ALBION fell to a battling 3-2 defeat against unbeaten Premier League leaders Manchester City at The Hawthorns.
City recorded an eighth successive league victory, and 13th in all competitions, but they were pushed all the way by an Albion side who surrendered their unbeaten home record in the league this term.
A blistering start to proceedings saw City twice take the lead after three goals in the space of five minutes - Jay Rodriguez's leveller sandwiched between Leroy Sane's opener and Fernandinho's effort.
Substitute Raheem Sterling made sure of all three points for the high-flying visitors following a swift passing move after the break, before Matt Phillips grabbed a consolation for the Baggies in added time.
Albion now head to Huddersfield next Saturday looking to get back on track.
Sane drilled the visitors ahead from inside the area in the 10th minute only for Rodriguez to latch on to a superb throughball from Gareth Barry and lob over Ederson to instantly level.
Yet parity remained for just two minutes as Fernandinho put City back in front with a low deflected strike from distance.
City skipper David Silva headed over when well placed while Salomon Rondon did likewise during a first half in which the leaders dominated but just one goal separated the two sides.
Grzegorz Krychowiak was next to spurn a good headed opening at the start of the second period as Albion pushed for a leveller, Kieran Gibbs finding himself in forward areas.
But City substitute Sterling, who had only been on the pitch three minutes, tapped home Kyle Walker's low cross from close range to make it 3-1 shortly after the hour mark.
Ben Foster kept out David Silva late on before Matt Phillips netted his first Premier League goal of the season, converting Gareth Barry's cross.
Defeat followed Albion's 2-1 home reverse to Pep Guardiola's side in the Carabao Cup last month.
ALBION: Foster, Nyom, McAuley (Phillips 68), Hegazi, Evans (c), Gibbs, Barry, Krychowiak (McClean 81), Livermore, Rodriguez, Rondon (Robson-Kanu 58).
Subs: Myhill, Yacob, Brunt, Chadli.