Another comfortable win over a side challenging for the play-offs saw the Baggies move seven points clear at the top of the table, and ten points clear of third place, at least for 24 hours.
The only other Albion side challenging for promotion to the Premier League to have led the table after 35 games was in Tony Mowbray’s first season, and they ended up finishing fourth after picking up just 13 points from their last 11 games.
Slaven Bilić’s team need 23 points from their remaining games to set a new club points record. That seems achievable given Albion’s current form, but Super Slav and the boys are rightly taking it game by game.
Game 36 in the last campaign was Darren Moore’s final match in charge as the Baggies failed to beat struggling Ipswich Town. Another struggling side, Wigan Athletic, are Albion’s opponents in the equivalent fixture this season, but the Baggies are in much better form than they were a year ago.
A word of caution, however, that things can change very quickly. Game 35 last season saw Albion hammered by Leeds United – Bielsa’s team looked unstoppable that day, but ultimately failed to get over the line, albeit their lead over the third placed Sheffield United was a more slender three points at that stage, and the Blades had a game in hand.
The fact remains, however, that nothing is yet secured, although it is looking very good at the moment.
Game by game – eleven to go.
| 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 | |
| 2000/2001 | 35 | 17 | 8 | 10 | 47 | 40 | 59 | 5th | 11 | 4 | 3 | 30 | 18 | 37 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 6th | 74 |
| 2001/2002 | 35 | 19 | 6 | 10 | 43 | 24 | 63 | 3rd | 12 | 2 | 4 | 25 | 7 | 38 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 18 | 17 | 25 | 2nd | 89 |
| 2003/2004 | 35 | 18 | 10 | 7 | 49 | 30 | 64 | 2nd | 10 | 5 | 3 | 27 | 13 | 35 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 17 | 29 | 2nd | 86 |
| 2006/2007 | 35 | 18 | 9 | 8 | 62 | 39 | 63 | 1st | 13 | 3 | 1 | 39 | 14 | 42 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 23 | 25 | 21 | 4th | 76 |
| 2007/2008 | 35 | 18 | 7 | 10 | 71 | 42 | 61 | 4th | 11 | 5 | 2 | 43 | 17 | 38 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 28 | 25 | 23 | 1st | 81 |
| 2009/2010 | 35 | 19 | 9 | 7 | 68 | 38 | 66 | 2nd | 11 | 2 | 4 | 35 | 16 | 35 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 33 | 22 | 31 | 2nd | 91 |
| 2018/2019 | 35 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 67 | 47 | 60 | 4th | 7 | 6 | 4 | 37 | 24 | 27 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 30 | 23 | 33 | 4th | 80 |
| 2019/2020 | 35 | 19 | 12 | 4 | 64 | 36 | 69 | 1st | 8 | 7 | 2 | 36 | 22 | 31 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 28 | 14 | 38 | ||
| * Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 2000/2001 | 03/03/2001 | Blackburn Rovers (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2001/2002 | 23/02/2002 | Portsmouth (H) | W | 5-0 | Roberts (2), Sigurðsson, Dobie, Bališ |
| 2003/2004 | 06/03/2004 | Coventry City (H) | W | 3-0 | Hughes, Hulse, Kinsella |
| 2006/2007 | 24/02/2007 | Leicester City (A) | D | 1-1 | Kamara (pen) |
| 2007/2008 | 04/03/2008 | Sheffield Wednesday (A) | W | 1-0 | Phillips |
| 2009/2010 | 09/03/2010 | Sheffield Wednesday (H) | W | 1-0 | Koren |
| 2018/2019 | 01/03/2019 | Leeds United (A) | L | 0-4 | |
| 2019/2020 | 25/02/2020 | Preston North End (H) | W | 2-0 | Robson-Kanu, Livermore |
Next Matches
| 2000/2001 | 06/03/2001 | Norwich City (A) | W | 1-0 | Hughes (pen) |
| 2001/2002 | 26/02/2002 | Preston North End (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2003/2004 | 13/03/2004 | Crewe Alexandra (A) | W | 2-1 | Johnson, Hughes |
| 2006/2007 | 03/03/2007 | Sunderland (H) | L | 1-2 | Carter |
| 2007/2008 | 12/03/2008 | Crystal Palace (H) | D | 1-1 | Phillips |
| 2009/2010 | 13/03/2010 | Blackpool (H) | W | 3-2 | Miller, Koren, Dorrans (pen) |
| 2018/2019 | 09/03/2019 | Ipswich Town (H) | D | 1-1 | Johansen |
| 2019/2020 | 29/02/2020 | Wigan Athletic (H) |
