The Black Country Derby is back!

Wolverhampton Wanderers v West Bromwich Albion; Molineux, Sunday 20th September 2026, 12 noon

Sunday lunchtime will witness the first Black Country Derby in the league, with fans in attendance, since February 2012. That, of course, was a game that will live long in the memory as Roy Hodgson’s visiting Albion side trounced Mick McCarthy’s relegation-bound team 5-1 at Molineux. Few will expect a repeat of that result, and the recent histories and respective current form of the two teams makes this long-awaited fixture a difficult one to call.

Two-and-a-half years ago, Wanderers comfortably won the most recent meeting at the Hawthorns in the FA Cup. A game that was most remembered for the crowd disturbances, the visitors were a well-established Premier League club, comfortable in mid-table with players a step above those available to Baggies boss Carlos Corberán. However, new Wolves boss César Peixoto does not have a squad of the same quality. The goalscorers from that day, Cunha and Neto have moved on and now ply their trade with two of the Premier League’s big six, while five other starters from that day, Semedo, Doherty, Dawson, Kilman and Lemina, have also left Molineux, as has substitute Aït-Nouri. Goalkeeper, José Sá, is the only player who featured that day to have started their last league match at Bramall Lane last Sunday, albeit Tommy Doyle did come off the bench to set up Raúl Jiménez’s late winner.

Of course, Wolves do have still some Premier League quality players, Jiménez being the best known, but he picked up an injury in the Carabao Cup defeat at Everton on Wednesday and will miss this weekend’s game (albeit James Morrison is waiting for the teamsheet before being sure of that). Kieran Trippier is still an excellent defender despite being 35, although he has started only one Championship match this season, while Albion fans are well-acquainted with the man who is likely to start up front in place of the injured Mexican, Adam Armstrong. Perhaps Wolves’ most dangerous player is attacking midfielder Fer López – with four goals and two assists in all competitions this season, he has been their most potent attacking threat. Only Southampton and West Ham United have scored more than Wolves’ 14 goals in the Championship so far this season, and Peixoto’s side have played a game less. They have been very potent but, like Albion until recently, they have struggled to keep them out at the other end – the 1-0 win over Sheffield United was their first clean sheet of the season in the league.

Tripper and the returning Jiménez were two of only five permanent signings that Wolves made in the summer, with the others being forward Rafiki Saïd from Standard Liège, and ‘keepers João Virgínia from Sporting and John Ruddy from Newcastle United. Meanwhile, Welsh midfielder, Jordan James, joined on loan from French club, Rennes. The list of outgoing players is longer, with ten leaving the club permanently including Brazilian, João Gomes, who moved to Aston Villa for a reported £38m. It does seem as if the club is to largely rely on its existing squad to fight for a return to the top flight.

Jiménez’s injury means that he will lose out on the opportunity to become only the second Mexican player to play in the Black Country Derby after Carlos Vela, who scored a late equaliser in the match at the Hawthorns in 2011 when on loan at Albion from Arsenal. Jiménez was still recovering from his serious head injury when the two clubs met in the 2020/21 season and had moved to Fulham before the cup tie in 2024.

The relative starts of the two teams may have altered fans’ perceptions of how this game will go, but the hosts remain firm favourites in my eyes, and in those of the bookies, I might add. Their squad is full of Premier League experience, even if much of it was in a team that was ultimately relegated, and a victory will move them above Albion on goal difference with a game in hand. However, while Baggies’ fans may have considered this fixture with trepidation before the season started, the strong start to the campaign from Mozza’s men, which already includes a victory over one of the relegated sides, has raised hopes if not expectations.

Baggies boss, James Morrison, opted to switch his starting line up around for the visit of QPR last Saturday, not only because of the intense schedule of the previous few weeks, but also with one eye on this fixture. The only three players to have played every minute in the Championship this season are now Max O’Leary, Isaac Price and Callum Styles, and I expect all three to start again on Sunday.

The injury to Nolan Galves and the suspension of Brayann Pereira mean that Styles was employed at right back against Rangers, and it proved a successful switch from an attacking point of view as well as he cut in on his left foot to curl in Albion’s equalising goal. Although Pereira will be available for selection on Sunday, I would be surprised to see him recalled for this highly-charged fixture given what happened at Derby. I’m sure he will learn but, given the success of Styles on the right last weekend, I feel sure the Hungarian international will start there at Molineux. I would also expect Campbell, who received a well-deserved international call up this week, will be returned to the starting line up with Nat Phillips at the heart of the defence.

Further forward, there are a few decisions for Mozza to make. I fully expect Price, Diakité and Morgan to start the match and, given the type of game we expect it to be, Jayson Molumby will want to start, and will do if his head coach trusts him to keep his head. I would then expect it to come down to a choice between Nzingoula and Whitwell on the right, and between Myhre and Heggebø to partner Jimmy-Jay. Whitwell is a local lad and will be desperate to play, but Nzingoula has had a hugely impressive start to his Albion career and his intensity and energy may be better suited to this match. The decision on who to partner Morgan will be an interesting tactical call for Mozza.

None of the current Albion squad has played in a Black Country Derby at Molineux – Conor Townsend is the only player who featured in the last meeting between the sides in the FA Cup at the Hawthorns, and also played in the last league meeting in the Premier League in May 2021 but he was injured for the earlier game that season at Wolves. Very few of them have even played at Molineux, but those that have enjoyed success there – Chris Mepham came on as a sub in Bournemouth’s 1-0 win there in February 2023, Nat Phillips started both of Liverpool’s 1-0 wins in March 2021 in the Premier League and in January 2023 in the FA Cup, while Callum Styles was in the Hungary side that beat England 4-0 at Molineux in June 2022.

For the fans, this is the most eagerly anticipated game of the season so far, and supporters of both teams will be desperate to claim those bragging rights. While James Morrison fully understands the importance of the game for the fans, and will have impressed that on his players, he will also know that it is still only worth three points. Whatever happens, it has been an excellent start to the season for the Baggies, but it would be massive to go into the extended international break with another good result – for me, that is avoiding defeat.

It should be a great game and let’s hope that the only newsworthy incidents happen on the pitch!

History

In the history of the what has become known as the Black Country Derby (even if we all know that Wolverhampton isn’t really in the Black Country), the 1996/97 season proved to be something of a watershed. Wolves completed the League Double over Albion that season, and fans of a certain vintage will remember the disastrous performance of Paul Crichton and Iwan Roberts’ hat trick at the Hawthorns followed by a 2-0 victory for the hosts at Molineux in January. Since that season, Albion have lost only four of twenty-four meetings between the sides, three league games at Molineux and the most recent meeting in the FA Cup at the Hawthorns in January 2024.

Albion have won four of their last five matches at Molineux scoring thirteen goals in the process. The last meeting was during the COVID season without fans in attendance and, despite the Baggies struggling at the bottom of the Premier League, they won 3-2 at Wolves thanks to a brace of penalties from Matheus Pereira and another goal from Semi Ajayi. The previous game in the run was the infamous 5-1 win in February 2012 when Peter Odemwingie wrote himself into Albion folklore with a hat trick, while Jonas Olsson and current Brentford boss, Keith Andrews, also scored for the visitors. Wolves’ only home win over Albion since March 2007 came in the Premier League in May 2011 when a Steven Fletcher double and another from Adlene Guedioura helped the hosts to a 3-1 win – Odemwingie scored for the Baggies from the penalty spot. Zoltán Gera scored the only goal of the game in April 2008 while, in May 2007, it was a Kevin Phillips double and another from Diomansay Kamara that earned Tony Mowbray’s team a 3-2 in the first leg of the play-offs.

The thirteen wins and and seven draws in the last twenty-four matches has seen the Baggies pull out a significant lead in what had been a fairly close head-to-head record between the Black Country rivals. Albion now have 65 wins to Wolves’ 54 in 163 meetings dating back to their first major competition meeting in the FA Cup in January 1886. The 5-1 win in 2012 is, obviously, a memorable match for Baggies fans these days, but it is some way short of Albion’s record win at Molineux – that came in December 1893 when two visiting players, Roddie McLeod and the legendary Billy Bassett, scored hat tricks while Owen Williams and Charlie Perry also found the net in what was a remarkable 8-0 victory for the Throstles. Wolves’ record victory over Albion is somewhat more recent, 7-0 in March 1963 with Stobart (2), Hinton (2) and Wharton (3) the scorers.

Stat Attack

Current Form

All competitions; most recent game on the right

Last matches

Last meeting

28 Jan 2024 – FA Cup 4th RoundWest Bromwich Albion 0Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 (Neto, Cunha)

Last meeting at Wolverhampton Wanderers

16 Jan 2021 – Premier LeagueWolverhampton Wanderers 2 (Silva, Boly)West Bromwich Albion 3 (Pereira (2 pens), Ajayi)

Albion’s Record against Wolverhampton Wanderers