West Brom’s Corberan Addresses Home Scoring Struggles Ahead of Burnley Clash

Carlos Corberan’s longest winless streak was nine games in January and February 2021 during his inaugural season at Huddersfield. As West Bromwich Albion prepares to host Burnley on Thursday night, supporters will be eagerly anticipating goals. The team, known as Albion, has notably struggled to score at home this season while playing in their blue and white stripes. Across six league matches played at The Hawthorns this season, the Albion faithful have seen three goalless draws [the last two of them back-to-back], two Albion 1-0 wins, and a 1-0 away victory for Middlesbrough. The statistics for these home games are: Played: Six; Goals For: Two; Goals Against: One. The Baggies currently share the distinction with League Two Tranmere Rovers of having the lowest home goal tally in the English Football League. This contrasts sharply with their away performance, where they have scored 12 goals in seven games – the highest in the Championship. Top scorer Josh Maja has contributed seven of his eight goals this season while playing away. Securing goals from other team members has proven more challenging. Alex Mowatt [three], Karlan Grant [two], and Jayson Molumby [one] are the only other Baggies players who have scored. Boss Carlos Corberan commented, “In past years we have had more goals than we have now.” An overall total of 14 goals in 13 games largely explains why Albion has dropped from the top of the league, following five wins in their first six matches, to seventh place. This decline occurred after a winless seven-game run, which featured five consecutive draws. The team is now set to face fourth-placed Burnley, who are only two points ahead of Albion. This match could potentially encourage a more open style of play, allowing the Baggies to showcase their attacking strengths. Corberan stated to BBC Radio WM, “Without a doubt they have one of the strongest squads in the Championship.” He added, “I have watched their games. They play from the back and try to play in the attacking half.” Corberan also remarked on the sport’s nature: “The good thing in football is that every game is demanding – a mental challenge. You win with experience but you also win with emotion.” Despite defensive injuries, including the absence of Semi Ajayi, Kyle Bartley, and Paddy McNair for last Friday night’s 1-1 draw at Luton, Corberan maintains that the team’s overall performance level has not significantly changed between their strong early-season run and the present. Corberan expresses continued confidence that results could improve, noting that while the team has not won in seven games, Albion is also unbeaten in five. He concluded, “The fact that football is so intense helps. You cannot worry about what has gone. There are so many things we can do. How we defend and how we attack. But we just need to concentrate on the things that affect us.”