At the halfway point of the season, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that there needs to be a significant improvement in results in the second half if Albion are to extend their eight-season stay in the Premier League.
Only in 2004 had the Baggies amassed fewer points after 19 games of a Premier League season – that year, they managed to get a further 24 points, and I’m not sure whether 38 points will be enough this season.
Looking to the next fixture, Albion have only won once on Boxing Day in the Premier League, at QPR five years ago, and only once have they avoided defeat at the Hawthorn, a 0-0 draw with Manchester City the previous year.
The Baggies last home victory on Boxing Day was in 2009 when they beat Peterborough United 2-0 with a goal from Luke Moore and an own goal from Ryan Bennett. Their last top-flight win at the Hawthorns on the day after Christmas was a 2-1 win over Newcastle United in 1984 thanks to goals from Steve Hunt and Garry Thompson.
| 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 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 29 | 16 | 18th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 19 | 4 | 19th | 26 |
| 2004/2005 | 19 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 41 | 10 | 20th | 1 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 22 | 3 | 17th | 34 |
| 2005/2006 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 19 | 28 | 19 | 16th | 5 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 16 | 3 | 19th | 30 |
| 2008/2009 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 14 | 35 | 15 | 20th | 3 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 19 | 4 | 20th | 32 |
| 2010/2011 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 25 | 34 | 22 | 14th | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 21 | 8 | 11th | 47 |
| 2011/2012 | 19 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 19 | 27 | 22 | 12th | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 10th | 47 |
| 2012/2013 | 19 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 28 | 23 | 33 | 6th | 7 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 7 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 8th | 49 |
| 2013/2014 | 19 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 22 | 27 | 18 | 15th | 2 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 15 | 9 | 17th | 36 |
| 2014/2015 | 19 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 17 | 16th | 2 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 16 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 13th | 44 |
| 2015/2016 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 24 | 23 | 13th | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 14th | 43 |
| 2016/2017 | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 8th | 4 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 10th | 45 |
| 2017/2018 | 19 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 27 | 14 | 19th | 1 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 6 | ||
| Comparison of Equivalent Fixtures^ | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| 2016/2017 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 24 | 30 | 25 |
| 2016/2017 Results | Stoke City (A) | D | 1-1 | ||||
| Everton (H) | L | 1-2 | |||||
Results
| 2002/2003 | 21/12/2002 | Sunderland (H) | D | 2-2 | Dichio, Koumas |
| 2004/2005 | 26/12/2004 | Liverpool (H) | L | 0-5 | |
| 2005/2006 | 28/12/2005 | Tottenham Hotspur (H) | W | 2-0 | Kanu (2) |
| 2008/2009 | 26/12/2008 | Chelsea (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2010/2011 | 28/12/2010 | Blackburn Rovers (H) | L | 1-3 | Thomas |
| 2011/2012 | 01/01/2012 | Everton (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2012/2013 | 26/12/2012 | Queen’s Park Rangers (A) | W | 2-1 | Brunt, Green (o.g.) |
| 2013/2014 | 28/12/2013 | West Ham United (A) | D | 3-3 | Anelka (2), Berahino |
| 2014/2015 | 28/12/2014 | Stoke City (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2015/2016 | 28/12/2015 | Newcastle United (H) | W | 1-0 | Fletcher |
| 2016/2017 | 31/12/2016 | Southampton (A) | W | 2-1 | Phillips, Robson-Kanu |
| 2017/2018 | 23/12/2017 | Stoke City (A) | L | 1-3 | Rondón |
Next Matches
| 2002/2003 | 26/12/2002 | Arsenal (H) | L | 1-2 | Dichio |
| 2004/2005 | 28/12/2004 | Manchester City (A) | D | 1-1 | Dunne (o.g.) |
| 2005/2006 | 31/12/2005 | Liverpool (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2008/2009 | 28/12/2008 | Tottenham Hotspur (H) | W | 2-0 | Bednar, Beattie |
| 2010/2011 | 01/01/2011 | Manchester United (H) | L | 1-2 | Morrison |
| 2011/2012 | 03/01/2012 | Tottenham Hotspur (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2012/2013 | 29/12/2012 | Manchester United (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2013/2014 | 01/01/2014 | Newcastle United (H) | W | 1-0 | Berahino (pen) |
| 2014/2015 | 01/01/2015 | West Ham United (A) | D | 1-1 | Berahino |
| 2015/2016 | 02/01/2016 | Stoke City (H) | W | 2-1 | Sessègnon, Evans |
| 2016/2017 | 02/01/2017 | Hull City (H) | W | 3-1 | Brunt, McAuley, Morrison |
| 2017/2018 | 26/12/2017 | Everton (H) |
* Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the Premier League table after all fixtures for that day have been completed.
^ Fixtures against promoted clubs are compared against fixtures against the relegated clubs from last season with the club finishing 1st in the Championship compared against the club finishing 18th in the Premier League, 2nd compared with 19th and the play-off winners compared against the club who finished bottom.
