West Bromwich Albion face Everton at the Hawthorns on Saturday, August 20. Here’s all the info you need to watch.
West Bromwich Albion will be hoping for a successful home opener against Everton tomorrow, having taken three points in their season-opener a week ago. The win was a welcome counter to the protracted takeover of the club by Guochuan Lai. Manager Tony Pulis has admitted that the uncertainty at the top could be impacting the club negatively in the transfer market. That was certainly in evidence when long-standing transfer target Christian Benteke went to Crystal Palace instead of the Hawthorns, a move that likely means striker Saido Berahino, who has long been agitating for a move, will be staying with the club. Baggies supporters will hope Berahino’s settled status results in an uptick in form. They will also hope James Morrison can make his first start since January after a serious hamstring injury; Morrison came on as a substitute against Palace.
Everton could debut £30 million winger Yannick Bolasie, formerly of Crystal Palace, which would create an odd bit of symmetry. Bolasie played his final game for Palace last week against West Brom, this week’s opponent. That familiarity with the Baggies could help ease the transition to his new club. Ronald Koeman has already demanded more of the winger. “He has a lot of strengths but he needs to improve in his productivity,” Koeman said. “Nine goals in three Premier League seasons is not enough – it is too little.”
Ashley Williams could also make his debut for the Toffees, which would present another fascinating piece of symmetry. West Brom released Williams when he was 16, after which he bounced around, working as a waiter, at a theme park and a gas station. Williams says he doesn’t blame the Baggies for dropping him, but he and Everton supporters would love for him to give his old club a taste of what they missed.
The Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Everton will be available online only on NBC Sports, which you can access with your cable or satellite subscriptions, either online or through the NBC Sports App.
Date: Saturday, August 20
Start time: 10:00 a.m. ET
Location: West Bromwich, England
Stadium: The Hawthorns Stadium
Live Stream: NBCSports
Can West Brom win their second game of 2016-17, or will Everton’s signings inspire their new team to their first win of the season?