Strikers smile when they are scoring goals.

The irritation becomes transparent when they are going through a barren run.

The mood swing is similar at the other end of the pitch.

Goalkeepers thrive on clean sheets. They are not impressed when they are picking the ball out of the back of their net on a frequent basis.

Hence, Mathew Ryan is festering with discontent right now.

Albion's goals against record in the Premier League this season reads 2-2-2-1-2-2.

Go back to the end of last season and you can add four and three to the sequence.

For context, five of the matches during this leaky period have been against Liverpool twice (away), Manchester City, Spurs and Manchester United.

Even so, they are statistics Ryan is uncomfortable about after the latest setback to Albion's defensive record, the 2-1 home defeat by Spurs.

The Australian said: "I’m not happy because we didn’t win, we didn’t get a point so I am frustrated in that aspect.

"I am just trying to do my best to keep the team in the game.

"It's six games now without a clean sheet and we're conceding way too many goals.

"We're not giving ourselves a chance with those sort of statistics so we have to go away and work hard and come back and tighten the defence, which will hopefully give us a better chance to win games."

Ryan's frustration against Tottenham was the manner of the goals Albion conceded.

The Argus: The first Karry Kane's penalty (above) after Glenn Murray blocked Kieran Trippier's free-kick with a raised arm.

The second when Yves Bissouma stopped tracking Erik Lamela, allowing the Argentinian to finish off a sweeping counter-attack.

Ryan said: "Why we are jumping with our hands up I don't know. It's those little details where they punish you.

"That's another penalty we have given away – that's three now – and it's frustrating that I can't help the team out in any of these this year so far.

"And the second goal was a structural mistake in not having one of our midfielders on the edge of the box to cut out their cut back.

"If you give them those opportunities at this level they will punish you."

Ryan had no chance of repeating his penalty-saving exploits at Stoke and Everton last season (below) against Kane, Danny Ings or Paul Pogba.

The Argus: Albion have now been involved in seven spot-kicks in six Premier League matches (four for, including one missed, three against).

The penalty they are paying at the moment is too many mistakes leading to goals.

In the current predicament you would not choose a trip to the champions as ideal next opponents.

Manchester City have already scored 11 goals in their three home Premier League games this season.

Ryan was beaten three times at the Etihad towards the end of last season (below).

That defeat followed the type of solidity Albion need to rediscover, a 1-0 win over Manchester United, a 0-0 draw at Burnley, a 1-1 draw with Tottenham.

Ryan said: "Our away performance against Liverpool (1-0) we can take pride from I guess.

"We have got to be at the top of our game. If not, if we keep making little errors, it can turn.

"But if we play at our highest level then I believe we can go there and take something away from the game."