West Bromwich Albion
Fixtures – December 12 (H), May 15 (A)
Strengths – Tony Pulis is a clever manager who is always going to deliver a physical and fiercely competitive team. The additions of summer signings James McClean and Rickie Lambert should serve them well and produce a few more goals, while Saido Berahino is continuing to improve and will want another big year.
Weaknesses – They’re a little short in midfield, where former Manchester United star Darren Fletcher will be the main source of inspiration. It doesn’t matter how much talent you have up front if you don’t have the players behind them to back it up.
Danger man – How ironic would it be if Lambert scored against us? He’s done it before, for Southampton. He netted twice on his debut, during a pre-season friendly against another of his former clubs, Bristol Rovers, and he’s going to be really up for our match come December.
How to beat them – Milner and Henderson need to get the better of the midfield battle, while Skrtel and Lovren need to be on their toes and ensure that we don’t gift a talented attacking line-up more chances than they deserve.
West Ham United
Fixtures – August 29 (H), January 2 (A)
Strengths – The arrival of Angelo Ogbonna from Juventus has given them a very solid looking defence. With the Italian playing alongside the likes of Winston Reid and Aaron Cresswell they should prove hard to beat. French international Dimitri Payet also looks like a good addition who will cause problems out wide.
Weaknesses – An injury to Enner Valencia has arguably left them a little short up front, with Diafra Sakho now their only regular option. They’re also lacking a central midfielder – having lost Alex Song following his loan spell – with Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble still their first choice pairing at this stage.
Danger man – If Andy Carroll plays then his potential link-up play with Payet could be something special. Unfortunately, the former Liverpool man has only managed to feature in 27 Premier League games over the last two years, scoring just seven goals in the process.
How to beat them – They’re a big and powerful team but they lack pace. The likes of Coutinho, Ibe and Clyne can get at them and cause real problems for them in all areas of the pitch. Good movement will be key, particularly up front, where any attempt to hold the ball up is going to be quickly worked out.
