An improved performance from Albion with the usual result as the points-lost-from-winning-positions tally hits 24.
Had Jonny Evans stayed on the pitch, I feel we may well have seen that game out, but his substitution and the slight disorganisation immediately afterwards led to the Bournemouth equaliser.
Obviously, you can ask the question why there was no defender on the bench when we have Ali Gabr, Gareth McAuley and Kane Wilson all in the squad, particularly when Pardew knew that Evans might not make the full 90 given his recent injury. It’s typical of the apparent lack of organisation and foresight that has permeated through the club of late.
By this stage in 2005, the Great Escape was gathering momentum. Game 31 saw Albion record back-to-back wins for the first time that season with a 1-0 win over Everton thanks to a goal from Zoltán Gera, although they wouldn’t win another game until the final day of the season.
After that match the table stood as follows:
| Premier League Relegation Battle – 3rd April 2005 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| 17. | Southampton | 31 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 34 | 48 | -14 | 27 |
| 18. | Crystal Palace | 32 | 6 | 9 | 17 | 36 | 53 | -17 | 27 |
| 19. | West Brom | 31 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 30 | 51 | -21 | 27 |
| 20. | Norwich City | 32 | 3 | 12 | 17 | 33 | 66 | -33 | 21 |
Here are the full season by season comparisons.
| 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 | 31 | 5 | 6 | 20 | 21 | 47 | 21 | 19th | 3 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 21 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 26 | 8 | 19th | 26 |
| 2004/2005 | 31 | 5 | 12 | 14 | 30 | 51 | 27 | 18th | 4 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 21 | 19 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 16 | 30 | 8 | 17th | 34 |
| 2005/2006 | 31 | 7 | 6 | 18 | 28 | 47 | 27 | 17th | 6 | 1 | 9 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 26 | 8 | 19th | 30 |
| 2008/2009 | 31 | 6 | 6 | 19 | 26 | 57 | 24 | 20th | 5 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 30 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 6 | 27 | 6 | 20th | 32 |
| 2010/2011 | 31 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 43 | 57 | 36 | 12th | 6 | 6 | 4 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 31 | 12 | 11th | 47 |
| 2011/2012 | 31 | 10 | 6 | 15 | 36 | 43 | 36 | 14th | 4 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 19 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 10th | 47 |
| 2012/2013 | 31 | 13 | 5 | 13 | 41 | 41 | 44 | 8th | 9 | 2 | 4 | 23 | 14 | 29 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 15 | 8th | 49 |
| 2013/2014 | 31 | 5 | 14 | 12 | 36 | 48 | 29 | 17th | 3 | 8 | 5 | 19 | 22 | 17 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 26 | 12 | 17th | 36 |
| 2014/2015 | 31 | 8 | 9 | 14 | 28 | 43 | 33 | 14th | 6 | 3 | 7 | 19 | 23 | 21 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 20 | 12 | 13th | 44 |
| 2015/2016 | 31 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 30 | 37 | 40 | 11th | 6 | 4 | 6 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 18 | 14th | 43 |
| 2016/2017 | 31 | 12 | 8 | 11 | 39 | 40 | 44 | 8th | 9 | 2 | 4 | 27 | 18 | 29 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 22 | 15 | 10th | 45 |
| 2017/2018 | 31 | 3 | 11 | 17 | 24 | 49 | 20 | 20th | 2 | 7 | 6 | 16 | 24 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 25 | 7 | ||
| Comparison of Equivalent Fixtures^ | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| 2016/2017 | 31 | 9 | 6 | 16 | 33 | 47 | 33 |
| 2016/2017 Results | AFC Bournemouth (A) | L | 0-1 | ||||
| Burnley (H) | W | 4-0 | |||||
Results
| 2002/2003 | 22/03/2003 | Birmingham City (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2004/2005 | 03/04/2005 | Everton (H) | W | 1-0 | Gera |
| 2005/2006 | 27/03/2006 | Tottenham Hotspur (A) | L | 1-2 | Davies |
| 2008/2009 | 04/04/2009 | Stoke City (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2010/2011 | 02/04/2011 | Liverpool (H) | W | 2-1 | Brunt (2 pens) |
| 2011/2012 | 31/03/2012 | Everton (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2012/2013 | 30/03/2013 | West Ham United (A) | L | 1-3 | Dorrans (pen) |
| 2013/2014 | 29/03/2014 | Cardiff City (H) | D | 3-3 | Amalfitano, Dorrans, Thievy |
| 2014/2015 | 04/04/2015 | Queen’s Park Rangers (H) | L | 1-4 | Anichebe |
| 2015/2016 | 02/04/2016 | Sunderland (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2016/2017 | 04/04/2017 | Watford (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2017/2018 | 17/03/2018 | AFC Bournemouth (A) | L | 1-2 | Rodriguez |
Next Matches
| 2002/2003 | 05/04/2003 | Middlesbrough (A) | L | 0-3 | |
| 2004/2005 | 10/04/2005 | Aston Villa (A) | D | 1-1 | Robinson |
| 2005/2006 | 01/04/2006 | Liverpool (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2008/2009 | 11/04/2009 | Portsmouth (A) | D | 2-2 | Greening, Brunt |
| 2010/2011 | 09/04/2011 | Sunderland (A) | W | 3-2 | Odemwingie, Mulumbu, Scharner |
| 2011/2012 | 07/04/2012 | Blackburn Rovers (H) | W | 3-0 | M Olsson (o.g.), Fortuné, Ridgewell |
| 2012/2013 | 06/04/2013 | Arsenal (H) | L | 1-2 | Morrison (pen) |
| 2013/2014 | 05/04/2014 | Norwich City (A) | W | 1-0 | Amalfitano |
| 2014/2015 | 11/04/2015 | Leicester City (H) | L | 2-3 | Fletcher, Gardner |
| 2015/2016 | 09/04/2016 | Manchester City (A) | L | 1-2 | Sessègnon |
| 2016/2017 | 08/04/2017 | Southampton (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2017/2018 | 31/03/2018 | Burnley (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.
