Another defeat was harsh on the Baggies but it means that the wait for a first league victory of the campaign goes on. The only league season in which Albion had a worst start was 1985/86 when Johnny Giles’ side had just one point from their opening eight games.
Like this campaign, game nine in 85/86 was also against Manchester United. Unlike Albion’s next match, that encounter, in September 1985, was at the Hawthorns – Ron Atkinson’s team thumped the Baggies 5-1 in what was the ninth in a run of ten straight victories at the start of that season. Famously, of course, they failed to win the league title ultimately finishing 4th, some twelve points behind champions, Liverpool.
| 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 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 9 | 13th | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 19th | 26 |
| 2004/2005 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 13 | 7 | 15th | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 17th | 34 |
| 2005/2006 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 15 | 5 | 19th | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 19th | 30 |
| 2008/2009 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 10th | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 20th | 32 |
| 2010/2011 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 6th | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 11th | 47 |
| 2011/2012 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 12th | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 10th | 47 |
| 2012/2013 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 14 | 6th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 8th | 49 |
| 2013/2014 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 13th | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 17th | 36 |
| 2014/2015 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 14th | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 13th | 44 |
| 2015/2016 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 17th | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 14th | 43 |
| 2016/2017 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10th | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10th | 45 |
| 2017/2018 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 10th | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 20th | 31 |
| 2020/2021 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 3 | 18th | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 1 | ||
| * Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 2002/2003 | 30/09/2002 | Blackburn Rovers (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2004/2005 | 02/10/2004 | Bolton Wanderers (H) | W | 2-1 | Kanu, Gera |
| 2005/2006 | 01/10/2005 | Blackburn Rovers (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2008/2009 | 18/10/2008 | Manchester United (A) | L | 0-4 | |
| 2010/2011 | 16/10/2010 | Manchester United (A) | D | 2-2 | Evra (o.g.), Tchoyi |
| 2011/2012 | 16/10/2011 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) | W | 2-0 | Brunt, Odemwingie |
| 2012/2013 | 20/10/2012 | Manchester City (H) | L | 1-2 | Long |
| 2013/2014 | 19/10/2013 | Stoke City (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2014/2015 | 20/10/2014 | Manchester United (H) | D | 2-2 | Sessègnon, Berahino |
| 2015/2016 | 03/10/2015 | Crystal Palace (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2016/2017 | 15/10/2016 | Tottenham Hotspur (H) | D | 1-1 | Chadli |
| 2017/2018 | 16/10/2017 | Leicester City (A) | D | 1-1 | Chadli |
| 2020/2021 | 08/11/2020 | Tottenham Hotspur (H) | L | 0-1 |
Next Matches
| 2002/2003 | 05/10/2002 | Newcastle United (A) | L | 1-2 | Bališ |
| 2004/2005 | 16/10/2004 | Norwich City (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2005/2006 | 15/10/2005 | Arsenal (H) | W | 2-1 | Kanu, Carter |
| 2008/2009 | 25/10/2008 | Hull City (H) | L | 0-3 | |
| 2010/2011 | 23/10/2010 | Fulham (H) | W | 2-1 | Mulumbu, Fortuné |
| 2011/2012 | 22/10/2011 | Aston Villa (A) | W | 2-1 | Olsson, Scharner |
| 2012/2013 | 28/10/2012 | Newcastle United (A) | L | 1-2 | Lukaku |
| 2013/2014 | 26/10/2013 | Liverpool (A) | L | 1-4 | Morrison (pen) |
| 2014/2015 | 25/10/2014 | Crystal Palace (H) | D | 2-2 | Anichebe, Berahino (pen) |
| 2015/2016 | 17/10/2015 | Sunderland (H) | W | 1-0 | Berahino |
| 2016/2017 | 22/10/2016 | Liverpool (A) | L | 1-2 | McAuley |
| 2017/2018 | 21/10/2017 | Southampton (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2020/2021 | 21/11/2020 | Manchester United (A) |
