[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

A draw at home to Millwall last week was more or less par for the course, but unfortunately the par on this weekend's hole is considerably steeper, and not unlike one of those Florida courses where the alligators eat your balls (which, all things considered, is the kind of handicap you can really do without). Preston are the only remaining unbeaten side in the Championship, and with Deepdale a difficult destination on our calendar even at the best of times, our recent record of losing two in three against them hardly bodes well. Our away record in general now stands at two wins from the last fourteen and none in the last six - a worse showing for 2023 than any other team in the division except Watford and Rotherham - while a home winning streak of four for North End leaves them on the verge of their best spell since January 2009. If the positions were reversed you'd swear this is the kind of match where Albion would come an absolute cropper, but it's probably too much to hope for that we might do similar to another team. Realistically, anything's a bonus tomorrow.

A different story on Tuesday night, however, when Albion kick off October by welcoming Sheffield Wednesday to the Hawthorns. Unbeaten in eight against the Owls since April 2007, and with no away win so far this season for the visitors, it has to be one we target for a win. Wednesday's last visit in autumn 2019 ended in a 2-1 Baggies victory, and they haven't lost consecutive matches on our patch since the Bay City Rollers were at #1 with Bye Bye Baby, so it may not be as straightforward as all that; but nevertheless, by this time next week we could really do with three more points under our belt.