West Bromwich Albion Record First Victory Over Self-destructing Norwich.

It could be the first big relegation six-pointer of the season. Victory for West Bromwich Albion, and their beleaguered team, battered from three grueling opening fixtures, has relieved the early pressure from boss Roy Hodgson.

They were three games which any manager in the league could have lost and most wouldn't have lost in such an admirable fashion, but, it is simple to say, in the Barclays Premier League, losing three and then four and so-on matches would put any manager under severe pressure. Never mind one who is respected as Roy Hodgson is throughout the league.

The defining moment of the match emerged in the opening minutes of the game, and with West Brom's unenviable record of only one clean sheet in thirty nine Premier League appearances, non thought that 3 minutes into the game Peter Odemwingie's opener would have been the pivotal factor in this precursor relegation battle.

Ritchie De Laet's third minute mistake, tamely heading the ball into Odemwingie's path, sealed his side's fate during the preliminary rounds of the match. This should have been a cagey affair by two teams who were vying for their first wins of the campaign. However, a rudimentary long ball from West Brom left back Nicky Shorey and the most basic run by Odemwingie, towards the ball, unlocked the frail, slow, naïve Canaries defence. This creating the lucid, end to end match that unfolded at Carrow Road.

What followed was a frantic encounter which could be considered either a vindication of two sides' attacking intent or, more simply, two sides whose defensive abilities are questionable.

Norwich created chances and, like Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers' mantra: “If we weren't creating chances, I'd be worried”, Paul Lambert is sticking to the same tune. Scoring them would help too, Brendan.

Andrew Surman simply ran off his marker in the first half and found himself with a five yard diameter of space inside the Baggies' penalty area before the ball rebounded to club captain Grant Holt, who slammed the ball out of play. Graham Dorrans smashed the post and Odemwingie's hopes of a brace were nullified by goalkeeper Declan Rudd after a stiff-breeze had blown Steven Reid to the ground, with referee Mark Halsey pointing to the spot.

Tamas' flailing right elbow on James Vaughan.

Gabriel Tamas marred what was to be one of his better West Bromwich Albion performances with a blatant elbow on James Vaughan in a maneuver gone from the Albion side since Darren Purse's departure.

It was a much needed win for West Brom and asked a few questions of the plucky Norwich team early on in the season. An invaluable 3 points for Roy Hodgson but it was a game that seemed to ask more questions than it answered.