A victory over Norwich City keeps the Baggies in fifth place in the Championship but now three points clear of the team in sixth, Sunderland, who replaced Hull City in the top six after beating them at the KC Stadium. Defeat for Leeds United means that Albion could move to within three points of Daniel Farke’s team should they win Friday evening’s encounter.
The three points means that this season’s team are now two points better off than Mowbray’s 2006/07 side at the same stags, a side that finished comfortably in the play-offs, and a full seven points ahead of last season. No Albion side in our comparison seasons has been in 5th place after 24 games – the Baggies have been placed 3rd twice, 4th on three occasions and top of the table on four occasions. On all but one of those occasions when Albion have led the pack at this stage, they have been promoted at the end of the season – the outlier is back in the 1988/89 season when Brian Talbot’s team moved to the top of the table after 24 games with a 4-0 victory over Shrewsbury Town on 2nd January, only for an injury to Don Goodman and a subsequent loss of form resulting in the Baggies dropping out of the promotion picture.
Friday’s game 25 falls on 29th December for the fifth time in our comparison seasons and the fourth time in the last five campaigns. Two of the previous four instances have resulting in home wins, 2-0 over Preston North End last season and, back in 2007, a Kevin Phillips brace along with goals from Robert Koren, Zoltán Gera and Craig Beattie saw Tony Mowbray’s team demolish Scunthorpe United 5-0 to move three points clear at the top of the table.
| 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 | 24 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 43 | 21 | 44 | 1st | 8 | 2 | 2 | 26 | 9 | 26 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 17 | 12 | 18 | 9th | 72 |
| 1989/1990 | 24 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 38 | 42 | 26 | 19th | 3 | 4 | 4 | 21 | 21 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 21 | 13 | 20th | 51 |
| 1990/1991 | 24 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 29 | 33 | 27 | 16th | 4 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 15 | 22 | 9 | 23rd | 48 |
| 1993/1994 | 24 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 35 | 38 | 25 | 20th | 5 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 19 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 19 | 5 | 21st | 51 |
| 1994/1995 | 24 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 27 | 18th | 7 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 23 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 24 | 4 | 19th | 58 |
| 1995/1996 | 24 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 28 | 41 | 24 | 19th | 5 | 1 | 6 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 25 | 8 | 11th | 60 |
| 1996/1997 | 24 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 38 | 39 | 30 | 16th | 2 | 6 | 4 | 19 | 20 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16th | 57 |
| 1997/1998 | 24 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 26 | 23 | 40 | 6th | 8 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 8 | 25 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 10th | 61 |
| 1998/1999 | 24 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 43 | 40 | 34 | 10th | 7 | 0 | 5 | 25 | 18 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 22 | 13 | 12th | 59 |
| 1999/2000 | 24 | 5 | 11 | 8 | 23 | 29 | 26 | 17th | 2 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 13 | 21st | 49 |
| 2000/2001 | 24 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 35 | 27 | 44 | 4th | 8 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 14 | 26 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 18 | 6th | 74 |
| 2001/2002 | 24 | 13 | 3 | 8 | 27 | 20 | 42 | 4th | 7 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 6 | 22 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 14 | 20 | 2nd | 89 |
| 2003/2004 | 24 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 35 | 21 | 45 | 1st | 6 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 9 | 22 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 12 | 23 | 2nd | 86 |
| 2006/2007 | 24 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 41 | 26 | 37 | 7th | 8 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 8 | 26 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 18 | 11 | 4th | 76 |
| 2007/2008 | 24 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 51 | 29 | 44 | 1st | 8 | 3 | 1 | 29 | 11 | 27 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 1st | 81 |
| 2009/2010 | 24 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 49 | 25 | 45 | 3rd | 7 | 2 | 4 | 26 | 14 | 23 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 11 | 22 | 2nd | 91 |
| 2018/2019 | 24 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 52 | 31 | 45 | 3rd | 7 | 3 | 2 | 31 | 16 | 24 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 15 | 21 | 4th | 80 |
| 2019/2020 | 24 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 47 | 25 | 51 | 1st | 6 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 16 | 23 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 28 | 2nd | 83 |
| 2021/2022 | 24 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 30 | 18 | 41 | 4th | 7 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 25 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 10th | 67 |
| 2022/2023 | 24 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 31 | 26 | 32 | 13th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 9th | 66 |
| 2023/2024 | 24 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 35 | 23 | 39 | 5th | 7 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 10 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 13 | 15 | ||
| * Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 1988/1989 | 02/01/1989 | Shrewsbury Town (H) | W | 4-0 | Goodman, Moyes (o.g.), Albiston, Robson |
| 1989/1990 | 30/12/1989 | Bradford City (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 1990/1991 | 01/01/1991 | Leicester City (A) | L | 1-2 | Ford |
| 1993/1994 | 03/01/1994 | Charlton Athletic (A) | L | 1-2 | Hamilton |
| 1994/1995 | 27/12/1994 | Southend United (A) | L | 1-2 | Ashcroft |
| 1995/1996 | 26/12/1995 | Port Vale (A) | L | 1-3 | Gilbert |
| 1996/1997 | 26/12/1996 | Reading (A) | D | 2-2 | Peschisolido, Groves |
| 1997/1998 | 26/12/1997 | Reading (A) | L | 1-2 | Kilbane |
| 1998/1999 | 19/12/1998 | Tranmere Rovers (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 1999/2000 | 26/12/1999 | Manchester City (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2000/2001 | 23/12/2000 | Nottingham Forest (H) | W | 3-0 | Roberts (2), Olsen (o.g.) |
| 2001/2002 | 15/12/2001 | Crewe Alexandra (A) | D | 1-1 | Jordão |
| 2003/2004 | 20/12/2003 | Coventry City (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2006/2007 | 23/12/2006 | Plymouth Argyle (A) | D | 2-2 | Phillips (2) |
| 2007/2008 | 26/12/2007 | Bristol City (H) | W | 4-1 | Bednár, Koren, Phillips (2) |
| 2009/2010 | 08/01/2010 | Nottingham Forest (H) | L | 1-3 | Bednár |
| 2018/2019 | 26/12/2018 | Wigan Athletic (H) | W | 2-0 | Rodriguez (2) |
| 2019/2020 | 26/12/2019 | Barnsley (A) | D | 1-1 | Krovinovic |
| 2021/2022 | 27/12/2021 | Derby County (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2022/2023 | 26/12/2022 | Bristol City (A) | W | 2-0 | Phillips, Thomas-Asante |
| 2023/2024 | 26/12/2023 | Norwich City (H) | W | 1-0 | Thomas-Asante |
Next Matches
| 1988/1989 | 14/01/1989 | Watford (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 1989/1990 | 01/01/1990 | Brighton & Hove Albion (H) | W | 3-0 | Robson, Bartlett, West |
| 1990/1991 | 12/01/1991 | Ipswich Town (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 1993/1994 | 12/01/1994 | Leicester City (A) | L | 2-4 | Strodder, Mellon |
| 1994/1995 | 31/12/1994 | Bolton Wanderers (H) | W | 1-0 | Hunt |
| 1995/1996 | 13/01/1996 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1996/1997 | 28/12/1996 | Queen’s Park Rangers (H) | W | 4-1 | Sneekes, Smith, Hunt, Peschisolido |
| 1997/1998 | 28/12/1997 | Stoke City (H) | D | 1-1 | Hunt |
| 1998/1999 | 26/12/1998 | Port Vale (H) | W | 3-2 | Murphy, Bortolazzi, Hughes (pen) |
| 1999/2000 | 28/12/1999 | Bolton Wanderers (A) | D | 1-1 | Burgess |
| 2000/2001 | 26/12/2000 | Sheffield United (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2001/2002 | 22/12/2001 | Sheffield Wednesday (H) | D | 1-1 | Fox |
| 2003/2004 | 26/12/2003 | Derby County (H) | D | 1-1 | Gaardsøe |
| 2006/2007 | 26/12/2006 | Preston North End (H) | W | 4-2 | Koumas, Kamara, Ellington (2) |
| 2007/2008 | 29/12/2007 | Scunthorpe United (H) | W | 5-0 | Phillips (2), Koren, Gera, Beattie |
| 2009/2010 | 18/01/2010 | Newcastle United (A) | D | 2-2 | Olsson, Bednár |
| 2018/2019 | 29/12/2018 | Sheffield Wednesday (H) | D | 1-1 | Jones (o.g.) |
| 2019/2020 | 29/12/2019 | Middlesbrough (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2021/2022 | 02/01/2022 | Cardiff City (H) | D | 1-1 | Robinson |
| 2022/2023 | 29/12/2022 | Preston North End (H) | W | 2-0 | Yokuslu (2) |
| 2023/2024 | 29/12/2023 | Leeds United (H) |
