Albion set a new club Premier League record in their 4-1 win over Crystal Palace.

Their starting line-up was the youngest they have fielded in the competition.

The average age of 23 years and 284 days beat that which played against Brentford in December by 140 days.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side against Palace was very much a combination of youth and experience with Igor the only player aged between 23 and 32.

In terms of the top flight, there has only ever been one younger initial XI in Albion’s history.

There was at home to Coventry in March 1981, when they also won 4-1 and the average age was 23 years and 259 days.

Key factors in the youngest Prem XI were the switch to Bart Verbruggen in goal, a start in attack for Evan Ferguson rather than Danny Welbeck and Jack Hinshelwood’s continuation with James Milner ruled out.

Joao Pedro occupied the No.10 berth ahead of Adam Lallana.

The game against Coventry back in the Goldstone days saw 19-year-old Tony Vessey wear No.11 in place of Peter O’Sullivan, who was ten years his senior.

John Gregory came in for Vessey in the following game to push the average age back up by almost six months.

The oldest Prem starting line-up was for one of the dullest games – a 0-0 draw at Wolves in April, 2019.

That was the day Chris Hughton’s experienced side ground out a point to help steady the ship after back-to-back home defeats to Bournemouth (5-0) and 18th-placed Cardiff City (2-0).

Their average age that day was 29 years and 140 days although it increased inside ten minutes when the injured Davy Propper was replaced by Beram Kayal, who is almost three years his senior.

The stats provided by Albion club historian Tim Carder are all for starting line-ups.

There have been more extreme average ages following substitutions.

Albion’s team versus Crystal Palace: Verbruggen (21), van Hecke (23), Dunk (32), Igor (25), Hinshelwood (18), Gilmour (22), Gross (32), Lamptey (23), Buonanotte (19), Joao Pedro (22), Ferguson (19).

Albion’s team versus Coventry in 1981: Digweed (21), Williams (26), Stevens (19), Horton (32), Foster (23), Lawrenson (23), McNab (23), Stille (23), Robinson (22), Smith (26), Vessey (19).