Sunderland v West Brom: Oppose goals in Monday match-up

• Sunderland are just one point off the top-six

• West Brom have won three on the spin to nil

• BTTS No a regular winner in recent encounters

Sunderland impress in the second-half

Sunderland returned from their mid-season break to produce a rousing second-half display to impressively dispatch high-flying Millwall 3-0 at the Stadium of Light. Victory moved the Black Cats to within a point of the top-six in the Championship with all three goals arriving after the half-time interval.

After an insipid first 45 minutes, the Wearsiders hit the front soon after the break when Amad Diallo smashed home an Ellis Simms flick at the back post. Alex Pritchard hammered in a second to double the lead shortly after, and Simms put any fading hopes of a fightback to bed in stoppage-time, when he latched on to a long ball and completed the scoring.

Sunderland supremo Tony Mowbray was full of praise for his players post-match. He said: "I wasn't happy at half-time, I thought we came second best in a fight in that first half. We reacted really well though, we switched that fine percentage in the second-half to turn the game a little bit and that individuality we've got helped us to win the game."

West Brom improving under Corberan

West Brom chief Carlos Corberan is hoping his side can continue their momentum of three straight wins from before the break, which saw Albion start a recovery from a miserable opening to the campaign. The trio of triumphs alongside clean sheets saw Corberan, and Kyle Bartley, nominated for Championship manager and player of the month respectively.

Corberan has been able to achieve exactly what the club craved in the very short term, which was to lift the Baggies clear of the relegation zone as soon as possible and begin to change the outlook on the season. Prior to his arrival at the end of October, WBA were heading for an unthinkable relegation scrap with a solitary league success to their name.

The visitors have been bolstered by the news that both Daryl Dike and Semi Ajayi are in contention to start at Sunderland following long-term absences. However, West Brom have 'question marks' over a couple of unnamed players ahead of their trip to the north-east that may force Corberan into a few changes on Monday evening.

Albion favoured by the market

Sunderland have won just one of their last 15 league meetings against West Brom (W1-D5-L9), although Monday night's match-up between the two teams is their first such showdown since the 2016/17 Premier League season. The Black Cats have returned a more impressive W1-D3-L0 during the duos most recent four encounters at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland 3.1085/40 have made a promising start to life back in the second-tier, and have managed to consolidate inside the top-half despite Alex Neil's departure at the end of August. The Black Cats have posted W6-D4-L5 under Tony Mowbray, with the hosts boasting an impressive W7-D3-L2 return when facing sides below them in the table.

West Brom 2.506/4 were beaten by high-flying Sheffield United in Carlos Corberan's first fixture in charge yet Albion have since posted three successive wins to nil. No second-tier club has conceded fewer goals than the Baggies since his appointment, and the visitors have managed W4-D4-L2 when taking on teams outside of the Championship's top-10.

Tight contest on the cards

The Championship has been relatively low on goals in 2022/23 with the league averaging 2.42 goals per-game, and 56% of matches providing profit for Under 2.5 Goals 1.804/5 backers. Monday's match features a West Brom outfit that's crossed the two-goal barrier in only six of their 20 tussles, including none of their four outings under Carlos Corberan.

The Baggies defensive improvements should ensure another competitive contest is on the cards at the Stadium of Light and backing Both Teams To Score 'No' holds plenty of appeal as a 2.021/1 play. It's a wager that's won in eight of West Brom's last nine league dates, as well as six of Sunderland's past eight home matches since Alex Neil left in August.