Tony 'Bomber' Brown
West Brom's all-time leading goalscorer on BBC Radio WM

Sheffield United might play into Albion's hands but they have a good manager in Chris Wilder.

They'll be hard to beat.

I'm looking forward to this.

There's a light rain falling and the pre-match flags don't need much waving, such is the breeze.

The atmosphere is warm though and bubbling up nicely...

Kick-off is moments away...

Ged Scott
BBC Sport at The Hawthorns

It has been a tortuous journey just to get to The Hawthorns in time for kick-off this afternoon.

The headline news on BBC Radio Shropshire was that Storm Darragh had taken down 90 trees overnight - and most of them seemed to have fallen on my route to West Bromwich.

Two separate road closures and detours - and much lifeless foliage strewn by the side of almost every avenue and alleyway, as well as clear evidence that the various local highways departments have been out in force tidying up.

A lot of blades have clearly already been working very hard today, lopping, cutting and felling. So how hard will the real Blades have to work to bag another three points here?

Chris Wilder's men had a real scare on their last visit to the Midlands 15 days ago - their last away game in fact - when they got reduced to 10 men at then managerless Coventy, were outplayed and were lucky to make off with a 2-2 draw.

But, in having to face Carlos Corberan's Baggies, fresh from nine draws in 10 games, who could possibly predict how this one might go?

I was perhaps being mildly disrespectful to Baggies fans earlier when I said Blackburn v Burnley and Sunderland v Middlesbrough would make the two most scintillating two-legged play-off semi-final ties.

How about a Steel City derby? Or maybe even a south Wales derby?

Get in touch via the usual channels and let us know which Championship sides you think would make the best spectacle in the 3rd-6th places come May.

Image source, Getty Images

It's been a strange few weeks in the Black Country.

Baggies fans are growing frustrated after one win in 12 games dating back to September when they sat top of the Championship.

They have fallen 10 points off the pace, and tumbled down to eighth, but despite that boss Carlos Corberan has been linked in the press with a move to fierce rivals Wolves, whose boss Gary O'Neil is under intense scrutiny after falling to second bottom of the Premier League.

Corberan was asked about the link in his pre-match press conference but said: "I came here just to be focused on giving you answers to questions on the game against Sheffield United.

“For me, it’s a very important game and all of my concentration is on this. We are preparing well because we know Sheffield United are a team who are competing at a very high level. Right now, they’re the best team in the league, even without the (two-point) points deduction. All of my concentration and focus is on this.”

Rights restrictions mean we can't bring you audio commentary on this page tonight.

But if you live in the areas covered by the stations, you can access BBC Radio WM and BBC Radio Sheffield commentary by the normal means.

Additionally, we'll be listening in too, in order to bring you the best of their commentary and punditry in text form right here.

Image source, Getty Images

• Sheffield United's last visit to The Hawthorns in October 2022 was Carlos Corberan's first match in charge of West Brom. The Blades won that encounter 2-0 courtesy of strikes from Iliman Ndiaye and Oli McBurnie.
• West Brom have lost their past three league games against Sheffield United, with each match ending 2-0. The Baggies have never endured a longer losing streak against the Blades, with this fixture having been played 112 times previously across EFL history.

• Sheffield United have lost three of their past five league games at West Brom (W2), while only one of the past eight fixtures between these sides saw both sides score.
• West Brom have drawn nine of their past 10 league games (W1) and could draw five league games in a row at home for the first time since December 2003.
• West Brom last went 11 games unbeaten during a run of 14 between October and December in 2019 under Slaven Bilic.
• Sheffield United have won six of their past seven league games (D1), keeping five clean sheets in that run. No side has recorded more clean sheets in the Championship this term than the Blades (12 – level with Burnley).
• After losing his first league meeting with West Brom (2-1 in December 2018), Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has only lost one of his five games against them in the EFL since then, winning three of them (D1)

Sheffield United

A key aspect to the Blades' change of fortune has been recruitment, with boss Chris Wilder overseeing a massive overhaul in player personnel at the beginning of this Championship season.

"The team wasn't a Premier League team last year - from the off, it wasn't and it got brutally exposed," he added.

"I don't think it's been a normal 'lose a couple, bring a couple in' like the majority - if not all - of these Premier League teams go through. It was a complete rebuild."

Wilder has compared the feeling around Bramall Lane this season to 2019 when he achieved promotion to the top flight during his first stint at the club.

"There's no guarantees, there's still a lot of football to be played but it does have that feel," he said.

"From me walking down the road, walking the dog and speaking to people, I can see people have got the twinkle back in their eyes and the love of the football club back."

Image source, Getty Images

When Chris Wilder took over as Sheffield United boss for a second spell in December 2023, the Blades were struggling at the bottom of the Premier League with just one win to their name.

Twelve months on, Sheffield United head to The Hawthorns this afternoon seeking to go top of the Championship table with a seventh win in eight games.

Speaking with BBC Radio Sheffield, Wilder has been reflecting on a "rollercoaster" year.

"It was a tough time and it wouldn't have been met universally, 100%, with acceptance but I felt a little bit of unfinished business," Wilder said.

"I think everyone will be delighted in our early work and, most importantly, the personality and the characteristics of what it takes to be a Sheffield United player and be a Sheffield United team, we are seeing in abundance.

"Over the year - a rollercoaster through difficult times to where hopefully everyone is enjoying the football and watching the team play."

Image source, Getty Images

West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan has praised defender Torbjorn Heggem for the way that he has quickly adapted to playing in the Championship.

The 25-year-old has made 18 league appearances since joining the club from Swedish side IF Brommapojkarna in July.

"His level of attention has been extraordinary from the first moment" Corberan told BBC Radio WM. "He arrived to pre-season without a holiday period. Probably [that] helped him to have more of the tempo."

Heggem's recent good form for Albion - including as a left-back and a left-sided centre-back - helped earn him his international debut for Norway in October.

"His mentality has been excellent, his open mind to take every single idea," Corberan added.

Heggem and the Baggies defence are seeking a seventh clean sheet in nine home games this afternoon.

West Brom away is rightly viewed as one of the trickiest games of the Championship campaign.

The Baggies kept six clean sheets in their opening seven home games, though they only scored twice and conceded once, with four 0-0s.

That was all blown out of the water in the most recent home game on 23 November when they led early, trailed and came back to draw 2-2 against Norwich.

The three previous home games had all finished 0-0, which my dusty maths memory of patterns means I think we are due a 4-4 today.

The Blades have scored in seven straight and have picked up on the road, taking seven points from their past three away games following defeats at Leeds and Middlesbrough.

United have kept 11 clean sheets in their past 15 games but only one in their past five on their travels and allowed a 2-1 lead to slip to a late draw at Coventry in their most recent away game last month.

Carlos Corberan has made three changes from the Albion XI which were held to a 1-1 draw at Preston last Saturday.

Callum Styles, Jayson Molumby and Mikey Johnston come in, with Mason Holgate, Lewis Dobbin and Uros Racic dropping to the bench.

Chris Wilder has made one enforced change from the Blades side which overcame Sunderland 1-0 at Bramall Lane nine days ago.

Harry Souttar misses out after his red card against the Black Cats while Femi Seriki is handed a start after his impressive cameo down the right in that game.

You may have already noticed a different feel to your West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United club pages over the past few weeks.

On these pages, BBC Sport will serve up a bespoke club service, complete with the latest news and analysis on your team.

And no matter who your Championship favourite is, each club will get the same unrivalled coverage.

If you are on the app, don't miss a beat by tapping the bell icon and signing up for news notifications.

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Image source, Rex Features

Burnley missed the chance to go top on Friday when they drew at home to Middlesbrough but Leeds' win over Derby on Saturday took them back to the summit.

The Blades can reclaim top spot if they can make it eight games unbeaten but the Baggies need nothing less than a win if they are to return to the top six.

Albion and Watford fans wouldn't agree, but if the season ended today, what a play-off schedule we'd have in store, with a Lancashire derby over two legs while Sunderland and Middlesbrough battle it out in the other semi.

Storm Darragh put paid to a couple of games in the second tier, but there were plenty of eye-catching results elsewhere over the past couple of days.

Frank Lampard claimed his first win as Coventry boss, while there were vital victories for relegation-battling duo Portsmouth and QPR.

Friday

Burnley 1-1 Middlesbrough

Saturday

Leeds 2-0 Derby

Sheff Wed 1-1 Preston

Sunderland 2-1 Stoke

Cardiff P-P Watford

Hull City 0-1 Blackburn

Millwall 0-1 Coventry

Plymouth P-P Oxford United

Portsmouth 3-0 Bristol City

QPR 3-0 Norwich

Luton 1-1 Swansea

Image source, Rex Features

Good afternoon and welcome to Sunday's Championship action.

Storm Darragh has, for the most part, blown itself out but The Hawthorns remains a pretty gusty, cold and grey setting for today's main event.

Sheffield United head to the West Midlands trying to return to the top of the table by extending their unbeaten run to eight games.

West Bromwich Albion are looking to make it 11 unbeaten, though incredibly they have won only one of their past 10.

I know what you're thinking... two of the meanest defences in the second tier with 21 goals conceded between them in 36 league games combined... but no... let's be positive.

This really should be a cracker...