West Bromwich Albion

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Preston North End defender Andrew Hughes' opening goal against West Bromwich Albion marked the sixth consecutive league match where the Baggies have conceded first.

They have, however, endured a longer streak in their recent history.

Since the 2010-11 season, Albion have conceded first in seven successive league matches six times according to Opta.

The last time they did so was between December and January during the 2020-21 season, but they are at risk of hitting that total again as they prepare to visit Championship titans West Ham United at the London Stadium on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Should they concede first against the Hammers, they then face another big hitter in Southampton on Tuesday, 3 November in a bid not to see the run stretch into an eighth game.

The good news for the Baggies is they have rescued 11 points from the eight games they've conceded the first goal in this season, and it's their successful fightbacks that defender Chris Mepham is choosing to focus on.

"The big positive is coming from behind again, there is no questioning our resilience in the team," Mepham said.

Adam Cottier
BBC Radio 5 Live reporter

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West Bromwich Albion have taken 11 points from losing positions this season.

It is a tale of good resilience and a marker of the steely determination that James Morrison is nurturing, but his side must demonstrate more agility than they had at Deepdale on Saturday if they are to stay in the promotion picture long term.

By half-time against Preston they had enjoyed 75% possession. However, despite some neat and exciting approach play, decision making and the final pass let them down in the sodden conditions.

And they could not sustain such attacking intensity in the second half, Preston scored having improved themselves, and West Brom were left counting the cost of their profligacy in and around their opponents' box.

But back they came again, and against a Preston side who were playing their best half of football for quite some time.

The leveller - albeit following the controversial award of a throw-in their way a few phases earlier - underlined the Baggies' ability to respond well under pressure, even though they were perhaps lucky not to concede a penalty (or two) before the end.

There just needed to be that little bit more conviction in the final third on Saturday, but West Brom nevertheless ought to be really encouraged by their ongoing revival under Morrison.

West Brom boss James Morrison spoke to BBC WM after the 1-1 draw against Preston. For a written selection of his quotes click here

Preston North End could lift themselves off bottom place on the Championship table this week but would need to beat a high flying West Bromwich Albion side at home on Saturday (15:00 BST) to be in with a chance.

The Lilywhites are adrift in the basement by two points and have five points to make up on safety.

But the Baggies are currently in the play-offs and could potentially enter the automatic promotion places should results fall their way.

• Preston North End have won just one of their last eight home league games against West Bromwich Albion (D3 L4), a 1-0 win in October 2022.

• West Bromwich Albion have won six of their last seven league games against Preston North End (D1), conceding just three goals across those matches.

• Preston have lost more Championship games in 2026 than any other side (20), including five of their last six (D1); they last lost more league games in a calendar year in 2011 (21).

• West Brom have won their last two league games and will be looking to win three in succession within the same season for the first time since September 2024.

• West Brom have won 10 points from losing positions in the Championship so far this season, the highest total in the competition and already two more than they managed during the whole of their 2025-26 campaign (8).

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West Bromwich Albion midfielder Toby Collyer is expected to be out for up to six weeks with a hamstring injury.

The 22-year-old was forced off just before half-time of the Baggies' 3-2 Championship victory over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

Injury also disrupted Collyer's loan spell at The Hawthorns last season, cutting his time with the club short in November.

A hamstring issue also curtailed his subsequent loan spell with Hull City, before Collyer joined the Baggies permanently from Manchester United in the summer.

The club are eyeing a return to training in late November.

Chris Hall
Fan writer

Last week was a bizarre week to be a Baggie.

We went into it feeling pretty low after back-to-back derby day defeats and not having scored a goal for two and a half matches.

And with 15 minutes to go away at Wrexham, I can't say my mood had improved a great deal. Albion were staring a third consecutive 1-0 defeat in the face as the Baggies trailed to Kieffer Moore's wonder strike.

However, James Morrison made a couple of massive substitutions, some tactical tweaks, and with it changed the mood of the fanbase as an impressive late turnaround saw Albion run out 2-1 winners courtesy of goals from Isaac Price and Aune Heggebo.

On Saturday, the Baggies went one better, this time coming from 2-0 down at home to Blackburn to win 3-2.

Despite being two behind inside just 12 minutes to the Lancashire side, the belief inside The Hawthorns never seemed to waver that a comeback was on the cards.

This is probably because such turnarounds have become the norm this season.

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Albion have the most points after conceding the first goal in the entire Championship (10), and no team in the league has gone on to win more games after conceding first than the Throstles' three.

This is quite the contrast with last season, when you could almost write the Baggies off if they conceded the first goal.

Albion took a measly eight points after conceding the first goal in the whole of last term (a tally they've already surpassed this campaign), losing a whopping 17 of the 21 games in which they conceded the first goal.

Morrison has made a real point of using his squad this season, rotating his starting XI and ensuring as many players are fit, sharp and ready to contribute as possible.

The same cannot be said of Ryan Mason at the start of last season, who continually went to the well with the same players and refused to put minutes into his back-up forwards, in particular.

This contrast in approaches might go some way to explaining the difference in the powers of recovery Albion have shown across the two seasons.

In the three league games since the international break, all three of Morrison's strikers have started at least one game and also been named as a substitute for at least one.

Morrison's rotation is keeping his forward options fresh and ensuring they are ready to impact games when he needs them to.

It is also helping Albion be a threat late in games.

The Baggies have scored six goals in the last 20 minutes of games this season; only West Ham and Middlesbrough - two of the league's top three - have more late goals to their name.

Of course, in an ideal world, Albion wouldn't have to come back from a losing position.

It is something of an issue that the Baggies have conceded the first goal in seven league games (only Saturday's hosts, Preston, have conceded first more often) - and Albion have let in the first goal in five consecutive games now.

It's a problem Morrison will be keen to solve, telling BBC Radio WM after his team's latest dramatic comeback: "I don't like the chaos, I want to be in control of the game."

However, it must be reassuring for Morrison to know that, should chaos continue to reign in Albion games, his team have the resilience to come out on the right side of it.

Listen to more from Chris Hall at the Albion Analysis, external

We asked for Albion fans' thoughts after the Baggies came from 2-0 down inside 12 minutes to snatch a 3-2 win against Blackburn Rovers at The Hawthorns.

Here are some of your comments:

Richard: Unlike previous seasons when we go behind we know we have the players to reply, there seems to be no fear factor at The Hawthorns.

David: A topsy turvy performance but ultimately, we edged it against what was a decent Blackburn Rovers side. My heart was in my mouth when Price dinked that penalty in - Panenka style. Call me old fashioned, leave an imprint of your boot laces on the ball, son. Well done Jimmy for turning over your former boss!

Mark: Awesome performance from the Baggies today, never gave up when some teams would fold having been 2-0 down, the belief in the team is great to see - full credit to Mozza for making the changes when needed.

Trevor: Good to see fast flowing football this season. Much better than last season. Players are playing for each other and they are not giving up after going behind. Last season we would have lost the last two games.

Ray: Amazing comeback from the boys playing some lovely football. Keep up the good work.

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Charlotte Richardson
Final Score reporter at The Hawthorns

Image source, Getty Images

What a breathless and brilliant contest at The Hawthorns.

James Morrison has built belief and a brand of football that means despite being two goals down after just 12 minutes, home supporters sensed a comeback could be possible.

To come back and win all three points? Well, the noise when the full-time whistle was blown suggests this is a victory supporters will savour for the rest of their week, not just their weekend.

It is hard to remain positive and aggressive when you are trailing but West Brom were brave and defiant, earning their reward with back-to-back victories for a third time this season.

Rovers will be disappointed with their game management. The visitors had lost two of their 10 league games on the road prior to this. A sore defeat especially after such a bright start.

West Bromwich Albion boss James Morrison spoke to BBC Radio WM after their win against Blackburn Rovers.

For a written selection of his quotes, click here.

West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers meet on Saturday (15:00 BST) in a game between two of the top 10 in-form Championship sides.

Both teams have managed 10 points from their past six games with the Baggies up to fourth place in the table while Rovers are seventh.

• West Brom have kept three clean sheets in their past four league meetings with Blackburn Rovers, as many as in their previous 16 beforehand.

• After their 1-0 defeat in this fixture last season, Blackburn could suffer back-to-back away league losses to West Brom for the first time since March 1949 (three in a row).

• West Brom have lost just one of their past 12 home league games (W4 D7), though that defeat did come in their last outing at the Hawthorns and a 1-0 defeat by Birmingham.

• Blackburn have won each of their past two league games and will be hoping to win three in succession for the first time since November last year. Rovers have now lost just two of their past 10 Championship matches on the road (W4 D4).

• In the Championship so far in 2026-27, West Brom's Callum Styles has made the most tackles of any player (36). All five of his goals for the Baggies have come on home soil – two this season.

Chris Hall
Fan writer

James Morrison may only be in his infancy as a manager, but he's faced more challenges than many seasoned club bosses.

Morrison took over as interim boss in late February after the disastrous, winless reign of Eric Ramsay.

Things did not start well, a weak defeat at 23rd-placed Oxford United, which cemented Albion's own place in the relegation zone, was described by Morrison as "unacceptable" and he demanded his players take some responsibility.

The home truths he dished out that day lit a fire under many; Albion wouldn't lose again until the final day of the season, by which time they were already safe.

Another huge factor in Albion's surge to safety was a change in system Morrison implemented following the defeat in Oxfordshire.

They had scored just three goals in eight league games at that point, but a move to a front two resulted in the Baggies bagging 14 goals in the final 11 games of the campaign, using a narrower midfield and the dynamic duo of Callum Styles and Danny Imray at full-back to provide the width.

Morrison thought he had achieved mathematical safety with two games to spare after a home win over Watford, only for a two-point deduction dished out by the EFL days later to dash those hopes and leave Albion with work to do.

But, in trademark Morrison fashion, he dealt with the situation with consummate calmness, refusing to focus on things he couldn't control and, instead, encouraging his players to keep their standards high and get the job done. They duly did with a 0-0 draw at home to Ipswich.

Morrison was made permanent boss prior to the last game of the 2025-26 season and might have hoped for a less eventful ride in the 2026-27 campaign... but that has not been the case.

Albion had worked on a system throughout pre-season that had Alex Mowatt as (in Morrison's own words) its glue.

He was sold days before the season kicked off.

No matter, in came Felix Horn Myhre and Albion won their opening game away at Norwich 2-1.

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Morrison had played with two strikers in every game up to that point.

But, days before the home clash with Burnley, he found himself without his starting centre-forward Aune Heggebo after the Norwegian was given a retrospective ban for a handball goal at Carrow Road.

Once more, Morrison was unfazed; he rejigged the side and won the match.

Then, just a couple of weeks later, Albion travelled to Pride Park, a ground where the Baggies had not won in 23 years.

Within 50 minutes, Morrison had lost both his right-backs (one through a red card, the other through injury), but regardless, the Baggies ran out 1-0 winners despite playing an hour with 10 men.

Then to Tuesday night. Off the back of two derby day defeats, with some of the worst statistics in the league and with no wide men to call upon (again), Albion found themselves 1-0 down and staring at a third consecutive defeat for the first time since April 2025.

But Morrison once more found the solution, introducing Heggebo and Jimmy-Jay Morgan to devastating effect as the Baggies turned the game around to win 2-1.

For a manager so young and relatively inexperienced, Morrison has an incredible ability to find solutions to problems.

However, if he could have to deal with fewer of them, we'd all be thankful.

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