Midlands Double

Local rivals West Brom and Birmingham are on the road this weekend and they both have realistic opportunities to claim precious away wins. The bookies have taken one look at their plights and made them both underdogs but at 13/1 with VictorChandler, a West Midlands double is very backable.

The case for West Brom writes itself. Unbeaten under new manager Roy Hodgson, they face a Sunderland side propping up the Premier League form table with one win in 10 games in all competitions, with six losses in seven outings. It is a run that has only gained momentum with the 5-0 hammering at the hands of Man City last week providing a new low point. Before that there was a 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool which, while no disgrace, compares poorly to the Baggies who beat the same opponents last time out.  West Brom’s surge up the table has an uncanny resemblance to what Hogdson sparked at Fulham a couple of years ago. Backing the visitors here at odds of 5/2 is merely supporting the form book.

Birmingham City were not going well until they beat Bolton at St Andrews last Saturday in a game that may have put them back on track. It would be impossible to conclude that Blues weren’t distracted by their Carling Cup triumph for a month or so, but up to that point they had looked ‘too good to go down’ in the eyes of most. Blackburn have had no such Cup run to excuse their downturn, and a run of no wins in eight speaks volumes.  Steve Kean will desperately hope that the admirable draw at Arsenal and the last gasp equaliser against Blackpool were indicative of an improvement. I’m not so sure. The Gunners are in crisis and can’t beat anybody right now; a home draw with Blackpool is no cause for celebration.

The pressure will be back on Blackburn and Kean when Birmingham come to Ewood Park on Saturday. It will certainly be earmarked as one of their more winnable remaining fixtures. I think it will be McLeish’s side that see their survival prospects enhanced however. The away win is a 16/5 shot and completes the 13/1 double.