The Baggies go to London for the second time this week to face a Charlton side they MUST beat to keep their survival hopes alive. There are only nine games left in our season, and five points separate us from Palace. Every point the Eagles earn puts Albion deeper into the pit. The Addicks may be sitting in the upper half of the table, but they are closer in points to the Albion than to Chelsea. Still, Charlton are fighting for a place in the UEFA Cup next season, and beating us will give them an edge over Bolton and Boro in their European quest. We've been playing better lately, but only the home win vs. Brum has been the only truly bright spot. Can we finally win a Premiership match away from The Hawthorns? If we see the kind of football produced in our last two matches, it just might happen.
Charlton Athletic 1 - West Bromwich Albion 4 From this afternoon's brilliant performance at The Valley, one can tell that Albion are trying desperately to dispel two myths. Myth No. 1: Albion are just an upper-end Championship club who can only play XI-behind-the-ball, hoof-it-up football. Well, the first part may be true... or may YET become true. But since Robson has taken over as manager, the latter part of the statement has been a fond but distant memory. Myth No. 2: The team on the bottom of the Premiership at Christmas ALWAYS gets relegated. Might the "Great Escape" yet happen for the Baggies? We shall see. If they continue to put the ball in the net, the answer will be yes. A hat-trick by supersub Rob Earnshaw in the final 17 minutes - simply amazing. It took a long time and a lot of wasted chances before Albion could break the 1-1 deadlock against 10-man Charlton, but Earnie did in a big way. The Baggies inconsistent defending gifted the Addicks quite a few chances early on in the second half, but Charlton failed to capitalise. Albion will remain in 19th regardless of what Norwich do tonight and Southampton do tomorrow (unless Boro beat Saints by nine). But things are a lot tighter at the bottom, and Albion have certainly built up some momentum.
Congratulations on a HUGE win today. Who would have thought the Baggies would put up four goals in one game? Anyways, you're only 2 points from safety, and good luck for the rest of the season.
Our win yesterday put pressure on the other teams in the relegation zone, and it appears the Saints have responded. Southampton's win today at the Riverside (where Albion must also find three points in a month's time) puts them in the magical 17th spot. This season, Middlesbrough had only lost at home to Chelsea and Man United. Now we are three points out of the relegation zone; the gauntlet has been thrown. C'mon you Baggies!
