The Baggies signed off 2023 with a hard fought victory over the side immediately above them in the table – they remain fifth but move to within three points of Leeds United and, with the chasing pack suffering mixed results, they are now five points clear of Sunderland in seventh place.
Carlos Corberán’s team have amassed 72 points from 47 Championship matches in 2023, which compares to 61 from 48 games in 2022. When the time under the Spaniard’s tenure is considered, he has a win percentage of 51% and an average of 1.71 points per game having achieved 94 points and 28 victories from his 55 games in charge. Of all Albion’s permanent Championship managers (i.e. since the second tier was renamed in 2004), only Roberto di Matteo can better both of those statistics while Slaven Bilić’s PPG is slightly higher at 1.80 but his win percentage is lower at 48%. As a comparison, Steve Bruce won only 23% of his games and averaged just 1.1 points per game, unsurprisingly the worst of any of Albion’s Championship managers.
This season’s team are just a point behind Gary Megson’s 2001/02 promotion-winning team at the same stage and only four points behind the sides that won promotion in 2004 and 2010. Last season’s team had seven fewer points while Valérien Ismaël’s team had exactly the same points tally at this stage.
Game 26 has not been particularly successful in our comparison period – last season’s narrow victory over Reading was only the fourth win in game 26 in the 20 seasons we are comparing. Only one of those has come away from the Hawthorns when Jason Roberts scored the only goal of the game at Bolton Wanderers in December 2000.
| 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 | 25 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 43 | 23 | 44 | 2nd | 8 | 2 | 2 | 26 | 9 | 26 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 14 | 18 | 9th | 72 |
| 1989/1990 | 25 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 41 | 42 | 29 | 16th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 21 | 16 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 21 | 13 | 20th | 51 |
| 1990/1991 | 25 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 29 | 34 | 27 | 18th | 4 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 15 | 23 | 9 | 23rd | 48 |
| 1993/1994 | 25 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 37 | 42 | 25 | 20th | 5 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 19 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 12 | 23 | 5 | 21st | 51 |
| 1994/1995 | 25 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 22 | 32 | 30 | 17th | 8 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 8 | 26 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 24 | 4 | 19th | 58 |
| 1995/1996 | 25 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 28 | 41 | 25 | 21st | 5 | 2 | 6 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 25 | 8 | 11th | 60 |
| 1996/1997 | 25 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 42 | 40 | 33 | 11th | 3 | 6 | 4 | 23 | 21 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 16th | 57 |
| 1997/1998 | 25 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 27 | 24 | 41 | 6th | 8 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 9 | 26 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 10th | 61 |
| 1998/1999 | 25 | 11 | 4 | 10 | 46 | 42 | 37 | 10th | 8 | 0 | 5 | 28 | 20 | 24 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 22 | 13 | 12th | 59 |
| 1999/2000 | 25 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 24 | 30 | 27 | 18th | 2 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 14 | 21st | 49 |
| 2000/2001 | 25 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 35 | 29 | 44 | 5th | 8 | 2 | 3 | 22 | 14 | 26 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 6th | 74 |
| 2001/2002 | 25 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 28 | 21 | 43 | 5th | 7 | 2 | 4 | 13 | 7 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 14 | 20 | 2nd | 89 |
| 2003/2004 | 25 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 36 | 22 | 46 | 2nd | 6 | 5 | 2 | 17 | 10 | 23 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 12 | 23 | 2nd | 86 |
| 2006/2007 | 25 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 45 | 28 | 40 | 6th | 9 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 10 | 29 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 18 | 11 | 4th | 76 |
| 2007/2008 | 25 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 56 | 29 | 47 | 1st | 9 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 11 | 30 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 1st | 81 |
| 2009/2010 | 25 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 51 | 27 | 46 | 3rd | 7 | 2 | 4 | 26 | 14 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 25 | 13 | 23 | 2nd | 91 |
| 2018/2019 | 25 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 53 | 32 | 46 | 3rd | 7 | 4 | 2 | 32 | 17 | 25 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 15 | 21 | 4th | 80 |
| 2019/2020 | 25 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 47 | 27 | 51 | 2nd | 6 | 5 | 1 | 29 | 18 | 23 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 18 | 9 | 28 | 2nd | 83 |
| 2021/2022 | 25 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 31 | 19 | 42 | 4th | 7 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 6 | 26 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 10th | 67 |
| 2022/2023 | 25 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 33 | 26 | 35 | 9th | 5 | 4 | 4 | 19 | 14 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 9th | 66 |
| 2023/2024 | 25 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 36 | 23 | 42 | 5th | 8 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 10 | 27 | 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 | 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 | Yokuşlu (2) |
| 2023/2024 | 29/12/2023 | Leeds United (H) | W | 1-0 | Diangana |
Next Matches
| 1988/1989 | 21/01/1989 | Leicester City (H) | D | 1-1 | Robson |
| 1989/1990 | 13/01/1990 | Port Vale (H) | L | 2-3 | Goodman, Ford |
| 1990/1991 | 19/01/1991 | Oxford United (H) | W | 2-0 | Bannister, Shakespeare |
| 1993/1994 | 15/01/1994 | Peterborough United (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 1994/1995 | 02/01/1995 | Derby County (A) | D | 1-1 | Hamilton |
| 1995/1996 | 20/01/1996 | Charlton Athletic (A) | L | 1-4 | Hunt (pen) |
| 1996/1997 | 01/01/1997 | Tranmere Rovers (H) | L | 1-2 | Burgess |
| 1997/1998 | 09/01/1998 | Tranmere Rovers (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1998/1999 | 28/12/1998 | Crystal Palace (A) | D | 1-1 | Hughes |
| 1999/2000 | 03/01/2000 | Barnsley (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2000/2001 | 30/12/2000 | Bolton Wanderers (A) | W | 1-0 | Roberts |
| 2001/2002 | 26/12/2001 | Manchester City (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2003/2004 | 30/12/2003 | Wimbledon (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2006/2007 | 30/12/2006 | Ipswich Town (H) | W | 2-0 | Kamara, Koumas |
| 2007/2008 | 01/01/2008 | Ipswich Town (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2009/2010 | 26/01/2010 | Ipswich Town (A) | D | 1-1 | Brunt |
| 2018/2019 | 01/01/2019 | Blackburn Rovers (A) | L | 1-2 | Rodriguez (pen) |
| 2019/2020 | 01/01/2020 | Leeds United (H) | D | 1-1 | Ajayi |
| 2021/2022 | 15/01/2022 | Queen’s Park Rangers (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2022/2023 | 02/01/2023 | Reading (H) | W | 1-0 | Dike |
| 2023/2024 | 01/01/2024 | Swansea City (A) |
