A wonderful goal from Jeremy Sarmiento (he’s magic, you know) was enough to claim all three points in Cardiff and move Albion up to third place in the table, albeit ahead of Wednesday night’s fixtures. It is the first time that the Baggies have occupied a spot in the top three since December 2021.
The result produces a ninth clean sheet in thirteen games, their best run since 2015 and their best in the second tier since the 2001/02 season, a campaign when they recorded 27 clean sheets in 53 games in all competitions.
Their tally of 32 points from 18 games has only been bettered on four occasions in our comparison seasons, and on each of those times, Albion have gone on to win promotion. It was matched in 2001 when Megson’s team also reached the Premier League, and also in 2021 when, of course, they did not. In that campaign, Valérien Ismaël’s team had already peaked whereas the feeling this season is that there is more to come from this Albion side.
Game 19 hasn’t been that kind for the Baggies over the years but they have won it in three of the last four campaigns and haven’t lost it in their last six second tier campaigns despite all of those matches being away from the Hawthorns. The last time Albion were at home in game 19 was in 2000 when a Lee Hughes hat trick earned them all three points over Gillingham.
| 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 | |
| 1988/1989 | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 27 | 19 | 30 | 6th | 5 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 9th | 72 |
| 1989/1990 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 30 | 30 | 21 | 14th | 2 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 20th | 51 |
| 1990/1991 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 24 | 27 | 21 | 17th | 3 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 18 | 9 | 23rd | 48 |
| 1993/1994 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 29 | 31 | 20 | 17th | 5 | 3 | 2 | 23 | 16 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 21st | 51 |
| 1994/1995 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 25 | 18 | 23rd | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 4 | 19th | 58 |
| 1995/1996 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 12th | 5 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 8 | 11th | 60 |
| 1996/1997 | 18 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 27 | 23 | 12th | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 16th | 57 |
| 1997/1998 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 22 | 13 | 37 | 2nd | 7 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 15 | 10th | 61 |
| 1998/1999 | 18 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 36 | 33 | 27 | 10th | 6 | 0 | 4 | 23 | 16 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 17 | 9 | 12th | 59 |
| 1999/2000 | 18 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 18 | 17 | 24 | 13th | 2 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 21st | 49 |
| 2000/2001 | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 21 | 19 | 31 | 8th | 5 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 6th | 74 |
| 2001/2002 | 18 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 22 | 16 | 32 | 2nd | 5 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 2nd | 89 |
| 2003/2004 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 27 | 16 | 36 | 1st | 6 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 16 | 2nd | 86 |
| 2006/2007 | 18 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 31 | 19 | 29 | 6th | 6 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 8 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 4th | 76 |
| 2007/2008 | 18 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 37 | 17 | 34 | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 13 | 13 | 1st | 81 |
| 2009/2010 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 39 | 15 | 37 | 2nd | 6 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 7 | 19 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 8 | 18 | 2nd | 91 |
| 2018/2019 | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 39 | 26 | 31 | 2nd | 6 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 13 | 19 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 4th | 80 |
| 2019/2020 | 18 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 35 | 19 | 39 | 1st | 5 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 14 | 19 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 20 | 2nd | 83 |
| 2021/2022 | 18 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 27 | 16 | 32 | 3rd | 6 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10th | 67 |
| 2022/2023 | 18 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 21 | 24 | 17 | 23rd | 2 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 9th | 66 |
| 2023/2024 | 18 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 29 | 17 | 32 | 3rd | 6 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 7 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 12 | ||
| * Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 1988/1989 | 26/11/1988 | Crystal Palace (H) | W | 5-3 | Goodman (3), Hopkins, Paskin |
| 1989/1990 | 18/11/1989 | Portsmouth (A) | D | 1-1 | McNally (pen) |
| 1990/1991 | 01/12/1990 | West Ham United (A) | L | 1-3 | Ford |
| 1993/1994 | 07/12/1993 | Bolton Wanderers (A) | D | 1-1 | Hunt |
| 1994/1995 | 19/11/1994 | Oldham Athletic (H) | W | 3-1 | Donovan, Ashcroft, Taylor |
| 1995/1996 | 21/11/1995 | Norwich City (H) | L | 1-4 | Hunt |
| 1996/1997 | 16/11/1996 | Southend United (A) | W | 3-2 | Peschisolido, Smith, Hunt |
| 1997/1998 | 23/11/1997 | Birmingham City (H) | W | 1-0 | Sneekes |
| 1998/1999 | 14/11/1998 | Huddersfield Town (H) | W | 3-1 | Hughes (3, 2 pens) |
| 1999/2000 | 23/11/1999 | Stockport County (H) | W | 2-0 | Hughes (2) |
| 2000/2001 | 11/11/2000 | Huddersfield Town (A) | W | 2-0 | Jordão, Hughes |
| 2001/2002 | 07/11/2001 | Birmingham City (A) | W | 1-0 | Johnson |
| 2003/2004 | 22/11/2003 | Reading (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2006/2007 | 18/11/2006 | Burnley (H) | W | 3-0 | Koumas, Ellington, Carter |
| 2007/2008 | 28/11/2007 | Plymouth Argyle (A) | W | 2-1 | Bednár (2) |
| 2009/2010 | 28/11/2009 | Sheffield Wednesday (A) | W | 4-0 | Cox (2), Thomas, Brunt |
| 2018/2019 | 23/11/2018 | Ipswich Town (A) | W | 2-1 | Rodriguez, Barnes |
| 2019/2020 | 27/11/2019 | Bristol City (H) | W | 4-1 | Gibbs, Pereira, Robson-Kanu, Austin |
| 2021/2022 | 20/11/2021 | Huddersfield Town (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2022/2023 | 01/11/2022 | Blackpool (H) | W | 1-0 | Yokuşlu |
| 2023/2024 | 28/11/2023 | Cardiff City (A) | W | 1-0 | Sarmiento |
Next Matches
| 1988/1989 | 03/12/1988 | Portsmouth (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1989/1990 | 25/11/1989 | Leeds United (H) | W | 2-1 | Goodman, Bartlett |
| 1990/1991 | 05/12/1990 | Watford (H) | D | 1-1 | Roberts (pen) |
| 1993/1994 | 11/12/1993 | Southend United (A) | W | 3-0 | Hamilton, Taylor, Hunt |
| 1994/1995 | 26/11/1994 | Notts County (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 1995/1996 | 25/11/1995 | Sunderland (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 1996/1997 | 27/11/1996 | Manchester City (A) | L | 2-3 | Peschisolido, Hamilton |
| 1997/1998 | 29/11/1997 | Middlesbrough (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 1998/1999 | 21/11/1998 | Portsmouth (A) | L | 1-2 | Hughes |
| 1999/2000 | 27/11/1999 | Sheffield United (H) | D | 2-2 | Maresca, Evans |
| 2000/2001 | 18/11/2000 | Gillingham (H) | W | 3-1 | Hughes (3) |
| 2001/2002 | 17/11/2001 | Rotherham United (A) | L | 1-2 | Moore |
| 2003/2004 | 25/11/2003 | Cardiff City (A) | D | 1-1 | Koumas |
| 2006/2007 | 25/11/2006 | Stoke City (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2007/2008 | 01/12/2007 | Crystal Palace (A) | D | 1-1 | Hudson (o.g.) |
| 2009/2010 | 05/12/2009 | Derby County (A) | D | 2-2 | Cox, Dorrans |
| 2018/2019 | 28/11/2018 | Swansea City (A) | W | 2-1 | Dawson, Hegazi |
| 2019/2020 | 02/12/2019 | Preston North End (A) | W | 1-0 | Austin (pen) |
| 2021/2022 | 23/11/2021 | Blackpool (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2022/2023 | 05/11/2022 | Queen’s Park Rangers (A) | W | 1-0 | Bartley |
| 2023/2024 | 02/12/2023 | Leicester City (H) |
