Over 26% of Sunderland and West Brom's games this season have now finished 0-0
Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion played out a disappointing goalless draw which did few favours for either side's early season ambitions.
For the Black Cats, it was a fifth successive draw as they dropped to third behind Burnley and missed the chance to go top.
While the Baggies are now unbeaten in nine, they have drawn eight of those and they slipped one place to seventh with this result.
Josh Maja shot wide with West Brom's best chance in the first half while Wilson Isidor had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside for Sunderland in the second period during a very tight affair.
After conceding a late equaliser at Millwall, Regis Le Bris re-introduced Jobe Bellingham, Trai Hume and Patrick Roberts into his Sunderland team after suspension.
West Brom had been forced into a late reshuffle as Ousmane Diakite dropped out shortly before kick-off with Kyle Bartley coming in as his replacement.
The game was tight and tactical, which should have surprised nobody. The Blacks Cats had kept nine clean sheets, one more than their visitors, while almost a quarter of this pair’s combined league games this season had finished goalless.
Breaking those defensive shackles proved very difficult in the first half. Sunderland’s best moment saw Isidor’s deflected shot blocked by Alex Palmer.
But the best opportunity of the half was for ex-Black Cats striker Maja when he was picked out unmarked 10 yards from goal but the Championship’s second top scorer, with 10 goals, got his angles wrong and was off target.
Isidor thought he had provided the breakthrough just before the hour mark when he turned in Luke O’Nien’s cross from close range but the flag went up with the Frenchman just ahead of the ball when it was delivered.
The Baggies were as organised as ever under Carlos Corberan with their five at the back denying their opponents space, while they threw bodies in the way as exemplified by Alex Mowatt getting in the way of Chris Rigg’s goalbound shot.
And when Roberts did find that elusive bit of space in the area, he steered his effort agonisingly beyond the far post.
After all their defensive work, West Brom might have returned to the West Midlands with all three points but substitute Lewis Dobbin’s shot was blocked by Dan Ballard late on.
Despite having more of the ball and it being 17-2 in their favour in shots, Sunderland could not find the breakthrough and they will fall to fourth if Leeds United avoid defeat at home to Luton Town tomorrow night, before their game away to new leaders Sheffield United on Friday.
'Frustrated and disappointed' - Le Bris
Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris told BBC Radio Newcastle:
"I am bit frustrated and disappointed, for sure. That was the main feeling in the dressing room at the end of the game.
"In the positive part it shows that against such a good team, well organised with good players, it shows we are getting better in many areas of the game.
"In possession, we were dominant. We had three or four chances to score and we didn't.
"Many, many small details can make the difference and today it wasn't enough."
West Bromwich Albion head coach Carlos Corberan told BBC WM:
"We defended deeper in the first half than we wanted to defend. We didn't sustain attacks, we lost balls than we didn't have to do as this was one game where you needed to create attacks in the attacking half.
"But at the end, considering everything, I am pleased with the mentality. The standard of performance is not what we wanted to show but in the circumstances, I am pleased."
