Analysis: West Brom kick-start their season with vital win

The first – which lasted an impressive 22 games – saw Slaven Bilic’s side race to the top of the table by playing some outstanding football and outclassing their opponents week after week.

The second was far less successful with the Baggies – for whatever reason – losing that momentum and spark.

That ensured they endured a spell where they failed to taste victory in seven Championship outings.

But now they have to make sure that this win over Luton is the start of a third phase – a phase where they do what they need to do to win promotion.

Of course, for any team that has been on a poor run, the aim is to get back to winning ways as soon as possible and put together an extended run of results.

But there were other reasons why this game felt like the start of a new chapter in the book of Albion’s season.

For starters, it came less than 24 hours after the transfer window closed.

The squad, boosted by the arrivals of Callum Robinson, Kamil Grosicki and Lee Peltier, is now settled and in place.

But the opposition here was also a big factor – because if you need a win in the Championship, Luton are the team you want to play.

Bottom of the division having tasted defeat more than any other side, serious questions would have been asked if Bilic’s side hadn’t managed to return to winning ways.

The head coach himself, in his press conference the day earlier, described the match as a must-win. Importantly, though, the Baggies didn’t just win – they won convincingly and comfortably. Right from the off, they moved the ball with a purpose that saw them get into dangerous positions.

Most pleasingly, though, they defended with real aggression and hunger.

That was epitomised by Jake Livermore and Kyle Bartley, with the duo throwing themselves into blocks and tackles and seemingly winning every second ball.

Livermore, in particular, was outstanding, with the midfielder often the furthest man forward as he busted a gut to defend from the front.

But while those two players were instrumental in the Baggies securing a first home clean sheet of the season – Matt Phillips was just as instrumental in giving the team an attacking threat that ultimately saw them win this game.

The winger hasn’t been at his best over the past six to eight weeks, but new signings can help lift and refresh a squad.

And by adding Robinson and Grosicki, Phillips knows his place in the team is now far from secure.

Here, though, he put in a performance to remind everyone why – on his day – he is as good as any winger in the Championship.

Phillips looked a threat every time he got on the ball.

The Scottish international went on a number of surging runs into the box.

He whipped in one gloriously inviting free-kick that was begging to be tapped home.

And he also forced goalkeeper Simon Sluga into some smart stops with fierce efforts from distance.

It was his role in Albion’s second goal that really stood out though.

After initially seeing his corner cleared back to him, Phillips produced a wonderful bit of trickery to escape his man and whip in a perfect cross.

Semi Ajayi also did well to get in between two defenders and head the ball home. But the real quality was in the delivery, with that goal ensuring victory was as good as secured.

Earlier in the game, it was the winger on the other opposite flank that put Albion on track for just their second win in nine league outings.

Robinson was a player Bilic tried to sign in the summer – only for him to opt for a move to the Premier League instead.

But it took him just 14 minutes to make his mark here, with the 24-year-old sending in a cross that you would expect Charlie Austin would have tapped home.

In the end, the striker didn’t have to, with former Albion trainee Donervon Daniels slamming the ball past his own keeper and into the net.

And as far as debuts go, Robinson couldn’t have done much more. The Sheffield United loanee gave Albion a balance on the left that has been missing ever since Grady Diangana got injured. But he also showed versatility to his game.

A goal threat throughout – something we saw with a 20-yard strike that clipped the bar – it was Robinson’s decision-making that was particularly impressive.

He seemed to always play the right balls at the right times – something which is particularly impressive as he had only trained with his new team-mates twice.

Robinson’s intelligence on the ball means it’s going be very exciting when he does get to play alongside Matheus Pereira. Good players bring the best out of each other and those two have the potential to shine in a similar way Pereira and Diangana do.

But it is how Robinson will be used from now which is really intriguing.

On Sunday, Albion travel to Millwall and it’s fair to say Bilic has a wealth of options at his disposal. Pereira will return and will surely take the place of Filip Krovinovic in the number 10 role.

But with Grosicki also eligible and with Phillips having done so well against Luton, Bilic is spoilt for choice on the flanks.

One option is to move Robinson up front and bring Grosicki in on the left – especially as Charlie Austin struggled to make an impact against the Hatters.

Either way, Albion look to be blessed with firepower again, firepower that will hopefully see them secure a place in the Premier Leauge in the final phase of the campaign.