When the season started many so called experts were predicting West Brom and Blackpool would be taking up 19th and 20th in the Premier League come the end of the season. However, both sides have proven the pundits wrong and given themselves real hope of staying in the top flight. We examine which side has the best chance of beating the drop after Saturday’s meeting between the two.

- Blackpool

Who’d have thought that at the midway point in the Premier League Blackpool (10/3 to be relegated) would be looking good to secure a top ten finish. The Seasiders were a stupidly short price to go straight back to the Championship before a ball was kicked this season and perhaps with good reason given their build-up to the campaign. Before the arrival of a boatload of new players the Seasiders couldn’t beg, borrow or steal someone to add to their squad.

However, as it turns out, other than DJ Campbell, Ian Holloway had the players he would need already at the club. The likes of Charlie Adam, David Vaughan and Ian Evatt have made the step up to the Premier League with consummate ease. Holloway’s not found himself out of his depth either and his attacking brand of football, while high risk, has been a unanimous success. Who would have thought that Blackpool would do the double over Liverpool or win away at places like Stoke, Sunderland and Newcastle.

While fans at Bloomfield Road have got a little carried away, with talk of Europe emanating from some quarters, they will start to believe that another season in the Premier League is possible. The bookies have also got behind the Tangerines to beat the drop, with Totesport pricing them at 1/5 to avoid a return to the Championship.

Comparisons between West Brom and Blackpool are easy to make, their attractive styles of play are easy on the eye and neither know how to play defensively. However, while Blackpool have had ten different goalscorers this season the Baggies have become increasingly reliant on top scorer Peter Odemwingie. That was in evidence in Saturday’s 3-2 win for the Baggies over Blackpool, the Nigeria international grabbing a brace to secure their first win in six league matches.

However, nothing seems to get Blackpool down and due to the wintery weather which engulfed Bloomfield Road they have as many as two games in hand on some of their fellow strugglers. The Seasiders have the advantage at the moment but with 17 games still to come there is still hope for everyone down at the bottom, a point which brings us nicely on to West Brom.

- West Brom

West Brom (3/1 to be relegated) have been the epitome of a yo-yo side in the last decade. Four times they have been promoted to the Premier League and on two of those occasions they have gone straight back down. The other season saw them pull off the great escape, in no small part thanks to Kevin Campbell (remember him?) and Kieran Richardson. However, their joy only lasted a season and they were unceremoniously sent back down to the Championship the following year.

No matter what they have tried they haven’t managed to establish themselves in the top flight and this season could be no different. The Baggies have arguably achieved as many impressive results as Blackpool this season, the highlight of which was a 3-2 win at Arsenal. However, while Blackpool have managed to maintain their positive start to the season things have gone rapidly downhill for the Baggies.

While Saturday’s win over Blackpool will have lifted some of the gloom at the Hawthorns the coming months will easily be the biggest challenge of Roberto Di Matteo’s short managerial career. West Brom’s cause hasn’t been helped by owner Jeremy Peace deciding to keep a firm grasp on his money belt rather than back Di Matteo this month.

The transfer window could be the deciding factor as to who avoids the drop out of these two sides. While Blackpool have taken the scatter gun approach to the market and should bring in at least two players the arrivals door at the Hawthorns is likely to be gathering dust.

While there are plenty of other clubs who have just as many problems as West Brom the Baggies are starting to slightly resemble a sinking ship. You can never say never but if you had to answer to question of who is the more likely to stay up you’d have to say the Premier League is more likely to be enjoying a day at the seaside rather than in the Black Country this time next year.

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