Alan Irvine eyes three-in-a-row for West Bromwich Albion

Alan Irvine West Bromwich Albion manager

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Alan Irvine has called on his West Brom players to build on back-to-back victories by securing a first Premier League home win of the new season against Burnley on Sunday.

The new Baggies chief endured a difficult start to his tenure after replacing Pepe Mel at the Hawthorns in the summer as the side were languishing at the foot of the table with just two points from four games a week ago.

But a 1-0 win at Tottenham was followed by a dramatic late come-from-behind 3-2 win against Hull City in the Capital One Cup at the Hawthorns on Wednesday.

Irvine claims those results have helped lift the spirits in the camp and ease some of the early pressure on his shoulders.

However the former Preston and Sheffield Wednesday boss has urged the players to continue with the same momentum when Sean Dyche’s winless Clarets arrive on Sunday.

He said: “It’s really important that we follow up two good results and good performances with another one.

“We can’t think that it is going to just happen now. We’ve worked extremely hard during the week to get those two wins and we’re going to have to work extremely hard again if we’re going to get another one.”

Irvine fielded an entirely different starting XI for the midweek cup win from the one which won at Spurs last Sunday. And the Scot has not ruled out including some of the players who impressed in the cup at the expense of those who won in north London.

Irvine added: “I certainly don’t have a rule that I don’t change a winning team. I will pick what I think is the best team for any particular game.

“That might be for tactical reasons or reasons I see on the training ground. I have been thinking about this team since I said ‘well done’
to the lads on Wednesday night and I’m not there yet!”

The Baggies are 2.03 to make it three successive wins, while Burnley are 3.63 to secure their first win in six league games and the draw is 3.31.

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