Inspired by the roof-raising crowd against Aston Villa we’ve delved into the club archive to count down our top 10 Hawthorns atmospheres of all time.
At number seven...
Albion 3 Liverpool 0
Competition: Premier League
Date: Saturday, August 18, 2012
UK prime minister: David Cameron (Conservative)
No.1 in the UK singles chart: How We Do (Party) - Rita Ora
2012 Best Picture Academy Award: Argo
Most popular toy in 2012: Nintendo Wii U
In the news: The 2012 Summer Olympics conclude in London with Great Britain earning their highest medals haul in more than a century - including 29 gold, 17 silver and 19 bronze medals.
Steve Clarke’s tenure as Albion head coach began in spectacular fashion with a 3-0 over Liverpool in what was also Brendan Rodgers’ maiden fixture in charge of the Reds.
Zoltan Gera set the tone for the game - and Albion’s season - with a sensational first-time volley from a right-wing corner in front of the Smethwick End.
Peter Odemwingie fired a spot-kick past Pepe Reina just after the hour-mark before Romelu Lukaku came off the bench to net his first Albion goal to seal the victory.
The Baggies completed the double - their first over Liverpool since 1967 - at Anfield in February with Gareth McAuley and Lukaku netting late on.
Clarke’s men were third in the Premier League table - trailing only the two Manchester clubs - at the end of November, after winning eight of their first 13 fixtures.
And McAuley says their opening-day victory over the Reds bred confidence in The Hawthorns dressing room.
“When you look at the fixtures we had a couple of tough ones on paper at the start of that season,” he admitted.
“But we were ready for it through the work we’d done in pre-season. We got off to a flyer and 3-0 at home to Liverpool is a great result whoever you are.
“It was able to give us confidence and we built on that over the next few weeks.”
Goals: Gera (43), Odemwingie (pen 64), Lukaku 77
Albion XI: Foster; Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Yacob, Mulumbu; Gera (Fortune 69), Morrison (Brunt 81), Odemwingie; Long (Lukaku 68).
Manager: Steve Clarke
Attendance: 26,039
