West Bromwich Albion

West Bromwich Albion's Espanyol loanee Thievy Bifouma could come into his own in the English Premier League, so here is a scouting report on the 21-year-old forward. 

What Makes Thievy Lethal

Espanyol manager Javier Aguirre started Thievy on the right and the left.

However, Aguirre mainly used Thievy as a super-sub, who was utilised off the bench in 81.8 percent of his league games this season.

Thievy's primary asset is speed and that was one of West Brom manager Pepe Mel's first compliments of the Espanyol loanee, per West Brom's official website: "He is quick, can score goals and is able to play across the front three positions."

It took him several seconds to accelerate from inside his attacking half and deep into Valencia's defensive half.

When Espanyol beat Barcelona to win the 2011 Copa Catalunya, Thievy scythed through Barca's defence like Ronaldo Luis against Compostela. 

Writing on Barca's official website, Roger Bogunya pinpointed Thievy as the "star of the show" and noted he had run "rings around Armando."

Another example of Thievy's agility was when he broke through Celta Vigo's offside trap, latched on to Javi Lopez's ambitious through ball and placed the ball past Celta goalkeeper Yoel.

It was a perfect finish and when you factor in Thievy's abnormally-high shooting accuracy (71; being able to finish with either feet is a big advantage), it is only a matter of time before he hits a purple patch. 

Thievy has balance, he bounces off challenges and can navigate in congested space which was displayed in the 2-1 defeat to Elche.

He swiftly turned away from Elche centre-back Lomban and left Javier Marquez flat-footed.

Thievy had nowhere to go and Lomban caught up, tussled with Thievy, who offloaded the ball to teammate Simao Sabrosa at the last second, having anticipated Elche right-back Damian Suarez diving in.

Before Simao released the ball to Sergio Garcia, Thievy got in front of Elche defensive midfielder Carlos Sanchez.

Garcia completed a first-touch pass to Thievy, who had the yard of space after he eluded Sanchez, and placed the ball past Elche goalkeeper Manu Herrera.

Thievy was tough in competing with Lomban. Showed awareness to evade Suarez's tackle. Was smart to get in front of Sanchez. Composed in converting a goalscoring chance.

This sequence of events shows Thievy is not just a speedster.

Thievy Concerns

Thievy scored in his first two league games and then netted once from nine games because he is such an inconsistent player. 

He has the speed, the technical prowess and the shooting ability to be a world-beater, but does he have the mental will power to succeed? 

Espanyol management did not want to deal with Thievy's mood swings. 

It is a big red flag when a professional footballer decides to persistently abandon the playing group because he feels like it.

He needs to get a grip on reality and understand that in the real world, say if you are an accountant or a shelf-stacker, you get fired for pulling stunts like that. 

"If we can't count on him [Thievy] in the team, the club will try to find the best option possible," Espanyol assistant manager Alfredo Tena said several weeks before Thievy was loaned out, per Inside Spanish Football. "The manager [Aguirre] has tried and has even been a little fatherly with Thievy, but there have been repeated breaches of club rules and we have to exercise authority."

It will be a tough task for Mel, West Brom's manager, to keep Thievy happy.

Should Mel be successful in gaining Thievy's trust, he could be a breakout star in the Premier League given how ludicrously talented he is.

Conversely, if Mel gets on the wrong side of Thievy, he will be an unneeded distraction at West Brom just like he was at Espanyol.

@allanjianga

+allanjiang

Statistics via WhoScored, FFT Stats Zone, Squawka and Transfermarkt.

Nicolas Anelka has launched a defence against the Football Association's decision to suspend him for using the allegedly anti-Semitic "quenelle" gesture during West Brom's 3-3 Premier League draw with West Ham.

The Baggies forward posted a statement on Facebook defending his actions, confirmed by The Guardian. He also linked to a video of Roger Cukierman, head of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, explaining the gesture on Twitter:

However, Cukierman appeared not to support Anelka in comments given on the website of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institution. The Associated Press, via Fox Sports, provides the quotes:

It must be noted that the quenelle gesture has spread dangerously among our fellow citizens and especially among young people. I was disappointed by Anelka's attitude, whose behavior is the opposite of that which should be shown by a top-class athlete to the youths of our country.

As reported by French newspaper Le Figaro (via BBC Sport), Cukierman had previously stated the gesture should not be seen as anti-Semitic when used away from locations of "significance for Jews":

That gesture can only have an anti-Semitic connotation when performed at a synagogue or a memorial to Holocaust victims.

In a place that has no significance for Jews, it is merely an anti-establishment gesture which I feel does not warrant any harsh sanction.

Anelka also stood his ground directly after the incident, saying, "I am neither racist nor anti-Semitic," per an alternate BBC Sport report.

He has since been charged with a gesture that is said to be "abusive or indecent or insulting or improper," by The FA, as reported by The Guardian.

The former Arsenal, Real Madrid and Liverpool striker has until 6 p.m. GMT/1 p.m. ET on Jan. 23 to officially lodge an appeal, but it seems likely he will miss at least five matches for Pepe Mel's club.

Anelka's likely suspension comes at a difficult time for West Brom. The club recently hired Mel, who replaced the outgoing Steve Clarke, but they have just one win in their last 12 Premier League games, as recorded by WhoScored.com.

With 12 appearances to his name this season, the first of Anelka's two goals was the one to throw up this controversy.

To make matters worse, Anelka's actions cost the club their current sponsorship with Zoopla. The property website confirmed it will end its association in the aftermath of this situation, per Sky Sports.

Anelka is said to have been supporting controversial French pal Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala with the gesture, after the comedian's shows were banned in France, according to Sam Wallace of The Independent.

Romelu Lukaku, Anelka's former colleague at Chelsea, joined Cukierman in defence of the 34-year-old during a video interview with EvertonTV. Per BBC Sport:

I don't think he should be banned, he was just supporting a comedian in France. We don't have to make such a big deal about it. I hope he doesn't get suspended because he is a player people want to play on the pitch.

The video has since been removed from Everton's website. Alan Myers, director of communications at the club, said Lukaku's thoughts do not represent "the opinion held by the football club."

Anelka obviously feels aggrieved and is working hard to prove his innocence. His case sets something of a precedent for the Premier League's new anti-racism measures—introduced in May 2013, per Richard Conway of BBC Sport—which sees any player convicted of racist abuse banned for a minimum of five games.

Determining whether the celebration was racist will decide the striker's fate, but as Anelka prepares to learn the full extent of his punishment, he took time to thank West Brom supporters on Twitter:

This story is set to continue developing at a fast rate, something that will perhaps be accelerated by Anelka's recent retort. 

West Bromwich Albion earned themselves a point last night at home to Everton, but was their performance evidence that they will miss striker Shane Long for the second half of the season?

Let’s start with arguments that support West Brom’s decision to sell Long to Premier League rivals Hull City last week.

Long came close to signing for Hull on transfer deadline day in September last year. Since then, his career off the pitch became an ongoing saga of an unresolved new contract. As far as West Brom are concerned, they have accepted a more than reasonable offer for a player that wasn’t going to sign a new contract unless they paid him a lot of money.

On the pitch, stats aren’t supporting a case to keep him, either. He ranks halfway down West Brom’s average match ratings this season, via Opta stats on whoscored.com. And while his three goals makes him the club’s second top scorer, it’s not the most amazing return from 11 starts.

But here’s why West Brom will miss the 26-year-old, who has proved himself to be a well thought of player in the Premier League, with recent interest from Newcastle, Stoke and Tottenham Hotspur.

Pepe Mel admitted in his post-match interview with Sky Sports that now that Long has left, he is looking for a striker. George Cushnie highlighted to B/R readers last week that the club could struggle both for goals and to find a replacement.

On evidence of last night’s game, though, had contract situations been resolved between Long and West Brom, he would have been a very nice fit into a Pepe Mel team.

Where West Brom really caused Everton problems was when the two strikers closed down the Everton back line effectively and gave their midfield and defence the chance to push up.

Nicholas Anelka did this well for the opening 10 to 15 minutes, but once he and strike partner Matej Vydra began to sit back a little, that was when Everton played their best football and caused West Brom problems—scoring in the process.

Cue the second half, and the introduction of Victor Anichebe—they looked a different side. West Brom closed the Everton back line down better. He gave them a focal point up front, allowing them to play through the middle and work the Everton defence.

So why would they need Shane Long if it was Anichebe who made the difference?

Anichebe has started just five games this season. If he can keep himself fit and keep up the level of performance he showed last night, then West Brom are onto a winner.

With the addition of Long in the front line, though, they would have someone who will close defenders down for 90 minutes, run the channels and take some of the pressure off the midfield.

As Baggies Blog via Metro points out, Long doesn’t hold the ball up well enough to play as a lone striker. However, in a pairing alongside the flair of experienced Nicholas Anelka, or promising youngster Saido Berahino, having a player that will close down defenders and run into strong attacking positions could prove a lethal combination.

Long showed against Aston Villa, that on his day, he isn’t half bad when it comes to doing his main job—scoring goals. Of course, that was one stand-out performance, but it was in a one up front system.

If he had the chance to play as part of a front two under Pepe Mel he’d be able to play the role of supporting striker, feeding his strike partner from the attacking positions he creates down the channels, instead of having to hold the ball up for incoming support.

The fact is the four strikers, Anichebe, Anelka, Berahino and Vydra are all capable of keeping West Brom in the Premier League should they play at their best consistently.

But if, as Mel says, they are looking for a striker; seeing the aggressive, closing down high up the pitch style that they played last night, the perfect player with Premier League experience to fill that gap is Shane Long.

Off the pitch, with his contract situation and the price offered by Hull, the decision to sell him makes perfect sense. But on the pitch, the reality for West Bromwich Albion appears that the striker they are looking for is, in fact, the most recent departure from the club.

Monday’s announcement from Zoopla that the real estate website will terminate its relationship with West Bromwich Albion was hardly surprising.

As principal sponsors of the Premier League club, and co-owned by Jewish businessman Alex Chesterman, they wanted to disassociate themselves from Baggies forward Nicolas Anelka and his antisemitic gesture in a recent match as quickly as possible and will do so at season’s end.

On Tuesday, the company released a statement explaining their decision, per The Telegraph's John Percy: 

Zoopla has been reviewing its position over the past few weeks in light of the actions of striker Nicolas Anelka during the match against West Ham over the Christmas period and has decided to focus its attention on other marketing activities after this season.

The Football Association is also conducting an investigation into Anelka’s performance of the controversial quenelle gesture.

While its response time in delivering the verdict has been criticized, the body that governs English football is expected to punish the Frenchman with a five-match ban, according to the Daily Mail's Rob Draper and Nick Harris. 

"It would help everyone for that investigation to be over as soon as possible," West Brom sporting director Richard Garlick told the BBC on Sunday, adding, "There are investigations ongoing, and while they are we won’t make any comment."

The incident, which took place on Dec. 28 at London’s Upton Park, rocked the football world and caused a stir in the upper echelons of French politics.

Immediately after Anelka performed the quenelle, French sport minister Valerie Fourneyron described the act, via the BBC, as "disgusting," "a provocation" and "antisemitic."

And earlier this month, French president Francois Hollande backed attempts to ban the shows of comedian Dieudonne M'bala M'bala—the inventor of the quenelle—saying, "No one should be able to use this show for provocation and to promote openly antisemitic ideas," as reported by France 24.

In May 2012, a series of Dieudonne shows scheduled for Montreal, Canada, were cancelled in light of the 47-year-old’s antisemitic material, with a spokesman for the Centre for Israel and Jewish affairs referring to the performances in an interview with the CBC as "no longer funny" given the "vitriol" and "racist outbursts."

Anelka, in explaining his performance of the quenelle on Twitter, referenced his "comedian friend" Dieudonne—a bizarre dedication that is unlikely to work in his favour when the FA reaches its decision.

Troublingly, a copycat image of Manchester City attacker Samir Nasri doing the quenelle surfaced just days after the Anelka incident. Later the same day, San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker issued an apology for making the same gesture alongside Dieudonne in 2010, as per Paul J. Weber of The Associated Press. 

The quenelle is performed by bending the left arm to touch the outstretched right in a combination of the Nazi salute and bras d’honneur.

The English football authorities have come down hard on racist behaviour in the past, with John Terry and Luis Suarez each being issued lengthy suspensions after being found guilty of racial abuse in recent seasons.

Anelka is likely to be punished similarly, as he has put the FA in an untenable position.

Failure to discipline the 34-year-old while acting on other forms of racism would send the wrong message, which is why Anelka will be—and should be—punished to the full extent of the powers at the FA’s disposal.

Following West Bromwich Albion's announcement that he has been named their new coach, today's piece is on Pepe Mel.

There is a bit of confusion about him, so I’ll attempt to clear things up and take you through his career.

He started his playing career at Real Madrid, joining them at the age of 11. He was sent on loan at a number of different clubs, with his first team in the first division being Osasuna. From there, he joined Castellon in the second division and was their top goalscorer.

His form for Castellon earned him a move to Real Betis, where he spent four years as the focal point of their attack and was the top scorer in the division in the 1989/90 season.

The Daily Mail suggested that he spent time at Corinthians as a coach, but that is not the case. His only foreign experience before West Brom was a stint with French side Angers as a player.

He moved into coaching and did well with Alaves, going close to leading them to promotion from the second division and managing to get them to the semi-finals of the cup.

His spell at Alaves came to an end when he did not renew his contract following the arrival of owner Dmitry Pietrman.

He was swiftly snapped up by Poli Ejido, where he managed to stave off relegation. He was sacked the following season, which set him free to join Rayo Vallecano in 2006. The club were in Segunda B league when he arrived and he led them to promotion.

In 2008/09, Vallecano had a great season—finishing fifth—but he was axed the following campaign after a series of bad results.

In 2010, he joined Betis, who were in a perilous financial state at the time. He managed to steady the ship and won promotion as champions. In February 2012, 11 years after first becoming a coach, he racked up his half-century of games as a manager in the top flight.

During the season when he won promotion with Betis, his side were by far the best team. He masterminded a win over Barcelona in the Copa del Rey, although they lost the tie over two legs. Former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola spoke of him as one of his toughest opponents. Betis pressed high, defended high, played with pace and drive, and made life difficult for Barcelona.

He will be remembered for a couple of things at Betis in the first division.

After a good start to the season with four wins, they managed to go 10 games without a win. Betis remained loyal, which is something they had not done before, as they could see he had style and personality, and his side played with a real attacking verve.

The second thing he will be remembered for is how he championed the academy. He gave debuts to 16 players from the youth system.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njKLj9p8KuY

In 2012/13, there was a jump in quality at Betis. He secured qualification for the Europa League, which earned him a contract renewal. The following season—the current one—was not positive and he was sacked.

Four years in charge of any team in Spain is some achievement and he was remembered fondly. He cried during his exit press conference, while the fans hit out at the owner and director of football—not the coach.

His passion was always appreciated, his love for the club was never in doubt, but the club felt there was a need for change.

What Does He Bring to West Brom?

He brings ambition, passion, style and a brand of football that is aggressive and exciting. West Brom will see a man who will promote from within, as he is not afraid to give youth a chance.

On the back of Spain’s brilliant form on the international stage, there have been a lot of players who have come to England. There have not been many coaches, but the excellence of coaching in Spain has made the country's football what it is. West Brom will hope that rubs off on everyone at The Hawthorns.

Nicolas Anelka ended his 2013 the right way, as the West Brom striker notched a first-half brace against his former club, West Ham, on Saturday, Dec. 28, helping to give his club a 3-3 away draw.

In the 40th minute, Anelka hit the equalizer to level the score at 1-1. It was a great run from the Frenchman, and Chris Brunt's pass hit him perfectly in stride. From there, Anelka needed to beat Jussi Jaaskelainen, which he did with a calm finish into the bottom left corner.

That's now six Premier League clubs for which Anelka has scored. He's the ninth player to accomplish that.

There could be controversy brewing, though, as French football writer Philippe Auclair reported that the player had a less than savory celebration.

It will be interesting to see how the situation is handled by the French media and if Anelka is admonished in any way by the Football Association.

Six minutes after his first, the 34-year-old put West Brom ahead 2-1 with his second goal of the game.

West Ham failed to clear a corner kick, and the ball eventually fell to Anelka, who poked the ball home. It wasn't a pretty goal, and certainly not the quality of Anelka's first, but it counts all the same.

There's no doubt West Ham will be happy to see the back of the West Brom forward, as he's terrorized his former club, per OptaJoe.

Even when you take out the two goals, this has been a strong performance from Anelka. His movement is dragging the West Ham defenders all over the place. He's also dropping closer to the centre circle and acting as a facilitator for the attack.

It's the kind of play the Baggies hoped to see more of when they pegged Anelka as one of the replacements for Romelu Lukaku.

This season hasn't gone according to plan for West Brom. Steve Clarke was sacked a few weeks ago, and the club has yet to find a permanent replacement.

If Anelka can keep up this kind of form, the Baggies will have solved one of their biggest problems this season: scoring goals. With a consistent target man, West Brom should be able to avoid the relegation scrap and finish comfortably mid-table.

West Brom's search for a successor to Steve Clarke has reportedly led the club to ex-Real Madrid youth product and Spanish journeyman Pepe Mel.

The 50-year-old last managed Real Betis, but Sky Sports News reports that Mel is now ready for a switch from his native Spain, with a Premier League appointment on the cards:

UPDATE: Friday, Dec. 27, at 7:55 p.m. BST

From Chris Lepkowski of The Birmingham Mail:

 ---End of Update---

The Baggies have been without a helmsman for a fortnight now and are without a win in their last eight matches, four points off the bottom of the English top flight.

Mel is no stranger to the idea of a relegation scrap, however, considering he was shown the door at Real Betis on Dec. 2, with his side rooted to the bottom of La Liga and winning just two matches in the 2013/14 league campaign.

The Telegraph duo of John Percy and Paul Hirst recently reported that Mel was alleged to have been on hand for the Baggies' Boxing Day trip to Tottenham and will sign on the dotted line in the coming days.

An excerpt from the article reads: 

The 50-year-old has been interviewed twice by the Albion hierarchy and is set to agree an 18-month deal after their game at West Ham United on Saturday.

He has never worked in England before and was sacked by Betis after a disappointing start to the season.

The tactician will have undoubtedly liked some aspects of what he saw, too, after the West Midlands outfit managed to come away from North London with a point following their 1-1 draw.

West Brom's sacking of Clarke was a controversial one given that the Scot had done such a fine job in his maiden campaign at the Hawthorns, leading the club to a very respectable eighth-place finish in the Premier League.

However, the lack of a cutting edge has hurt the club this time around, West Brom drawing more games than any other side in the English top flight (eight).

What's more, three of the club's seven losses this term have been decided by a margin of just one goal, showing just how close the side have been to a season of altogether more positive proportions.

This is emphasised by the fact that West Brom, 15th in the table, have the same goal difference as eighth-place Spurs.

With that in mind, Mel would have an attractive proposition on his hands and one that could be turned around with a successful January transfer window.

West Bromwich Albion fans at the Hawthorns last night got to see a Wimbledon champion grace the pitch as celebrity fan Goran Ivanisevic came on for a half-time appearance.

The Croatian may be one of the more unlikely Baggies fans, whose numbers include comedian Frank Skinner and ITV football presenter Adrian Chiles, but in an interview with the Daily Express this week he explained where his love of the club had come from—the media manager of the Champions Tour, David Law:

David’s a crazy West Brom fan, a Baggies freak, and he was telling me all about them. Every time I saw him he was in a bad mood, very jumpy, edgy, stressed about the results.

Until eight years ago I knew nothing of West Bromwich Albion. It was 2005 when they were bottom of the Premier League and David was getting on my nerves. I started looking out for West Brom’s results and I was hooked.

I’d be in my room in a hotel and I’d find myself looking for Albion’s score on Teletext. It was exciting.

Ivanisevic was on hand to see Manchester City ease to a 3-2 victory—the Baggies adding two late consolation goals.

But it wasn't all bad news on the sporting front for the Croatian, who is now 42 years old.

Earlier in the day, as reported by Eurosport, he had beaten Greg Rusedski 7-6 7-6 at the Statoil Masters Tennis, held at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

The Champions Tour event continues throughout the week, culminating on Sunday.

On Wednesday, Manchester City will head to The Hawthorns to take on West Bromwich Albion in an all-important Premier League clash between two teams looking to move up in the table. 

So far, Manchester City has been absolutely unstoppable on home turf but haven't been nearly as impressive on the road, so Manuel Pellegrini's side will be looking to reverse that trend this evening.

As of now, City sit six points back of Arsenal, but after watching Liverpool and Manchester United both struggle last weekend, this squad knows nothing has been decided yet. 

At the other end of the pitch, West Brom will be looking to once again notch a favorable result against a league heavyweight, having drawn with Chelsea and emerging victorious against Manchester United already this season. 

Heading into what should be a very entertaining tilt, here's a look at everything you need to know in order to catch all the action. 

When: Wednesday, Dec. 4, at 3 p.m. ET; 8 p.m. GMT

Where: The Hawthorns

Watch: NBC Sports Network

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Odds (via Sky Bet): Manchester City (8/13), West Bromwich (9/2), Draw (14/5)

Top Storyline: Will Vincent Kompany's Return Help City to Second Road Victory of 2013? 

After spending roughly two months on the shelf due to a thigh injury, Vincent Kompany is reportedly ready to return to action for City. 

As such, Pellegrini's defense, which is coming off two consecutive clean sheets, will be even stingier than before with the Belgian star back in the mix. 

But even with the captain back on the pitch, this team's biggest hurdle will be finding a way to secure a victory away from Etihad Stadium. 

Thus far, Kompany's club has just one road triumph on the season, which is simply unacceptable for a team that once looked destined to challenge for the Premier League crown. 

And, though West Brom are obviously a far less talented side, there's no overlooking their results against top-caliber clubs so far in 2013. 

Ultimately, Pellegrini's troops need to produce offensively, because just eight of the club's 37 goals have come away from home, which won't be good enough to keep pace with Arsenal and Chelsea. 

Prediction: Manchester City 2, West Bromwich 1

Despite Man City's struggles on the road, the offensive firepower of Pellegrini's side will be the difference, and the Citizens will come away with a very important victory. 

Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Negredo have been extremely reliable up front, and they'll continue that trend tomorrow against an overmatched opponent. 

While West Brom would clearly be at a disadvantage as far as talent goes (even with a full squad), the absences of Youssouf Mulumbu, Ben Foster and Scott Sinclair certainly won't help. 

Simply put, Man City has way too many weapons to fall or draw against an inferior foe once again on the road, so this will be the match where Pellegrini and company turn things around. 

Furthermore, with just one goal in the previous six tilts with City, West Brom won't have an answer to the visitors' impressive offensive attack. 

West Brom and Swansea are set to face off at The Hawthorns in what should be an intriguing early-season Premier League encounter.

Last season's meetings between these two clubs resulted in a win apiece, with the Swans winning 3-1 at the Liberty Stadium last November. The Baggies gained revenge with a 2-1 victory on home turf in the return match in March, and they ended the season one place and three points ahead of the Welsh outfit.

Here's everything you need to know, together with a match preview, about this weekend's match.

Location: The Hawthorns, Birmingham, England

Date: Sunday, 1 September 2013

Time: 8.30 a.m. ET (1.30 p.m. BST)

TV information: NBC Sports Live Extra network

Live stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Odds, courtesy of Oddschecker.com: West Brom win: 13/8, Swansea win: 15/8, Draw: 12/5

Preview

Both sides come into this match looking for their first win in the league so far this season. West Brom earned their first point of the campaign with a 0-0 draw away at Everton, thanks in no small way to an inspired performance from goalkeeper Ben Foster.

However, Foster will be missing for up to 12 weeks after sustaining a stress fracture to a foot during his heroic display at Goodison Park, so Boaz Myhill is sure to step in.

West Brom have yet to score in the Premier League this term, but they will be boosted by the return of striker Nicolas Anelka, who the Daily Mail reports is back with the club after a spell away on compassionate leave following the death of his agent Eric Manasse.

Defeats at home to Man United and away to Spurs have left Swansea at the foot of the Premier League table, and they will hope to have shaken off the effects that playing in Romania on Thursday night by the time kick-off rolls around on Sunday.

Left-back Neil Taylor is out for up to six weeks with a thigh injury, so Ben Davies could step in, while Nathan Dyer missed the second leg of the Europa League tie away to Petrolul Ploiesti with a hamstring problem.

Here are some players to watch and a match prediction for this Premier League encounter:

West Brom Player to Watch: Scott Sinclair

Having joined on loan from Man City last week, Scott Sinclair started in the Baggies' 3-0 Capital One Cup win over Newport County and will be keen to do so when they face Welsh opposition again on Sunday.

The 24-year-old winger has not started a league fixture since City's draw with Arsenal on September 23 last year, and he will keen to prove his doubters wrong after a 12 months he will want to forget.

West Brom manager Steve Clarke worked with Sinclair at Chelsea, and told the club's official website that Sinclair is "the type of player we are missing from the squad."

Swansea City Player to Watch: Wilfried Bony

Swansea's record £12m signing will be striving to get onto the scoresheet again after a decent start to his career with the Welsh club.

Goals in Europe and on his Premier league debut against Man United showed off why manager Michael Laudrup made his move for the 24-year-old.

Having been kept out of the Thursday night trip to Romania as a precaution over an ankle injury, Bony will want to fire his side to their first league win if he is fit enough.