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Derby County picked up their first Championship victory of the season on Saturday afternoon, as they beat West Brom 1-0 at The Hawthorns.
The Rams have already beaten the Baggies once in 2025/26, knocking the West Midlands outfit out of the Carabao Cup in the first round in August on penalties.
Up until the weekend, that remained Ryan Mason’s only defeat in charge of West Brom, but with Lewis Travis captaining John Eustace’s team for the first time, he was forced to watch a late Andreas Weimann winner for the away side.
It was an excellent performance from Derby, and while they were not quite the attacking threat that other sides are in the division, their defensive strength was clear to see, with Matt Clarke leading by example.
Matt Clarke was vital for Derby County vs West Brom
Clarke signed a new contract with the Rams in the summer, having only joined the club for a third time in the January transfer window on a short-term deal from Middlesbrough.
He made an instant impact at Pride Park in 2024/25, and he was instrumental in keeping Derby in the Championship. The Rams’ defence has been criticised already this season, but as a unit, they were sensational against West Brom.
However, it was Clarke who shone in particular and former Derby striker Malcolm Christie pointed out an excellent statistic on X, stating that the centre-back had more touches in the Rams’ box (31) than every West Brom player combined.
Everything that got played into the defensive third by the Baggies was almost attracted to the head or boot of Clarke, and he was able to keep Aune Heggebo quiet throughout the contest.
John Eustace has got a platform to build from with the Rams
After five games, the Rams have picked up five points, and the disappointment of their opening two matches seems to be a distant memory now.
It’s been a tough start for Derby, and it’s only going to get more difficult on Saturday as the fast-starting Preston North End visit Pride Park. However, Eustace has now got the vast majority of his players back to full fitness, and excitement will surely start to build in DE24.
Sondre Langas is also coming back into the fold, and he will be the perfect addition to the defence for the East Midlands club.
Nevertheless, three points at home this weekend will be the perfect way for Derby to continue their excellent September, as Eustace looks to make it four straight games undefeated in the Championship.