As the new season looms I have examined the fixture list and

looked at five matches which could be pivotal in where Albion finish. Whilst

all 38 matches are important, these are my five stand-out ties.

Saturday 19th

September: Aston Villa (away)

Midland derbies are always hotly contested and it is one of

the first matches that fans look out for when the fixture list is released.

Following last season’s Villa Park nightmare, it is likely to be as hostile as

ever. Since 1982, Albion have only won once at Villa Park, when Paul Scharner

grabbed the winner with an exquisite finish in 2011.

The Baggies have a tough start to the season, with home

fixtures against Manchester City, Chelsea and Southampton. It would not be a

surprise to see West Brom with a small number of points on the board after the

first five games, so to take three points away from Villa Park could be of huge

importance. If the Baggies fail to begin the season in good form, a derby

victory over Villa would be the perfect way to kick-start the season. The

return match at the Hawthorns is on 23rd January.

Saturday 17th

October: Sunderland (home)

West Brom face a vital October in which Tony Pulis will be

targeting to collect points from the trips to Crystal Palace and Norwich City, as

well as the home fixtures against Sunderland and Leicester. Whilst all four

matches are key, a home win against Sunderland would breathe confidence into

the side ahead of the Norwich and Leicester ties. Of the last 11 meetings

between West Brom and Sunderland, the Baggies have only lost on one occasion so

the Albion faithful will be hopeful of another victory over the Black Cats to

spark a successful October.

Saturday 19th

December: Bournemouth (home)

West Brom welcomes newly-promoted Bournemouth to the

Hawthorns on the back of a tough run of matches. Before the tie with the

Cherries, Albion face Manchester United, Arsenal, West Ham, Tottenham and

Liverpool. Therefore it should be on Pulis’s list of must-win games because it

is unlikely that the Baggies will accumulate too many points in the five

matches before the clash with Bournemouth. This match is also a week before the

ever-busy festive period in which Albion play three matches in the space of eight

days, so three points here would be excellent.

Saturday 19th

March: Norwich (home)

Norwich visit the Hawthorns in what could be a huge game for

both sides. The match is sandwiched in between some hard matches for Albion.

Before 19th March, Albion play Manchester United and Arsenal, and

then travel to Sunderland and Manchester City after the Norwich tie. The

Baggies should be aiming for all three points here as Norwich were promoted

last season.

Hopefully West Brom are not involved in another relegation

battle, but this could be a big game between two sides scrapping for survival.

It will also be interesting to see Graham Dorrans and Youssouf Mulumbu return

to the Hawthorns in Norwich colours.

Saturday 30th

April: West Ham (home)

If survival is not already confirmed, the match against the

Hammers could decide which league West Brom will be playing in for the 2016-17

season. The Baggies only have two fixtures after this match; a trip to

Bournemouth before a home clash against Liverpool. In the 2013-14 campaign,

Albion edged West Ham out in a 1-0 win at the Hawthorns to all but confirm

another year in the Premier League. If West Brom are in a similar situation

this season, the Albion faithful will be hoping for the same result.