WEST BROMWICH ALBION v HULL CITY
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 21st December 2013, 3:00pm
The Hawthorns

MATCH NOTES

The game will be the 49th league & cup meeting between Albion and Hull City. The Baggies currently have a slight edge in terms of victories with 18 compared to The Tigers' 17.

The Baggies' last game on this date came in 2011 when they beat Newcastle United 3-2 in a Premier League clash at St James' Park.

Hull's last game on December 21 came as recently as last year when they beat Derby County 2-1 at Pride Park.

Albion have gone three hours without a Premier League goal whilst Hull have scored just once in 273 minutes.

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

City's last six games: Stoke City (H) 0-0; Swansea City (A) 1-1; Arsenal (A) 0-2; Liverpool (H) 3-1; Crystal Palace (H) 0-1; Southampton (A) 1-4

TEAM NEWS

Albion

Goalkeeper Ben Foster returns to the Albion squad after missing four months due to a foot injury.

Strike duo Victor Anichebe and Nicolas Anelka are also both available following their recent injuries and illness.

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

Hull City

Republic of Ireland midfielder Robbie Brady is out of the game with a groin injury and joins Sone Aluko (Achilles) and Stephen Quinn (hamstring) on the sidelines.

Squad from: McGregor, Harper, Davies, Chester, Faye, Figueroa, Bruce, Rosenior, Elmohamady, Brady, Livermore, Huddlestone, Meyler, Koren, Sagbo, Gedo, Graham, Fryatt.

QUOTES

Baggies' caretaker boss Keith Downing:

“It’s a really busy period. It’s a really tough period and a defining period. It’s not the be-all and end-all but if we can pick up a few points along the way for the new man that will help. If we can get a few points on the board we can get up to mid-table. The players realise the situation. They are not blasé about it and they’re not drifting through each game. There is an awareness about the importance of changing this poor run. I feel responsible. I think you have to embrace the pressure. It’s part of the job. I’m looking forward to it and me and Dean [Kiely] are relishing it.

“It’s under difficult and sad circumstances. But speaking to Steve [Clarke], he said it’s an opportunity and to have a go at it. I managed at Cheltenham for 15/16 months, which is obviously a smaller club, but it’s still managing. So, I don’t get fazed by it, I’m looking forward to it. I’ve been part of the support staff for the last four or five years. And for me, at this club, I think that’s my role. We all have ambitions but ultimately, here, it’s about support and making it a smooth transition.

“Our remit at the moment is on a game-to-game basis. We’ve had a decent week, the players have responded well, we’re positive, and we need to make sure we get the right selection because three points changes the mood. Over the course of the last couple of days things have started to settle. The slate is clean and we’ve got 23/24 players who will feel they want to be in the starting line-up. I’m sure it will galvanise some and some who have got the shirt will want to keep it. The new man will decide - a fresh pair of eyes – and I think it will stir the squad up. The players have been good with me and Dean. There’s been a good response and I’m there to support them - they know that. Ultimately for me, it’s about smoothing the pathway for the new man.

“This is a big job. This is a big Premier League club. And in the past the board have got it right. Steve was a good acquisition; Roy [Hodgson] before that, and so was Robbie Di Matteo."

www.wba.co.uk

City boss Steve Bruce:

“In my experience the Premier League is always difficult, no matter where you go. Sometimes a different voice on the training ground maybe gets a response from the players or maybe they put a performance in for their former manager.

“All sorts of stuff goes through the mind. We played Crystal Palace just as Tony Pulis was coming into situ and they came up here and turned us over. Whether there is a positive or negative response from West Brom, we’ll wait to see on Saturday.

“The one thing that we do know is that we’re going to have to go there and play well because West Brom have got some very, very good players. They’ve arguably got the biggest and best squad they’ve ever had.”

www.hullcitytigers.com

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 19/20, Hull City Win: 16/5, Draw: 11/5.

First Goalscorer

Albion: Anelka 11/2, Long 11/2, Anichebe 6/1, Sessegnon 13/2, Berahino 7/1, Vydra 15/2, Sinclair 11/1, Brunt 12/1, Gera 12/1, Morrison 12/1, Amalfitano 14/1, Mulumbu 16/1, McAuley 20/1, Yacob 25/1, Dawson 25/1, Jones 33/1, Lugano 33/1, Olsson 33/1.

Hull City: Graham 15/2, Sagbo 8/1, Gedo 9/1, Koren 10/1, Fryatt 10/1, Boyd 14/1, Brady 16/1, Davies 20/1, Huddlestone 20/1, El-Mohamady 25/1, Meyler 25/1, Livermore 25/1, Figueroa 33/1.

REFEREE

Jon Moss (West Yorkshire)

Moss has refereed one Albion game so far this season - the 4-1 defeat at Liverpool in October.

He took charge of three Albion games last season - The 2-0 win at home to Everton in September, the 2-0 defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford in December and the 2-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield in February.

The West Yorkshire official has taken charge of two Hull games so far this season - The 2-0 defeat at Chelsea on the opening day of the season and the 2-2 draw at Spurs in the Capital One Cup in October.

Moss has issued 48 yellow and two red cards in his 15 games so far this season.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for the game remain on general sale to home supporters but availability is limited with the Smethwick End already sold out. Tickets will be available up until kick-off only from the East Stand ticket office.

WEATHER FORECAST

Light cloud, 10°C.

FIXTURE HISTORY

LAST LEAGUE MEETING AT THE HAWTHORNS

Albion 0-3 Hull City
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 25th October 2008, 3:00pm

Albion: Carson, Zuiverloon, Donk, Olsson, Robinson, Morrison (Moore 80), Greening, Koren (Brunt 80), Borja Valero, Miller (MacDonald 80), Bednar. Subs not used: Kiely, Hoefkens, Cech, Barnett.

Booked: Miller

Hull City: Myhill, McShane, Zayatte, Turner, Dawson (Ricketts 10), Marney, Ashbee (Hughes 75), Boateng, Cousin, King, Geovanni (Garcia 78). Subs not used: Duke, Mendy, Halmosi, Folan.

Goalscorers: Zayatte 47, Geovanni 62, King 66.

Booked: Ricketts, Ashbee

Attendance: 26,323

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)

Only goal difference separates Hull from the top of the Premier League after a comprehensive victory over fellow top-flight newcomers West Brom. Albion's Jonas Olsson headed against the bar after Borja Valero's shot had been saved before Kamil Zayatte headed wide when unmarked as Hull fought back. Zayatte volleyed Hull in front from a corner for his first goal for the club. Brazilian Geovanni made it 2-0 with a diving header after Marlon King's flick before King slotted in a low shot. It was the fourth successive win for Hull and takes them to level on points with leaders Chelsea and second-placed Liverpool who play each other on Sunday. Phil Brown's men also moved four points clear of fourth-placed Arsenal, who also play on Sunday, and five ahead of Manchester United who drew with Everton earlier on Saturday.

The win continued the Tigers fantastic start to the season but as the match began at The Hawthorns, it looked like their impressive form may have hit a blip as they found themselves pinned back by West Brom.  Albion's 4-4-2 formation, with striker Ishmael Miller in for winger Chris Brunt, was quickly proving more threatening than their recent 4-5-1 strategy. And when Miller was blocked off by left-back Andy Dawson, Hull suffered a blow as the left-back picked up an injury that saw him replaced by Samuel Ricketts after only 10 minutes. West Brom's early dominance was almost rewarded when Olsson headed against the bar after Valero's shot was well saved by Boaz Myhill, and Roman Bednar almost squeezed in the second rebound. Hull made a rare break and won a corner, and from the set-piece they should have taken the lead but Zayatte's downward header bounced wide. West Brom keeper Scott Carson was then called into action when Daniel Cousin's deflected shot caught him wrong-footed but the keeper did brilliantly to scoop the ball off the line.

The game was open and in the balance, with both sides looking capable of breaking the deadlock but it was Hull who managed it. From a corner, on-loan centre-back Zayatte volleyed in as Albion's defence stood still. West Brom came back strongly and Ryan Donk had a header cleared off the line before James Morrison saw his shot well saved by Myhill. But then two goals in four minutes sealed the victory for the Tigers. First, King produced a superb volleyed flick for Geovanni to run onto and meet with a diving header which left Carson with no chance. And then King himself ran on to the ball after it had come off a West Brom head, before coolly slotting into the bottom corner. That rounded off another fine win for Hull, who have already accumulated 20 points this season - double the total of West Brom.

BBC

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Albion goalkeeper Boaz Myhill spent almost seven years at Hull before joining Albion in July 2010 in a £1.5million deal.

Curtis Davies joined Albion from Luton Town in August 2005 and spent two successful seasons at The Hawthorns before leaving to join Aston Villa. Spells at Leicester City (loan) and Birmingham City followed before he joined Hull in June 2013.

Slovenian international midfielder Robert Koren spent three and a half years at The Hawthorns before joining the Tigers in August 2010.

Paul McShane joined Albion from Manchester United in August 2006 as part of the deal that took Tomasz Kuszczak to Old Trafford. He spent just one season at The Hawthorns before leaving to join Sunderland. He moved on to Hull in August 2008.

PAST CONNECTIONS

Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Paul Anderson, Peter Barnes, Tony Brien, Neil Clement, Delroy Facey, Alan Fettis, Chris Hargreaves, Derek Hood, John Kaye, Kevin Kilbane, Gordon Nisbet, Jay Simpson, Richard Sneekes, Gerry Summers and Jason van Blerk.

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS HULL CITY