Twelve games to go and the Baggies are marooned at the bottom of the table, four points off Huddersfield in 19th who are the last of four teams on 24 points. It is the Terriers who are the next league visitors to the Hawthorns in three weeks’ time in what will be another massive game.
Compared to last season, Albion only have half as many points from the first 26 games, but are 10 points worse off when compared to the equivalent fixtures which suggests we have some of the easier games still to come. It offers faint hope as the Baggies have fewer points at this stage when compared with all three of the seasons in which they have been relegated from the Premier League.
Not in the Great Escape season, however, as Game 26 was another gut-wrenching defeat at Carrow Road against one of our relegation rivals. Robert Earnshaw had given the Baggies the lead a few minutes before half time only for Craig Fleming to equalise just before the break. On loan Kieran Richardson put Albion back in front just four minutes into the second half but Gary Doherty brought the Canaries level before Damien Francis broke Albion hearts with a pile driver which just five minutes left.
After that match the table stood as follows:
| Premier League Relegation Battle – 5th February 2005 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| 17. | Crystal Palace | 26 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 29 | 40 | -11 | 22 |
| 18. | Norwich City | 26 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 26 | 49 | -23 | 20 |
| 19. | Southampton | 25 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 26 | 41 | -15 | 18 |
| 20. | West Brom | 26 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 23 | 49 | -26 | 17 |
Here are the full season by season comparisons.
| 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 | 26 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 20 | 38 | 21 | 18th | 3 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 21 | 8 | 19th | 26 |
| 2004/2005 | 26 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 23 | 49 | 17 | 20th | 2 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 21 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 28 | 5 | 17th | 34 |
| 2005/2006 | 26 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 24 | 38 | 26 | 17th | 6 | 1 | 6 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 23 | 7 | 19th | 30 |
| 2008/2009 | 26 | 6 | 4 | 16 | 24 | 49 | 22 | 20th | 5 | 2 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 25 | 5 | 20th | 32 |
| 2010/2011 | 26 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 34 | 51 | 27 | 17th | 5 | 4 | 4 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 13 | 29 | 8 | 11th | 47 |
| 2011/2012 | 26 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 33 | 35 | 32 | 12th | 3 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 10th | 47 |
| 2012/2013 | 26 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 36 | 35 | 37 | 8th | 7 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 12 | 23 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 23 | 14 | 8th | 49 |
| 2013/2014 | 26 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 30 | 38 | 24 | 17th | 3 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 23 | 9 | 17th | 36 |
| 2014/2015 | 26 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 24 | 34 | 27 | 14th | 4 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 19 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 12 | 13th | 44 |
| 2015/2016 | 26 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 24 | 32 | 32 | 14th | 4 | 4 | 5 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 14th | 43 |
| 2016/2017 | 26 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 36 | 32 | 40 | 8th | 8 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 15 | 26 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 14 | 10th | 45 |
| 2017/2018 | 26 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 21 | 37 | 20 | 20th | 2 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 19 | 7 | ||
| Comparison of Equivalent Fixtures^ | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| 2016/2017 | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 31 | 42 | 30 |
| 2016/2017 Results | Southampton (H) | L | 0-1 | ||||
| Chelsea (A) | L | 0-1 | |||||
Results
| 2002/2003 | 08/02/2003 | Bolton Wanderers (H) | D | 1-1 | Johnson |
| 2004/2005 | 05/02/2005 | Norwich City (A) | L | 2-3 | Earnshaw, Richardson |
| 2005/2006 | 11/02/2006 | Fulham (A) | L | 1-6 | Campbell |
| 2008/2009 | 22/02/2009 | Fulham (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2010/2011 | 12/02/2011 | West Ham United (H) | D | 3-3 | Dorrans, Thomas, Reid (o.g.) |
| 2011/2012 | 25/02/2012 | Sunderland (H) | W | 4-0 | Odemwingie (2), Morrison, Andrews |
| 2012/2013 | 11/02/2013 | Liverpool (A) | W | 2-0 | McAuley, Lukaku |
| 2013/2014 | 11/02/2014 | Chelsea (H) | D | 1-1 | Anichebe |
| 2014/2015 | 21/02/2015 | Sunderland (A) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2015/2016 | 13/02/2016 | Everton (A) | W | 1-0 | Rondón |
| 2016/2017 | 25/02/2017 | AFC Bournemouth (H) | W | 2-1 | Dawson, McAuley |
| 2017/2018 | 03/02/2018 | Southampton (H) | L | 2-3 | Hegazi, Rondón |
Next Matches
| 2002/2003 | 19/02/2003 | Fulham (A) | L | 0-3 | |
| 2004/2005 | 22/02/2005 | Southampton (H) | D | 0-0 | |
| 2005/2006 | 26/02/2006 | Middlesbrough (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2008/2009 | 28/02/2009 | Everton (A) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2010/2011 | 20/02/2011 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) | D | 1-1 | Vela |
| 2011/2012 | 03/03/2012 | Chelsea (H) | W | 1-0 | McAuley |
| 2012/2013 | 23/02/2013 | Sunderland (H) | W | 2-1 | Lukaku (2, 1 pen) |
| 2013/2014 | 22/02/2014 | Fulham (H) | D | 1-1 | Vydra |
| 2014/2015 | 28/02/2015 | Southampton (H) | W | 1-0 | Berahino |
| 2015/2016 | 27/02/2016 | Crystal Palace (H) | W | 3-2 | Gardner, Dawson, Berahino |
| 2016/2017 | 04/03/2017 | Crystal Palace (H) | L | 0-2 | |
| 2017/2018 | 12/02/2018 | Chelsea (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.