with his characteristic move of cutting inside onto his right foot and curling a shot into the top corner. He made his Baggies debut on February 3.
Johnston’s most recent feat occurred last Wednesday in the Baggies’ 2-2 draw with QPR. On March 1st, he again executed the same trick to help Albion defeat Coventry City 2-1.
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