The Black Country derby between Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion is back as a league fixture for the first time in over five years. This Sunday's game will also be the first time a Molineux crowd has witnessed the rivalry since 2012.
The fixture, which dates back to the first season of the Football League in December 1888, holds significant historical weight. Albion boss James Morrison has even brought in a club historian to inform his players about the fixture's 138-year history, which currently sees Albion with 55 league wins compared to Wolves' 52.
Recent encounters have seen Albion hold an advantage, winning 10 of the 18 league and cup derbies since the new Millennium, while Wolves have secured four victories. However, Wolves did win the most recent meeting, a 2-0 FA Cup fourth-round match at The Hawthorns in January 2024.
Pre-match mind games have already begun, with Morrison hinting he might still expect to see Wolves striker Raul Jimenez play, despite Wolves boss Cesar Peixoto ruling him out with a knee injury. Peixoto, who is experiencing the derby for the first time as a head coach, has urged his players to "play with passion but also with your head."