A heavy defeat at home to Crystal Palace sees the Baggies drop to 19th place on goal difference, which is the lowest position they have ever occupied after 11 games of a Premier League season. It is Albion’s worst home defeat for more than decade since they lost 5-0 to Manchester United in January 2009.
After spending the early months of last season comparing Bilić’s team against the best ever starts for an Albion side, it is the poorest starts that I’m having to research this season.
1985/86 remains the worst when game 11 was Nobby Stiles’ first league match in charge following the dismissal of John Giles – the Baggies drew 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur at the Hawthorns thanks to a goal from Carl Valentine cancelling out a Chris Waddle opener to earn just their second point of the season.
The next worst was 1895/96 when a 3-2 home defeat by Bolton Wanderers meant that Albion had just one win and two draws from their opening 11 games.
This campaign completes the top three in the list of poorest starts to an Albion season.
In terms of Premier League campaigns, this season’s team have fewer points, scored the joint fewest goals and conceded the most goals.
| Home | Away | Season End | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Posn* | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Posn | Pts | |
| 2002/2003 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 18 | 10 | 18th | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 19th | 26 |
| 2004/2005 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 8 | 17th | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 17th | 34 |
| 2005/2006 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 21 | 8 | 17th | 2 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 19th | 30 |
| 2008/2009 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 18 | 11 | 17th | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 20th | 32 |
| 2010/2011 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 19 | 15 | 10th | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 13 | 4 | 11th | 47 |
| 2011/2012 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 16 | 11 | 13th | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 10th | 47 |
| 2012/2013 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 12 | 20 | 5th | 5 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 8th | 49 |
| 2013/2014 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 9th | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 17th | 36 |
| 2014/2015 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13th | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 13th | 44 |
| 2015/2016 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 10th | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 14th | 43 |
| 2016/2017 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 11th | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10th | 45 |
| 2017/2018 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 10 | 15th | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 20th | 31 |
| 2020/2021 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 23 | 6 | 19th | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 1 | ||
| * Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 2002/2003 | 26/10/2002 | Chelsea (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2004/2005 | 30/10/2004 | Chelsea (H) | L | 1-4 | Gera |
| 2005/2006 | 30/10/2005 | Newcastle United (H) | L | 0-3 | |
| 2008/2009 | 01/11/2008 | Blackburn Rovers (H) | D | 2-2 | Bednár, Miller |
| 2010/2011 | 07/11/2010 | Manchester City (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2011/2012 | 05/11/2011 | Arsenal (A) | L | 0-3 | |
| 2012/2013 | 10/11/2012 | Wigan Athletic (A) | W | 2-1 | Morrison, Caldwell (o.g.) |
| 2013/2014 | 09/11/2013 | Chelsea (A) | D | 2-2 | Long, Sessègnon |
| 2014/2015 | 09/11/2014 | Newcastle United (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2015/2016 | 31/10/2015 | Leicester City (H) | L | 2-3 | Rondón, Lambert (pen) |
| 2016/2017 | 06/11/2016 | Leicester City (A) | W | 2-1 | Morrison, Phillips |
| 2017/2018 | 04/11/2017 | Huddersfield Town (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2020/2021 | 06/12/2020 | Crystal Palace (H) | L | 1-5 | Gallagher |
Next Matches
| 2002/2003 | 02/11/2002 | Manchester City (H) | L | 1-2 | Clement |
| 2004/2005 | 06/11/2004 | Southampton (A) | D | 2-2 | Earnshaw (2) |
| 2005/2006 | 05/11/2005 | West Ham United (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2008/2009 | 08/11/2008 | Liverpool (A) | L | 0-3 | |
| 2010/2011 | 10/11/2010 | West Ham United (A) | D | 2-2 | Odemwingie (pen), Ibanez |
| 2011/2012 | 19/11/2011 | Bolton Wanderers (H) | W | 2-1 | Thomas, Long |
| 2012/2013 | 17/11/2012 | Chelsea (H) | W | 2-1 | Long, Odemwingie |
| 2013/2014 | 25/11/2013 | Aston Villa (H) | D | 2-2 | Long (2) |
| 2014/2015 | 22/11/2014 | Chelsea (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2015/2016 | 07/11/2015 | Manchester United (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2016/2017 | 21/11/2016 | Burnley (H) | W | 4-0 | Phillips, Morrison, Fletcher, Rondón |
| 2017/2018 | 18/11/2017 | Chelsea (H) | L | 0-4 | |
| 2020/2021 | 12/12/2020 | Newcastle United (A) |
If you can’t see the tables, click here.
