David Prutton believes Coventry and West Brom will pick up a point each when they meet on Monday night in the Championship.
Coventry struggling after play-off heartbreak
Mark Robins has done a brilliant job with the Sky Blues, and he took the side to the play-off final last season, against all odds. However, they lost in heartbreaking fashion to Luton, with the Hatters winning the penalty shootout at Wembley.
Since then, there’s been a lot of change at Coventry, with influential duo Gustavo Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres both moving on.
Mark Robins Coventry City
And, whilst that money was reinvested into the squad, it’s understandably taking time for the new signings to adapt.
A disappointing 2-0 defeat to Rotherham last time out left Coventry in 20th position going into the weekend fixtures, so they will be desperate to pick up three points as they look to climb the table.
West Brom grinding out results under Carlos Corberan
It’s a different story with Albion, who started the weekend in sixth position, which may be a surprise given the mood around The Hawthorns hasn’t always been positive.
But, Carlos Corberan has done a tremendous job under difficult circumstances with the Baggies, and he has made the team very hard to beat, evident by the fact they have lost just three of their 13 league games so far.
A comfortable 2-0 success over QPR last time out saw Albion keep another clean sheet, and the Spaniard will be delighted with how his side are still getting results despite missing some key men through injury.
So, they will make the short trip to Coventry in high spirits, as they look for what would just be a second away win of the campaign.
What has David Prutton predicted for Coventry vs West Brom?
Even though the two sides are at different ends of the table, only five points separate the teams, so it’s not like there is a big gulf in class.
As mentioned, Albion’s away form is questionable, and Coventry are unbeaten on their own patch, although four of their six games have been drawn.
Ultimately, that shows there’s not a lot between the two, so it’s perhaps no surprise that Sky Sports pundit Prutton went for a draw in his regular prediction column.
“Coventry are having a tricky little spell, and they were really poor at Rotherham in midweek. They are still adapting to life after Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer, as well as the play-off hangover.
“West Brom enjoyed a decent win over QPR in midweek, but this is a far sterner test, even if Coventry are not in the best of form. Draw here. 1-1.”
How important is Coventry vs West Brom?
This certainly feels like a bigger game for the hosts, who are understandably stuttering after that play-off loss and the departure of some key men.
A big performance and a win could be what’s required to get them back on track, and it’s worth noting that Robins still has a lot of quality in his squad.
For Albion, it’s a case of maintaining the standards they’ve set recently. It’s about grinding out results to ensure they remain in the play-off hunt, and they will hope to have a real go this season despite the off-field issues at the club.
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