West Bromwich Albion will aim to secure their position in the fourth round of the FA Cup when they welcome Aldershot Town to the Hawthorns on Sunday afternoon.
The home side will enter the match off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Swansea City in the Championship, while Aldershot were 3-2 winners over Woking in their last fixture in the National League.
Match preview
© Reuters
West Brom are five-time winners of the FA Cup, with their last success coming in 1968, when they recorded a 1-0 victory over Everton in the final, with Jeff Astle registering the only goal of the contest.
The Baggies were knocked out in the fourth round of last season's competition, suffering a 1-0 loss to Bristol City, and it would be fair to say that the tournament is down their list of priorities this season, with success in the league firmly at the top.
Carlos Corberan's side will enter this match off the back of a 1-0 loss to Swansea in the Championship on New Year's Day, but they ended 2023 with back-to-back 1-0 successes over Norwich City and Leeds United.
A total of 42 points from 26 matches has left them in fifth position in the Championship table, some 13 points behind second-placed Ipswich Town and only three clear of Hull City in seventh.
West Brom will be aiming to return to winning ways in the league when they host Blackburn Rovers next weekend, but their immediate focus will be on avoiding what would be a shock third-round exit.
© Reuters
Aldershot have been out of the Football League since the 2012-13 campaign, with the team's last 10 seasons proving to be in the fifth tier of English football.
The Shots have never managed to progress past the fourth round of the FA Cup, so they are chasing some history in the competition this season, and the team claimed a second League Two scalp in the second round, beating Stockport County 1-0 in a replay following a 2-2 draw.
Aldershot incredibly beat Swindon Town 7-4 in the first round of the competition, but this will be comfortably their biggest test thus far against a side high up in the second tier of English football.
Tommy Widdrington's side are eighth in what is a very competitive National League, sitting level on points with fifth-placed Gateshead, and they will enter this match off the back of a 3-2 success over Woking.
The Hampshire outfit will be up against it this weekend, but with West Brom's focus likely to be elsewhere, there could be a chance to secure a spot in the fourth round of the FA Cup for just the second time.
Team News
© Reuters
West Brom will be without the services of three players through injury on Sunday, with Matt Phillips, Josh Maja and Daryl Dike all on the sidelines.
Head coach Corberan is expected to make changes to the side that took to the field for the first whistle against Swansea, with Adam Reach, Nathaniel Chalobah, Pipa, Josh Griffiths and Semi Ajayi set to come into the side.
Brandon Thomas-Asante has scored eight times in all competitions for the Baggies this season, and the 25-year-old is expected to lead the home side's attack once again.
Josh Stokes has been Aldershot's standout player this season, finding the back of the net on 15 occasions, and the 19-year-old is set to feature in the starting side on Sunday.
Three players actually have double figures for the National League outfit this season in terms of goals, and Lornet Tolaj (12) and Jack Barham (11) should also be in the side for this match.
Head coach Widdrington could name the same side that started in the previous round against Stockport, with a 3-4-1-2 formation also set to include Tyler Frost.
West Bromwich Albion possible starting lineup:
Griffiths; Furlong, Ajayi, Kipre, Townsend; Chalobah, Mowatt; Fellows, Reach, Pipa; Thomas-Asante
Aldershot Town possible starting lineup:
Van Stappershoef; Rowe, Harries, Harfield; Mnoga, Willard, Frost, Glover; Stokes; Tolaj, Barham
We say: West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Aldershot Town
Aldershot have beaten two League Two sides in this season's competition, but the step-up in class here will be big, and we are expecting West Brom to have too much quality for their National League opponents in Sunday's third-round contest in the FA Cup.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
