There was a level of frustration at the end of Wednesday’s game that was similar to that felt under Ryan Mason – a game that Albion should have won but didn’t. There was a difference, however. James Morrison’s Albion looked much closer to breaking down the opposition than Mason’s team did for most of the time, and the level of domination of the ball was at another level. 71% possession and 15 shots to 4 showed how much the Baggies were on top and, without a ‘keeper as good as Okonkwo, I feel sure the Addicks would have been well beaten.
It’s still early days, of course, and I feel that this team is more likely to improve than regress. Once all the new faces, ten of them in total, are bedded in and those without previous Championship experience get up to speed with the division, I am optimistic that Mozza’s men can at least challenge for a play-off place.
In our 23 previous comparison seasons, the Baggies have earned more points from their first four games on ten occasions. Of those ten, four have gone on to result in promotion and two have seen Albion end the season in 21st place – anything is possible at this stage! The most any Albion side has earned from the first four games in the second tier is 10 points, something they have done on six occasions – only one of them, 2009/10, ended in promotion. The club has only once won the first four league games of a season, in 1947/48, when that resulted in just 8 points of course – Albion finished that season in 7th place!
| 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 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 10th | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9th | 72 |
| 1989/1990 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 22nd | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 20th | 51 |
| 1990/1991 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 9th | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 23rd | 48 |
| 1993/1994 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 9th | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 21st | 51 |
| 1994/1995 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 24th | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 19th | 58 |
| 1995/1996 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 11th | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 11th | 60 |
| 1996/1997 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 16th | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 16th | 57 |
| 1997/1998 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 10th | 61 |
| 1998/1999 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 3rd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 12th | 59 |
| 1999/2000 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 3rd | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 21st | 49 |
| 2000/2001 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 20th | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 6th | 74 |
| 2001/2002 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 17th | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2nd | 89 |
| 2003/2004 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 2nd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2nd | 86 |
| 2006/2007 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 4th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4th | 76 |
| 2007/2008 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 9th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1st | 81 |
| 2009/2010 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 3rd | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2nd | 91 |
| 2018/2019 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 3rd | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4th | 80 |
| 2019/2020 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 6th | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2nd | 83 |
| 2021/2022 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 2nd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 10th | 67 |
| 2022/2023 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 22nd | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9th | 66 |
| 2023/2024 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5th | 75 |
| 2024/2025 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 2nd | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 9th | 64 |
| 2025/2026 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 2nd | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 21st | 51¹ |
| 2026/2027 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7th | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | ||
| * Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the table after all fixtures for that day have been completed. ¹ 2 points deducted on 24th April 2026. |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Results
| 1988/1989 | 10/09/1988 | Shrewsbury Town (A) | D | 1-1 | Robson |
| 1989/1990 | 02/09/1989 | Sunderland (H) | D | 1-1 | Goodman |
| 1990/1991 | 15/09/1990 | Bristol City (H) | W | 2-1 | Bannister, Harbey |
| 1993/1994 | 01/09/1993 | Southend United (H) | D | 2-2 | Taylor (2) |
| 1994/1995 | 10/09/1994 | Millwall (A) | D | 2-2 | Taylor (2) |
| 1995/1996 | 29/08/1995 | Southend United (A) | L | 1-2 | Raven |
| 1996/1997 | 07/09/1996 | Queen’s Park Rangers (A) | W | 2-0 | Peschisolido, Taylor |
| 1997/1998 | 30/08/1997 | Ipswich Town (A) | D | 1-1 | Sneekes |
| 1998/1999 | 29/08/1998 | Norwich City (H) | W | 2-0 | De Freitas (2) |
| 1999/2000 | 28/08/1999 | Swindon Town (A) | W | 2-1 | Kilbane, Evans |
| 2000/2001 | 28/08/2000 | Queen’s Park Rangers (H) | W | 2-1 | Van Blerk, Hughes |
| 2001/2002 | 27/08/2001 | Gillingham (H) | W | 1-0 | Dichio |
| 2003/2004 | 25/08/2003 | Preston North End (H) | W | 1-0 | Hughes (pen) |
| 2006/2007 | 19/08/2006 | Colchester United (H) | W | 2-1 | Ellington (pen), Wallwork |
| 2007/2008 | 01/09/2007 | Barnsley (H) | W | 2-0 | Teixeira, Beattie |
| 2009/2010 | 22/08/2009 | Ipswich Town (H) | W | 2-0 | Mulumbu, Koren |
| 2018/2019 | 18/08/2018 | Queen’s Park Rangers (H) | W | 7-1 | Phillips (2), Gibbs, Rodriguez (2 pens), Gayle, Robson-Kanu |
| 2019/2020 | 21/08/2019 | Reading (H) | D | 1-1 | Zohore (pen) |
| 2021/2022 | 21/08/2021 | Blackburn Rovers (A) | W | 2-1 | Mowatt, Phillips |
| 2022/2023 | 17/08/2022 | Cardiff City (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2023/2024 | 26/08/2023 | Middlesbrough (H) | W | 4-2 | Kipré, Swift, Thomas-Asante, Sarmiento |
| 2024/2025 | 31/08/2024 | Swansea City (H) | W | 1-0 | Molumby |
| 2025/2026 | 30/08/2025 | Stoke City (A) | W | 1-0 | Phillips |
| 2026/2027 | 02/09/2026 | Charlton Athletic (H) | D | 1-1 | Styles |
Next Matches
| 1988/1989 | 17/09/1988 | Walsall (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1989/1990 | 09/09/1989 | Leicester City (A) | W | 3-1 | West, Whyte, Goodman |
| 1990/1991 | 22/09/1990 | Hull City (A) | D | 1-1 | McNally |
| 1993/1994 | 05/09/1993 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) | W | 3-2 | Raven, Bradley, Donovan |
| 1994/1995 | 14/09/1994 | Middlesbrough (A) | L | 1-2 | Ashcroft |
| 1995/1996 | 02/09/1995 | Sheffield United (H) | W | 3-1 | Burgess, Hamilton |
| 1996/1997 | 10/09/1996 | Reading (H) | W | 3-2 | Hunt (3) |
| 1997/1998 | 03/09/1997 | Stoke City (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 1998/1999 | 31/08/1998 | Grimsby Town (A) | L | 1-5 | Sneekes |
| 1999/2000 | 30/08/1999 | Fulham (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2000/2001 | 03/09/2000 | Crystal Palace (H) | W | 1-0 | McInnes |
| 2001/2002 | 08/09/2001 | Manchester City (H) | W | 4-0 | McInnes, Clement (2, 1 pen), Dobie |
| 2003/2004 | 30/08/2003 | Derby County (A) | W | 1-0 | Hulse |
| 2006/2007 | 28/08/2006 | Sunderland (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2007/2008 | 15/09/2007 | Ipswich Town (H) | W | 4-0 | Miller, Teixeira, Phillips (2) |
| 2009/2010 | 29/08/2009 | Sheffield United (A) | D | 2-2 | Bednár (2) |
| 2018/2019 | 24/08/2018 | Middlesbrough (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2019/2020 | 24/08/2019 | Derby County (A) | D | 1-1 | Zohore (pen) |
| 2021/2022 | 28/08/2021 | Peterborough United (A) | W | 1-0 | Ajayi |
| 2022/2023 | 20/08/2022 | Hull City (H) | W | 5-2 | Elder (o.g.), Swift, Furlong, Grant (pen), O’Shea |
| 2023/2024 | 02/09/2023 | Huddersfield Town (H) | L | 1-2 | Swift |
| 2024/2025 | 15/09/2024 | Portsmouth (A) | W | 3-0 | Maja, Mowatt (2) |
| 2025/2026 | 13/09/2025 | Derby County (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2026/2027 | 05/09/2026 | Watford (H) |
