West Bromwich Albion manager Carlos Corberan knows his side face a tough test when Sunderland arrive at the Hawthorns for Sunday's lunchtime fixture. But the Spaniard has urged his side to continue their good form in the play-off six-pointer.
Both sides come into the game in good shape and looking to boost their top-six bid at the expense of a rival, with only a point separating the two sides. The Baggies have an extra game to play, but a win for either team could see them move into a play-off spot with just two weeks of the season remaining.
Corberan knows all about Sunderland's style under Tony Mowbray and has told his team they must 'press' the visitors if they are to get the better of the Black Cats.
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"I think it’s going to be a very nice game because they try to compete by making the best football that they can make," he said. "They like to play out from the back, they like to dominate the ball, they like to have the ball.
"So this means that it’s one game that if we want to do well, we need to know how to press and press well, and we need to know how to defend, and defend well. We need to have the ball, too, and know what to do with the ball, because they have the capability to have the ball a lot and be comfortable."
Momentum can be so crucial at this stage of the season, something which West Brom appear to have in their favour. And it's something Corberan believes can be vital on Sunday.
"I think it’s always important to keep the good momentum of the team," he said. "After two good results we need to understand why we achieved those results, and do everything we need to keep this momentum in the team.
"I think the players have all been very focused on what they need to do, which is to prepare for the game in the best way we can. We know that every time we’re on the football pitch it’s a real battle against the opponent.
"Every opponent battles in a different way, and we need to understand what the needs of the game are going to be, because they could be the opposite or different from the games we’ve played before. We need to be very concentrated to show our level in a game which is going to different to previous ones."
West Brom go into the game with several injury concerns, not least with key striker Daryl Dike ruled out. Kyle Bartley and Okay Yokuslu are doubts, but the Baggies' boss will leave the decision on their involvement until late.
"The injuries have not been kind," he added. "We didn’t have the best luck in terms of these injuries, but at the same time we need to face these situations with the highest levels of resilience.
"Right now, the positive thing is that Kyle Bartley has trained with the group, he has completed part of the training and if tomorrow he trains normally with the group he’ll be one of the players available for the game. Of course, he’s not going to be at the best level because he’s only had two training sessions, but some players with their character can help the team and he’s one case of this.
"With (Nathaniel) Chalobah I can’t give positive news because he’s suffered an injury which is normally around three weeks, but we’re going to monitor him over the next week to see how he progresses and see how the ligament that he has damaged will improve. With Okay, we'll wait until the day before the game to test him and see if he can be ready to help the squad or not."
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