It has been an outstanding start to the season for West Bromwich Albion in the Championship.
West Brom suffered heartbreak as they were beaten by Southampton in last season’s play-off semi-finals, but they look set to be among the promotion contenders once again this time around.
The Baggies secured their third consecutive victory with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Sunday, with Josh Maja’s strike and a double from Alex Mowatt sealing all three points.
Albion currently sit top of the table having picked up 13 points from their first five league games, and as well as scoring an impressive nine goals, they have only conceded twice, which is the best defensive record in the division.
The Baggies’ start is particularly remarkable considering that the club were operating under an EFL-imposed business plan this summer in order to avoid a breach of the league’s financial rules, which limited their ability to do business.
Despite the issues they faced, Albion still managed to bring in 11 new players during the transfer window, and as they have proven in the early weeks of the season, they have a squad that is more than good enough to compete for promotion.
West Brom are emerging as serious automatic promotion contenders
Carlos Corberan of West Brom
Corberan has done an incredible job since taking over at The Hawthorns in October 2022, and he is widely regarded as one of the best managers in the Championship, so perhaps it should not be a shock to see his side sitting top of the table.
After news of the club’s financial restrictions emerged in the summer, Corberan admitted that he was “prepared to face the most difficult challenge of my life as a coach”, and many questioned whether his side would be able to push for promotion, but just as he has done previously with the Baggies and during his time at Huddersfield Town, the Spaniard is proving the doubters wrong.
Corberan’s influence is clear to see throughout the Albion team – from the excellent defensive solidity, to the development of young players such as Tom Fellows, and the way he has helped the likes of Alex Mowatt and Karlan Grant rebuild their careers at the club after bringing them back into the fold following their loan spells elsewhere.
The Baggies finished fifth in the table last season, but their strong start to the campaign has offered hope that they could potentially challenge for automatic promotion, and there are some crucial differences that may allow Corberan’s men to set their sights higher.
Albion lacked depth in their squad last season, which proved problematic when injuries and suspensions hit or when players needed to be rested due to fatigue or a loss of form, but they face no such issues this time around, with competition for places in most areas of the team.
The absence of a prolific goalscorer was also a problem for the Baggies last term, with Brandon Thomas-Asante finishing as their top scorer with just 12 goals in all competitions, but in Maja, they may have found the man capable of firing them to the Premier League.
Maja was sidelined for much of his first season at The Hawthorns due to injury, but after returning to full fitness, he has enjoyed an incredible start to the season, scoring five goals in five appearances, which is more than any other player in the Championship.
