[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

On our biggest winning streak for three years, and with five points separating us from both relegation zone and playoffs, Albion go into this Christmas happier than we've been for a long time. Already there's talk of momentum taking us all the way up, and it's certainly happened to teams in this division before. But if that's our aim, then the four festive matches coming up will be a crucial test: January could find us on hard on the heels of the promotion chase, or floundering near the bottom again.

Wednesday night's trip to Coventry gets us underway, and with three wins from our last four on the road - equalling the total we managed from the twenty-four away games preceding them - plus an unbeaten record at the Sky Blues going back to Christmas 2003, we could hardly be in more imperious form. Coventry have scored just six league goals against Albion in the 21st century across twelve encounters, and have also failed to score in seven of the last nine; a rather blunt record that seems to be continuing so far this campaign. Indeed, on Saturday they must have thought Christmas had come early as they put three away for the first time all season, only for Swansea to hit their own triple-whammy at the death and claim a point. They're likely to be reeling from that, and Albion can take advantage.

Our first Boxing Day fixture of this decade then takes us to Ashton Gate, with Bristol City currently two points beneath us. Since beating us in October they've managed just one win in seven, which should really be a lesson to them, but there's no guarantee they won't get bright ideas again. Nahki Wells is the ever-present goal threat, but with clean sheets in short supply, another opportunity will be wide open to Albion on the Avon.

The toughest challenge of the festive period will come three days later when Preston visit the Hawthorns, and we can measure ourselves against a team firmly in the playoff race, before Reading arrive as our first opponents of 2023 on the New Year bank holiday. Whether you make it to the games or not, I hope everyone has a happy and safe Christmas, and that the new year will treat us well.

Christmas & New Year Fixtures

Coventry (A), Wed 21/12 - 19:45
Bristol City (A), Mon 26/12 - 15:00
Preston (H), Thu 29/12 - 20:00
Reading (H), Mon 02/01 - 15:00