Albion’s home defeat to Wigan Athletic means that Leeds United are now just one point behind while Fulham in third place are six points adrift of the Baggies.
Roberto di Matteo’s 2010 team also had 69 points after 36 games but were four points behind leaders, Newcastle United, and five points ahead of third placed, Nottingham Forest.
Given that Frank Heaven’s 1902 team only played 34 games, only four previous Albion sides had a better record from 36 games than Slaven Bilić’s team. As well as the obvious candidates from 1978/79, 1953/54 and the title winning side of 1919/20, the 1924/25 team that ultimately finished runners up to Huddersfield Town in the First Division had the equivalent of 70 points from 36 matches and led the table by a point, although the Terriers had a game in hand.
Remarkably, for Albion’s third Championship season in succession, game 37 comes against Swansea City and both last season, and in 2010, the Baggies were victorious. Di Matteo’s team won at the Liberty Stadium thanks to a penalty from Graham Dorrans and another goal from Ishmael Miller.
| 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 | 36 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 48 | 40 | 62 | 5th | 11 | 4 | 3 | 30 | 18 | 37 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 6th | 74 |
| 2001/2002 | 36 | 19 | 6 | 11 | 43 | 25 | 63 | 3rd | 12 | 2 | 4 | 25 | 7 | 38 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 18 | 25 | 2nd | 89 |
| 2003/2004 | 36 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 51 | 31 | 67 | 2nd | 10 | 5 | 3 | 27 | 13 | 35 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 24 | 18 | 32 | 2nd | 86 |
| 2006/2007 | 36 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 63 | 41 | 63 | 3rd | 13 | 3 | 2 | 40 | 16 | 42 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 23 | 25 | 21 | 4th | 76 |
| 2007/2008 | 36 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 72 | 43 | 62 | 4th | 11 | 6 | 2 | 44 | 18 | 39 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 28 | 25 | 23 | 1st | 81 |
| 2009/2010 | 36 | 20 | 9 | 7 | 71 | 40 | 69 | 2nd | 12 | 2 | 4 | 38 | 18 | 38 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 33 | 22 | 31 | 2nd | 91 |
| 2018/2019 | 36 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 68 | 48 | 61 | 4th | 7 | 7 | 4 | 38 | 25 | 28 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 30 | 23 | 33 | 4th | 80 |
| 2019/2020 | 36 | 19 | 12 | 5 | 64 | 37 | 69 | 1st | 8 | 7 | 3 | 36 | 23 | 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 | 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) | L | 0-1 |
Next Matches
| 2000/2001 | 10/03/2001 | Sheffield Wednesday (H) | L | 1-2 | Hughes |
| 2001/2002 | 02/03/2002 | Wimbledon (A) | W | 1-0 | Dichio |
| 2003/2004 | 16/03/2004 | Wigan Athletic (H) | W | 2-1 | Hughes (pen), Gaardsøe |
| 2006/2007 | 11/03/2007 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2007/2008 | 15/03/2008 | Leicester City (H) | L | 1-4 | Koren |
| 2009/2010 | 16/03/2010 | Swansea City (A) | W | 2-0 | Dorrans (pen), Miller |
| 2018/2019 | 13/03/2019 | Swansea City (H) | W | 3-0 | Brunt, Holgate, Rodriguez |
| 2019/2020 | 07/03/2020 | Swansea City (A) |
