Peter Odemwingie: We can take derby honours

Peter Odemwingie today kicked off Albion's double-derby countdown by claiming the Baggies can rule the West Midlands this season.

Albion's attentions today turned to a derby double-header with Saturday's trip to Villa followed eight days later by a Hawthorns clash with Wolves.

And Odemwingie, who struck twice as the Baggies beat Newcastle 3-1 at home yesterday, believes they can end the Premier League season as the highest placed of the region's four clubs.

"Yes I do, because we play very good football," said the Nigeria international. "I hear comments from all over Europe and Africa where they are watching the games saying we are playing very good football.

"For me, with any team that plays good football the results will come.

"I've heard from our supporters that they are really waiting for the games against Villa and Wolves. They are going to be hard and every player will look forward to a good performance.

"One supporter said 'if you win us these games, it will be great and make the season for us' so we will try our best for them so they have no cause to complain or criticise us.

"It is not by mistake that we are one of the best teams in the area because of good football and lots of goals."

And Roberto Di Matteo believes Albion will carry a head of steam into the derby double-header after the Baggies climbed to eighth in the Premier League.

"They are going to be tough games with Villa away and Wolves here," said the Baggies head coach.

"With derbies anything can happen. I'm sure there is going to be an electric atmosphere.

"But we can go into those games with a lot of confidence."

Victories over Everton and Newcastle have ended a sequence of one point from five matches, but Di Matteo insisted his side must take the rough with the smooth as they look to establish themselves as a Premier League club.

"From the beginning of the season I think we've been playing good football and producing some good goals," said Di Matteo. "We had a little dip, which happens to bigger clubs than us.

"People tend to forget we are newly-promoted and we don't have a massive squad. When we have a few players missing it's very hard for us to be competitive. We never lost our confidence.

"We stayed positive even when we weren't getting the results. We were still playing well but not getting the rewards for what we were producing at the time."