Barclays Premier League

FT: WEST BROM 2 NORWICH 1

West Brom come from a goal down to end a ten-match Norwich unbeaten run that stretched back to the start of October. The Canaries started well and took the lead on 23 minutes with a direct free-kick from Robert Snodgrass that the returning Ben Foster will feel he should have pawed away from the top corner. The Baggies had not found the net for nearly six hours, but they drew level just before the interval, Zoltan Gera netting from close range after Mark Bunn had turned Jonas Olsson's initial header on to the crossbar. West Brom went for it in the second half, playing three up front in addition to Peter Odemwingie and their bold approach paid dividends nine minutes from time when the on-loan Romelu Lukaku headed home from Goran Popov's cross. Norwich offered little going forward after their opening goal and badly missed Grant Holt, who failed a fitness test on a hamstring injury before the match.

JOHNSON HEADS WIDE

Bradley Johnson heads wide from a Snodgrass free-kick. It's the last action of the match. That's the final whistle.

STOPPAGE TIME

There will be four minutes of added time.

JACKSON HEADS WIDE

Pilkington delivers a cross from the left, but Jackson heads well wide of the target.

NORWICH SUBSTITUTION

And there's the final Canaries change. Simeon Jackson replaces Alex Tettey.

WEST BROM SUBSTITUTION

West Brom make their final switch. It's Gabriel Tamas for Lukaku.

MARTIN HEADS WIDE

Snodgrass delivers a cross to the near post and Martin flicks a header wide.

GOAL DETAILS

The on-loan striker found himself with Garrido at the back post and outjumped his marker to head Popov's cross past Bunn.

GOAL: WEST BROM 2 NORWICH 1

Lukaku puts West Brom in front with a header.

WELL DRILLED IN DEFENCE

You have to give Norwich a whole lot of credit for how they have improved as a defensive force. Earlier this season they could well have caved in here under this pressure.

BASSONG AT TOP OF HIS GAME

Long and Lukaku combine well, but the excellent Bassong stretches to clear the cross. Norwich are hanging on a little here.

NOT HIS FAVOURITE OPPONENTS

Perhaps the Canaries should aim their crosses for West Brom's Gareth McAuley instead of their own striker Morison. The defender has netted three own goals for Norwich during his career.

NORWICH SUBSTITUTION

Norwich replace Wes Hoolahan with Jonny Howson.

DISAPPOINTING FROM ODEMWINGIE

West Brom win a free-kick just outside the area. Odemwingie lines up a shot but crashes it into the wall.

GOOD WORK FROM MARTIN

Odemwingie delivers a wicked low cross from the right and Martin makes an important clearance with strikers queuing up behind him.

RED HOT COLE

Good news for Norwich. West Ham's Carlton Cole has been sent off for serious foul play at home to Everton, which means he will be banned for the upcoming game against the Canaries.

STEER WAITS IN THE WINGS

Bunn looks to have suffered an injury to his calf. Jed Steer is getting warmed up just in case.

BUNN IN THE WARS

Bunn stays down for a while after getting clattered coming to claim a cross. This is a worry with John Ruddy out long term.

WEST BROM SUBSTITUTION

West Brom make another change, Shane Long replacing Gera, the goalscorer. Long has six goals in seven games against Norwich during his career.

SHOT FROM ODEMWINGIE

Odemwingie tries a low drive, but Bunn makes a comfortable save at his near post.

NORWICH BOOKING

Turner is shown the yellow card after hacking down Odemwingie some 30 yards from goal. That stemmed from a rare mistake by Tettey, who gave the ball away. McAuley heads wide from the free-kick.

NORWICH SUBSTITUTION

Steven Whittaker has been limping heavily and he makes way for Russell Martin.

WIDE FROM TURNER

Snodgrass collects a pass from Tettey and aims a cross for Turner. The big defender heads disappointingly wide.

McAULEY TO THE RESCUE

Tettey sends Morison away, but the striker is denied by an excellent last-ditch tackle from McAuley.

MORISON GROWING IN CONFIDENCE

Snodgrass stands up an inviting cross for Morison, who heads down into the danger area. Unusually for Norwich, they have no runners from midfield and what would have been a good chance goes begging.

GOING FOR THE WIN

Zoltan Gera has dropped back into midfield for the Baggies, who have Lukaku, Odemwingie and Fortune up front. The home side are obviously going for the win here.

GOALS IN SHORT SUPPLY

There were as many goals in the first half at The Hawthorns as in the first half of the five other 3pm Premier League kick-offs combined.

HERWE WE GO AGAIN

West Brom get the second half under way. Marc-Antoine Fortune has replaced Graeme Dorrans at the break.

HT: WEST BROM 1 NORWICH 1

It's all square at the break. Norwich took the lead thanks to a free-kick from Robert Snodgrass midway through the half. The Scot curled an excellent effort over the wall, but goalkeeper Ben Foster will feel he could and maybe should have kept out the strike. The Baggies were on the verge of extending their scoreless run to six hours, but finally found the target just before the interval. Their leveller came from a corner, Jonas Olsson seeing his effort tipped on to the bar by Mark Bunn and Zoltan Gera netting the equaliser from close range.

GOAL: WEST BROM 1 NORWICH 1

Zoltan Gera levels for the Baggies. Bunn turned an initial effort by Olsson on to the bar, but the Hungarian was there to net the rebound.

MORISON WORKING HARD

Morison gets past his man and wins the visitors their first corner of the match. Bassong makes a late run to get on the end of a Pilkington delivery, but the whistle had already been blown for an infringement by Turner.

SOLID AT THE BACK

Norwich are playing with all the confidence of a team on a ten-game unbeaten run. Most importantly, a side that leaks goals away from home have looked watertight so far.

CANARIES FLYING HIGH

With Everton currently losing at West Ham, Norwich are sitting sixth in the Premier League at the moment. Incredible.

POPOV SHOOTS OVER

Morrison exchanges passes and tries a shot that is blocked. The ball finds its way out to Popov, who drives a powerful effort over the crossbar.

GOALS IN SHORT SUPPLY

West Brom could do with a goal here. Half an hour into this match it's now 345 minutes since they last found the target.

OFF THE LINE

West Brom threaten from a corner. Gareth McAuley heads goalwards and a combination of Bunn's legs and a defender block the effort near the line.

FOSTER NOT HAPPY

That free-kick was certainly sweetly struck by Snodgrass, but Ben Foster did get both hands to it and looks disappointed by his efforts to keep it out.

GOAL: WEST BROM 0 NORWICH 1

Snodgrass is shoved in the back by Odemwingie, giving Norwich a shooting opportunity from 25 yards. The Scot lines up the set-piece and curls it into the top corner. Cracking strike!

GOOD SAVE FROM BUNN

West Brom get behind the Norwich defence. Morrison finds Lukaku, whose low shot forces Bunn into a good save to his right.

JOHNSON SHOOTS OVER

Johnson collects the ball 20 yards out and tries his luck. His effort sails over the crossbar.

CHANCES IN SHORT SUPPLY

Pilkington gets the better of Jones, but Olsson is there first to clear the danger. This has all the looks of turning into a defensive battle. Guaranteed to bring us a goal, that throwaway remark. Hopefully.

MORE QUALITY NEEDED

It's not much of a match so far. Both teams are enjoying spells of possession, but the final ball from both has been dreadfully disappointing.

SNODGRASS MUST DO BETTER

Snodgrass is getting some joy out on the right for Norwich, but on this occasion he cuts inside and delivers a disappointing cross with his left peg straight into Foster's arms. Steve Morison really needs good service today if he's going to have an impact.

POPOV THE ALBION MAN

West Brom fans have a song they sing about Goran Popov, the Macedonian. To the tune of Popeye, it goes: “Popov the Albion man, he lives in a caravan, he looks like a killer and he hates the Villa, he's Popov the Albion man.” Seriously, would I make that one up?

BETTER FROM FOSTER

Norwich have made an impressive start and Snodgrass shoots straight at Foster.

FOSTER A RELIEVED MAN

Ben Foster makes a hash of a cross from Snodgrass, but the referee very kindly awards him a free-kick after Morison makes contact.

LUKAKU HEADS WIDE

West Brom threaten early. Popov takes one touch and delivers a cross, Lukaku gets in front of his man and heads wide of the post.

FAMILY TIME FOR HOLT

For you Twitter fans, the injured Grant Holt has told us he is on his way to Cumbria to spend Christmas with family. twitter.com/Grantholt31

HERE WE GO

Norwich kick off at The Hawthorns.

TODAY'S TEAMS

West Brom: Foster, Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Popov, Morrison, Brunt, Odemwingie, Gera, Dorrans, Lukaku. Subs: Myhill, Ridgewell, Rosenberg, Long, Jara Reyes, Tamas, Fortune. Norwich: Bunn, Whittaker, Bassong, Turner, Garrido, Snodgrass, Tettey, Hoolahan, Johnson, Pilkington, Morison. Subs: Steer, Martin, Howson, Jackson, Elliott Bennett, Barnett, Kane. Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)

TEAM NEWS

Ben Foster returns in goal for West Brom in place of Boaz Myhill after seven games out with a groin problem. Romelu Lukaku replaces Shane Long up front and Graham Dorrans comes in for the suspended Youssouf Mulumbu. Norwich make one change, but it's a big one. Striker Grant Holt is out with a hamstring injury and his place goes to Steve Morison.

PREVIEW

So has the West Brom bubble burst, or is this run of poor results just a temporary blip? Much more should be revealed after today's visit of Norwich City. Even when they reached the lofty heights of third spot, no-one expected that the Baggies would occupy the Champions League places for long, and so it has proved, with a four-game winless skid seeing them slip down the table. Norwich's fortunes have gone in totally the opposite direction. Everyone expected them to struggle after the departure of Paul Lambert, but after early stumbles they have really found their feet under Chris Hughton, who in recent weeks has discovered the winning formula and his strongest line-up. All that, though, could change today if talismanic striker Grant Holt is ruled out with a hamstring injury. The frontman may not be the most prolific in front of goal, but his skill in holding up the ball is crucial to the Norwich way of playing and his absence today would make the Baggies firm favourites. The Canaries won 4-3 in their last away game and even though West Brom's last home game finished goalless, expect the goalkeepers to be busy today. Today's game kicks off at 1500GMT, so join us around 30 minutes beforehand when we should have the confirmed team news, which will be followed by a match commentary.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Shane Long has contributed much in attack for West Brom this season, not only with his team-high five goals, but with his selfless approach play that brings others into the game. Long's five goals have come in 1,057 minutes on the field, while Romelu Lukaku has netted the same number despite playing just 585 minutes and could be a danger off the bench. So much of Norwich's play revolves around Grant Holt, but if the captain is ruled out, the set-pieces of Robert Snodgrass could be key. The Scot is rather one-paced (though would likely beat Gareth Barry in a sprint, if that terminology can be used without attracting a law suit from Usain Bolt's legal team) yet he has an eye for an opening and has three goals and three assists to his name. Midfielder Anthony Pilkington has been impressive in recent matches, with three goals in six games, though has yet to find the net away from home this season. Now would be a good time to start.

HEAD TO HEAD

West Brom just have the edge in head-to-head league meetings with 17 wins to 16 by Norwich and 13 games being drawn. At The Hawthorns, the Baggies have 11 wins to six by Norwich, with a further six meetings ending up all square. The corresponding match last season took place on Jan. 14 and resulted in a 2-1 win for Norwich, whose goals came from Andrew Surman (43 mins) and Steve Morison (79), Shane Long replying from the penalty spot for West Brom. Norwich repeated the feat by an identical 2-1 scoreline just two weeks later in the FA Cup fourth round, Grant Holt and Simeon Jackson getting their goals. West Brom had won the earlier league meeting at Carrow Road 1-0 on Sep. 11, with an early Peter Odemwingie strike proving enough.

FORM GUIDE

West Brom lie in seventh place ahead of this weekend's games, with 27 points from 17 matches, two points more than Norwich, who sit directly below them. West Brom have picked up just one point from their last four games, a goalless home draw with West Ham, but only Manchester United have picked up more points at home since the start of the season. Norwich, by contrast, are unbeaten in ten and are second in the form table behind United over the last six matches, winning their last three against Sunderland, Swansea and Wigan. However, they have won just one of nine away from home (a 4-3 triumph at Swansea in their last away game) and only Fulham and Southampton have conceded more than their 17 goals on the road.

EARLY TEAM NEWS

West Brom will be without suspended midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu, who collected his fifth caution of the season against West Ham and serves a one-game ban. Claudio Yacob is again doubtful with a hamstring problem, but Ben Foster has been back in training following groin surgery and could make his return. Norwich striker Grant Holt is doubtful with a hamstring injury, though on-loan Tottenham forward Harry Kane may earn a place on the bench after two months out with a broken metatarsal. Ryan Bennett (knee) is not far from returning to training, Andrew Surman (knee) and John Ruddy (thigh) are still out.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

Taking charge of today's game is Martin Atkinson, who has been a member of the Premier League's elite group of referees since 2005 and who became a FIFA referee a year later. The West Yorkshire-based official showed nine red cards last season, by far the most of any Premier League referee. Four of those dismissals came in his first seven Premier League games, though Atkinson has made a slow start this time around with Newcastle's Cheick Tiote at Sunderland his only sending off to date in 14 Premier League outings. His assistants today are Stuart Burt and Mark Scholes, while Geoff Eltringham is the fourth official.