I pointed out in my preview to the Sunderland game last month that home wins over the Black Cats, Stoke and Bournemouth and draws at Middlesbrough and West Ham would see the Baggies reach 40 points by the end of February, and that is exactly what they have done.
Saturday’s result was the Baggies’ first Premier League win over Bournemouth and was thanks in large part to two fantastic saves from Ben Foster in the closing stages.
This season’s Baggies are three points better off than Steve Clarke’s team of 2012/13 at the same stage, with both sides having scored 36 goals in 26 games, with the 2017 version having conceded three fewer.
Game 27 this season brings Albion up against the same opponents from the same game last season, Crystal Palace. That finished up 3-2 to the Baggies although it doesn’t really tell the whole story as the hosts were 3-0 in just over half an hour. Albion haven’t lost game 27 since 2009, which was also the last season in which the Baggies’ 27th fixture was not at the Hawthorns.
| 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 | 26 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 20 | 38 | 21 | 18th | 3 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 21 | 8 | 19th | 26 |
| 2004/2005 | 26 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 23 | 49 | 17 | 20th | 2 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 21 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 28 | 5 | 17th | 34 |
| 2005/2006 | 26 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 24 | 38 | 26 | 17th | 6 | 1 | 6 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 7 | 19th | 30 |
| 2008/2009 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 24 | 49 | 22 | 20th | 5 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 25 | 5 | 20th | 32 |
| 2010/2011 | 26 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 34 | 51 | 27 | 17th | 5 | 4 | 4 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 13 | 29 | 8 | 11th | 47 |
| 2011/2012 | 26 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 33 | 35 | 32 | 12th | 3 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 10th | 47 |
| 2012/2013 | 26 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 36 | 35 | 37 | 8th | 7 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 12 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 23 | 14 | 8th | 49 |
| 2013/2014 | 26 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 30 | 38 | 24 | 17th | 3 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 23 | 9 | 17th | 36 |
| 2014/2015 | 26 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 24 | 34 | 27 | 14th | 4 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 13th | 44 |
| 2015/2016 | 26 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 24 | 32 | 32 | 14th | 4 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 14th | 43 |
| 2016/2017 | 26 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 36 | 32 | 40 | 8th | 8 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 15 | 26 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 14 | ||
| Comparison of Equivalent Fixtures^ | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| 2015/2016 | 26 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 22 | 32 | 31 |
| 2015/2016 Results | AFC Bournemouth (H) | L | 1-2 | ||||
| Crystal Palace (H) | W | 3-2 | |||||
Results
| 2002/2003 | 08/02/2003 | Bolton Wanderers (H) | D | 1-1 | Johnson |
| 2004/2005 | 05/02/2005 | Norwich City (A) | L | 2-3 | Earnshaw, Richardson |
| 2005/2006 | 11/02/2006 | Fulham (A) | L | 1-6 | Campbell |
| 2008/2009 | 22/02/2009 | Fulham (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2010/2011 | 12/02/2011 | West Ham United (H) | D | 3-3 | Dorrans, Thomas, Reid (o.g.) |
| 2011/2012 | 25/02/2012 | Sunderland (H) | W | 4-0 | Odemwingie (2), Morrison, Andrews |
| 2012/2013 | 11/02/2013 | Liverpool (A) | W | 2-0 | McAuley, Lukaku |
| 2013/2014 | 11/02/2014 | Chelsea (H) | D | 1-1 | Anichebe |
| 2014/2015 | 21/02/2015 | Sunderland (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2015/2016 | 13/02/2016 | Everton (A) | W | 1-0 | Rondón |
| 2016/2017 | 25/02/2017 | AFC Bournemouth (H) | W | 2-1 | Dawson, McAuley |
Next Matches
| 2002/2003 | 19/02/2003 | Fulham (A) | L | 0-3 | |
| 2004/2005 | 22/02/2005 | Southampton (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2005/2006 | 26/02/2006 | Middlesbrough (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2008/2009 | 28/02/2009 | Everton (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2010/2011 | 20/02/2011 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) | D | 1-1 | Vela |
| 2011/2012 | 03/03/2012 | Chelsea (H) | W | 1-0 | McAuley |
| 2012/2013 | 23/02/2013 | Sunderland (H) | W | 2-1 | Lukaku (2, 1 pen) |
| 2013/2014 | 22/02/2014 | Fulham (H) | D | 1-1 | Vydra |
| 2014/2015 | 28/02/2015 | Southampton (H) | W | 1-0 | Berahino |
| 2015/2016 | 27/02/2016 | Crystal Palace (H) | W | 3-2 | Gardner, Dawson, Berahino |
| 2016/2017 | 04/03/2017 | Crystal Palace (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.
