CARDIFF CITY v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 14th December 2013, 3:00pm
Cardiff City Stadium

MATCH NOTES

The game will be the 53rd league & cup meeting between the Baggies and Cardiff City. Albion currently lead the way in the victory stakes with 22 compared to the Bluebirds' 16.

The match will be the first time the two clubs have met in the Premier League and the first top-flight meeting since March 1962.

The Baggies' last game on this date took place in 2009 when they played out a 2-2 draw with Queens Park Rangers at The Hawthorns. The club's last win on December 14 came in 1963 with a 2-0 win at Leicester City.

Cardiff's last game on this date came in 2002 when they suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Bristol City.

Albion's last defeat at Cardiff came on Boxing Day 1960. Since then the Baggies have gone seven games unbeaten on Cardiff soil.

Albion's last six games: Norwich City (H) 0-2; Manchester City (H) 2-3; Newcastle United (A) 1-2; Aston Villa (H) 2-2; Chelsea (A) 2-2; Crystal Palace (H) 2-0

City's last six games: Crystal Palace (A) 0-2; Stoke City (A) 0-2; Arsenal (H) 0-3; Manchester United (H) 2-2; Aston Villa (A) 0-2; Swansea City (H) 1-0

TEAM NEWS

Albion

Nicolas Anelka and Scott Sinclair could both return against the Bluebirds but fellow forward Victor Anichebe is a doubt through illness.

Defender Jonas Olsson returns following his one match suspension but goalkeeper Ben Foster remains out.

Squad from: Myhill, Daniels, Jones, Ridgewell, Olsson, McAuley, Lugano, Brunt, Sessegnon, Amalfitano, Mulumbu, Berahino, Yacob, Anichebe, Vydra, Long, Anelka, Morrison, Popov, Dawson, Reid, Sinclair, Gera, Rosenberg.

Cardiff City

Cardiff could welcome back Andrew Taylor after the defender missed the Bluebirds' last two games due to a calf injury.

Experienced striker Craig Bellamy, who has also missed Cardiff’s last two matches, is a doubt due to a knee problem.

Squad from: Marshall, Connolly, Taylor, Caulker, Hudson, Turner, Whittingham, Medel, Cornelius, Campbell, Odemwingie, Brayford, Kim, Smith, Noone, Gunnarsson, Mutch, Cowie, Maynard, Theophile-Catherine, Lewis, Bellamy, John.

QUOTES

Baggies' boss Steve Clarke:

“We had a bad week and we have to prove that was just what it was. The last time we had three games in a row where we didn’t do very well was right at the start of the season and then we went on a fantastic run - and that’s what we have to do again.

“This week’s game can’t come quick enough. The boys have been chomping at the bit and are ready for the game. It’s been a difficult week but they understand things can change very quickly in football. You have to win games. It’s an industry that says you have to win. Three defeats in a row, whether it comes over a three-week period or in a week, is still three defeats. All we focus on this week is making sure we get back to winning ways.

“If you said we’re going to go to Cardiff and play terrible and win I’d be delighted. It’s a week to get results. Even before the Norwich game it was a game to win and normally, since I’ve been here and it’s been a game like that, the team has always won. I would say that’s the first time we’ve gone into a game like that and we haven’t won. So it was a little bit of a strange feeling for us. We went into the game expecting to win and we didn’t. We look to rectify that this weekend.

“I know Malkay through association. He’s a good man, with good tactical nous, and has a good team there. They’ve had some great results at home and some really good performances. And we expect a tough afternoon, as I’m sure they do. Absolutely, they could survive; all the teams have shown that. A few weeks ago people had written Palace off but they’re coming back and, I think, by and large, all the teams have shown they can compete.”

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City boss Malky MacKay:

"There was a lot of press around Peter at the time and he took a lot of pressure over it. But I can only speak about the lad I know and (I have) talked to people who had managed and coached him before we completed the signing. They were all glowing about Peter. If they hadn't talked about him in those terms it might have been a cause for concern, but he's an intelligent man who speaks four or five different languages, has been smiling since he came here, is really talented and desperately wants to do well here. He is a joy to work with and a really good signing for us. If he hadn't been the right sort of character we would not have signed him.

"We were all disappointed with last weekend's result. But we quickly put it behind us and looked ahead to Saturday. West Brom have done well under Steve Clarke and have players that can hurt you. It's a test we're looking forward to.

"Every game is one we want to win. The festive period brings a lot of games but we'll treat all of them in the same way. We're used to frenetic periods of games - hopefully that's something that bodes well for us over the festive period."

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MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 9/5, Cardiff City Win: 13/8, Draw: 21/10.

First Goalscorer

Albion: Long 13/2, Anelka 7/1, Anichebe 7/1, Sessegnon 15/2, Berahino 8/1, Vydra 9/1, Rosenberg 11/1, Gera 14/1, Morrison 14/1, Sinclair 14/1, Brunt 16/1, Amalfitano 16/1, Mulumbu 20/1, McAuley 25/1, Dawson 33/1, Jones 33/1, Yacob 33/1.

Cardiff City: Campbell 6/1, Odemwingie 13/2, Cornelius 7/1, Whittingham 9/1, Bellamy 10/1, Mutch 14/1, Gunnarsson 16/1, Noone 16/1, Bo-Kyung 16/1, Cowie 20/1, Medel 25/1, Caulker 33/1, Theophile-Catherine 33/1, Connolly 33/1.

REFEREE

Howard Webb (South Yorkshire)

Webb has taken charge of one Albion game so far this season - the goalless draw at Stoke City in October. He took charge of two Albion games during 2012/13 - the 2-1 defeat at home to Arsenal in April and the 4-0 defeat at Norwich City in May.

The South Yorkshire official has refereed one Cardiff game so far this season - the 2-0 defeat at West Ham United on the opening day of the season.

He has handed out 54 yellow cards but no reds in his 18 games so far this season.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for travelling supporters are now sold out.

WEATHER FORECAST

Light cloud, 11°C.

FIXTURE HISTORY

LAST LEAGUE MEETING AT CARDIFF

Cardiff City 1-1 Albion
Coca-Cola Championship
Tuesday 16th February 2010, 7:45pm

Cardiff City: Marshall; McNaughton, Gyepes, Gerrard, Kennedy; Burke, Rae, Wildig (Blake 70), Whittingham (McCormack 27); Chopra, Bothroyd. Subs not used: Enckelman (gk), Quinn, Taiwo, Feeney, Matthews.

Goalscorer: Whittingham 8 (pen)

Albion: Carson; Zuiverloon, Tamas, Olsson, Mattock; Slory (Wood 64), Koren (Cox 83), Dorrans, Brunt, Nouble; Moore. Subs not used: Kiely (gk), Bednar, Brown, Mantom, Labadie.

Goalscorer: Zuiverloon 45+4

Booked: Tamas 33 (foul), Dorrans 53 (unsporting behaviour), Koren 55 (handball), Mattock 78 (foul)

Attendance: 20,758

Referee: Andy Woolmer (Northamptonshire)

Gianni Zuiverloon's second goal in three games fired depleted Albion back to the top of the table on goal difference. The Baggies had to contend with a manpower crisis on their first-ever trip to the Cardiff City Stadium and fell behind to an eighth-minute Peter Whittingham penalty. But Roberto Di Matteo's men regrouped admirably and deservedly levelled on the stroke of half-time when Zuiverloon bundled home his fourth of the season. The visitors will feel somewhat aggrieved they did not seal a fifth successive league win in South Wales, with Andy Slory hitting the post in the first half and sub Chris Wood spurning a gilt-edged chance with 20 minutes to go. But a ninth successive game without defeat - making it 13 unbeaten on the road - in such testing circumstances underlined the never-say-die character of this Baggies side.

Albion started the day three positions and 11 points better off than fifth-placed Cardiff, who have a game in hand on the Baggies. Di Matteo made four changes as he attempted to cope with the loss of nine players through injury and suspension. Roman Bednar became the latest casualty, being relegated to the bench with a back injury. Slory (Achilles), Gabriel Tamas, Frank Nouble and Luke Moore came in, with the benched Simon Cox, Gonzalo Jara (foot) and Abdoulaye Meite (ankle) also making way. Academy players Sam Mantom and Kayleden Brown, plus 19-year-old rookie midfielder Joss Labadie, were among the subs. Cardiff were unchanged from their FA Cup exit at Chelsea.

The hosts were the first to threaten but Gavin Rae failed to trouble Scott Carson with a scuffed 20-yard effort from Chris Burke's square ball. But Moore went much closer in the fourth minute, flashing a 15-yard shot on the turn inches wide of the beaten David Marshall's far post from Graham Dorrans' pinpoint ball over the top. However, after a lull in proceedings, Cardiff snatched an eighth-minute lead after Jonas Olsson got caught the wrong side of Jay Bothroyd, who advanced into the box before being pulled down by the Swede. Whittingham made no mistake from the spot, powerfully driving his 19th goal of the season past the helpless Carson. Albion responded immediately and after a surging run by Dorrans, only Anthony Gerrard's interception denied Moore a tap-in from Nouble's left-wing centre. Brunt then saw a tame 25-yard drive easily gathered by Marshall. Cardiff were happy to sit back on their lead - which invited Albion forward. And Marshall was relieved to see Dorrans' 25-yard exocet from Joe Mattock's miscued centre screw wide of his left-hand post. Albion kept pressing and were mightily unlucky not to level on 24. A great move involving Dorrans and Moore set up Slory, who saw his 12-yard drive bounce off the inside of the far post and straight to Kevin McNaughton. Whittingham's evening went downhill after his breakthrough from the spot and the former Villa midfielder limped off in the 27th minute, being replaced by Ross McCormack. Cardiff finally made a foray into the Baggies half a minute later and, from Bothroyd's lay-off, Burke well and truly stung Carson's hands with a 20-yard piledriver which the England international pushed away. There was more Albion agony on 38 when Zuiverloon's long throw-in wreaked havoc in the Bluebirds' box. Robert Koren reacted brilliantly to the bouncing ball, only to see his acrobatic volley fly straight at Marshall. The Cardiff keeper fumbled the shot but the ball again flew to a blue shirt. But Albion kept plugging away and deservedly levelled four minutes into first-half stoppage time. Dorrans picked out Zuiverloon's foraging run with a sublime diagonal ball into the box and the right-back saw his goalwards stab deflect off Marshall and loop onto the far post before dropping over the line.

Albion picked up from where they left off after the interval and Brunt saw a 15-yard snapshot fly into the side-netting after terrific hold-up play by Nouble in the 49th minute. Cardiff did not threaten again until the 56th minute when Gabor Gyepes wastefully planted a free header from McCormack's free-kick straight at Carson. City were much-improved after the break and, moments later, Rae blasted an ambitious 25-yard drive well wide. Back came Albion and Gerrard had to produce a timely near-post clearance from Nouble's low centre to deny the lurking Koren and Moore a certain goal after a terrific Baggies counter-attack. Di Matteo made his first change on 64, replacing the tiring Slory with Wood. And the New Zealand international should have put Albion ahead six minutes later. The 18-year-old used all of his brute strength to get on the end of Zuiverloon's pinpoint centre, only to direct a free header wide from six yards. But Albion had a huge let off five minutes from time when Olsson played Michael Chopra's harmless pull-back straight to Burke inside the box. The former Rangers winger beat Carson all ends up with a first-time shot from 15 yards - but the ball flew wide of the far post. Incredibly, Albion went agonsingly close to winning it in stoppage time when sub Cox almost forced Dorrans' terrific corner over the line in a goalmouth melee.

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CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Cardiff striker Peter Odemwingie spent a successful three years at The Hawthorns but left in September 2013 after falling out with the club's hierarchy.

PAST CONNECTIONS

Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Leon Barnett, Kevin Bartlett, Gary Bell, Kevin Campbell, James Chambers, Stacy Coldicott, Stan Davies, Andy  Dibble, Rob Earnshaw,Elfed Evans, Wayne Fereday, Danny Gabbidon, Mark Grew, Phil Griffiths, Derek Hogg, Wayne Hughes, Junichi Inamoto, Godfrey Ingram, Jason Koumas, Ted Lane, Steve Lynex, Mick Martin, Trevor Morris, Johnny Nicholls, Eli Postin, Darren Purse, Mel Rees, Walter Robbins, Ricardo Scimeca, Ronnie Stockin, Kevin Summerfield, Bill Taylor, Andy Thompson, Garry Thompson, Gavin Ward, Joe Willetts and George Wood.

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS CARDIFF CITY