After Manchester United’s League Cup success, could the Baggies have a genuine hope for European football again?
West Bromwich Albion’s Nacer Chadli in action
Tony Pulis’ West Brom side have never wavered during the 2016/17, becoming the epitome of consistency. Pulis’ usual stability and strength has been spiced up with the flair of Matt Phillips and Nacer Chadli, and European football now appears a real possibility.
While they’ve struggled against the top teams, they’ve had a lot of success in beating teams below and around them. They’ve never really had a dip in form, and, currently sitting in 8th place, it’s tricky to imagine them losing much ground in the final third of the season.
But is Europa League qualification a possibility? After Manchester United’s League Cup win at the weekend, West Brom’s chances of qualifying have gone up a notch.
Seeing as United’s top four aspirations still remain intact, it seems possible that an extra Europa League place may become available for an English Premier League team, should Mourinho and co qualify for the Champions League.
In fact, if the FA Cup is also won by a team that finishes in the top 4, that would present the Baggies with another huge opportunity.
Realistically, if such events were to take place, only Everton stand in the way of West Brom’s first major European football for 36 years. Looking at both team’s records, it could be a very close finish to a riveting chase.
West Bromwich Albion’s Hal Robson-Kanu comes on as a substitute to replace Matt Phillips
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
