Finally, the winless league run is over, and the Baggies are now on a winning run of two games in all competitions!
It wasn’t a fantastic performance, but it was good enough and it was a victory that Alan Pardew’s men deserved. Having said that, Brighton were very poor and Albion’s frailties in front of goal remain. Thankfully, two well-worked set pieces were enough to claim the points.
This season’s team are now a full six points better off than Bryan Robson’s 2005 escapologists were after 23 games, and Robbo’s first league win was still a week away. They were about to embark on a run in which they took sixteen points from the next ten games to form the basis of the Great Escape.
The next ten for Pardew’s team include home games against Southampton, Huddersfield, Burnley and Swansea and trips to Watford, Bournemouth and, next up, Everton. A similar points return looks tricky, but perhaps it will be needed with Liverpool, Manchester United and Spurs to come in the remaining five games.
| 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 | |
| 2002/2003 | 23 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 17 | 35 | 17 | 20th | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 20 | 5 | 19th | 26 |
| 2004/2005 | 23 | 1 | 10 | 12 | 17 | 44 | 13 | 20th | 1 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 25 | 5 | 17th | 34 |
| 2005/2006 | 23 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 21 | 32 | 22 | 16th | 5 | 1 | 6 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 6 | 19th | 30 |
| 2008/2009 | 23 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 20 | 42 | 21 | 20th | 5 | 2 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 21 | 4 | 20th | 32 |
| 2010/2011 | 23 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 29 | 43 | 25 | 15th | 5 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 26 | 8 | 11th | 47 |
| 2011/2012 | 23 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 23 | 32 | 26 | 15th | 2 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 10th | 47 |
| 2012/2013 | 23 | 10 | 4 | 9 | 33 | 32 | 34 | 8th | 7 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 11 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 21 | 11 | 8th | 49 |
| 2013/2014 | 23 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 27 | 33 | 22 | 15th | 3 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 20 | 9 | 17th | 36 |
| 2014/2015 | 23 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 20 | 32 | 22 | 15th | 3 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 19 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 10 | 13th | 44 |
| 2015/2016 | 23 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 30 | 28 | 13th | 4 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 14th | 43 |
| 2016/2017 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 31 | 29 | 33 | 8th | 6 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 14 | 20 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 10th | 45 |
| 2017/2018 | 23 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 30 | 19 | 19th | 2 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 6 | ||
| Comparison of Equivalent Fixtures^ | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| 2016/2017 | 23 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 30 | 35 | 30 |
| 2016/2017 Results | Middlesbrough (H) | D | 0-0 | ||||
| Everton (A) | L | 0-3 | |||||
Results
| 2002/2003 | 18/01/2003 | Leeds United (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2004/2005 | 16/01/2005 | Fulham (A) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2005/2006 | 21/01/2006 | Sunderland (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2008/2009 | 27/01/2009 | Manchester United (H) | L | 0-5 | |
| 2010/2011 | 23/01/2011 | Blackburn Rovers (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2011/2012 | 01/02/2012 | Fulham (A) | D | 1-1 | Tchoyi |
| 2012/2013 | 19/01/2013 | Aston Villa (H) | D | 2-2 | Brunt, Odemwingie |
| 2013/2014 | 29/01/2014 | Aston Villa (A) | L | 3-4 | Brunt, Delph (o.g.), Mulumbu |
| 2014/2015 | 31/01/2015 | Tottenham Hotspur (H) | L | 0-3 | |
| 2015/2016 | 23/01/2016 | Aston Villa (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2016/2017 | 31/01/2017 | Middlesbrough (A) | D | 1-1 | Morrison |
| 2017/2018 | 13/01/2018 | Brighton & Hove Albion (H) | W | 2-0 | Evans, Dawson |
Next Matches
| 2002/2003 | 29/01/2003 | Charlton Athletic (H) | L | 0-1 | |
| 2004/2005 | 22/01/2005 | Manchester City (H) | W | 2-0 | Campbell, Wallwork |
| 2005/2006 | 31/01/2006 | Charlton Athletic (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2008/2009 | 31/01/2009 | Hull City (A) | D | 2-2 | Simpson, Brunt (pen) |
| 2010/2011 | 01/02/2011 | Wigan Athletic (H) | D | 2-2 | Odemwingie, Fortuné |
| 2011/2012 | 04/02/2012 | Swansea City (H) | L | 1-2 | Fortuné |
| 2012/2013 | 30/01/2013 | Everton (A) | L | 1-2 | Long |
| 2013/2014 | 03/02/2014 | Liverpool (H) | D | 1-1 | Anichebe |
| 2014/2015 | 08/02/2015 | Burnley (A) | D | 2-2 | Brunt, Ideye |
| 2015/2016 | 02/02/2016 | Swansea City (H) | D | 1-1 | Rondón |
| 2016/2017 | 04/02/2017 | Stoke City (H) | W | 1-0 | Morrison |
| 2017/2018 | 20/01/2018 | Everton (A) |
* Positions are recorded as Albion’s position in the Premier League table after all fixtures for that day have been completed.
^ Fixtures against promoted clubs are compared against fixtures against the relegated clubs from last season with the club finishing 1st in the Championship compared against the club finishing 18th in the Premier League, 2nd compared with 19th and the play-off winners compared against the club who finished bottom.