Yet the top two in England's second tier look increasingly likely to be the pair promoted to the Premier League, with third-placed Fulham suffering a damaging home defeat against Brentford.
In the first matches following the league's three-month coronavirus suspension, a new hero emerged for mid-table Derby County as 18-year-old Louie Sibley scored a hat-trick in their win at Millwall.
And Rhian Brewster, a striker on loan from Liverpool, gave Swansea City's play-off hopes a boost by netting twice at Middlesbrough, as well as making a powerful political statement.
POINT A MIXED BLESSING FOR BAGGIES
With Leeds in action at Cardiff City on Sunday, West Brom had an opportunity to go two points clear of Marcelo Bielsa's team as the league resumed.
Bilic's players dominated the derby clash and had a host of chances but could not find a breakthrough, and a stalemate at the Hawthorns potentially plays into the hands of Leeds.
The top two are now level on points, with West Brom top on goal difference, but Leeds will have the chance to go three clear before the next round of games.
BEES STING NEIGHBOURS
Said Benrahma and Emiliano Marcondes scored late for Brentford in a 2-0 win at promotion rivals Fulham, a result that leaves West Brom and Leeds seven points clear with eight games remaining for the play-off pack.
Nottingham Forest were heading for victory at Sheffield Wednesday after Joe Lolley gave the visitors a 69th-minute lead, only for Connor Wickham to grab a stoppage-time leveller for the Owls.
Forest sit fifth, four points clear of a Preston North End side who were held 1-1 at Luton Town, Callum McManaman firing a late equaliser for the hosts, who nevertheless fell to the foot of the table.
KING LOUIE
Blackburn Rovers beat Bristol City 3-1 in a battle between teams fighting with Preston for sixth place, but the individual performance of the day came from Sibley, whose heroics guided Derby to their 3-2 win at Millwall.
"I'm absolutely buzzing," Sibley told Rams TV. "To get that hat-trick was just unbelievable. When the third goal went in, I couldn't stop smiling."
Brewster was not far behind, his double steering Swansea to a 3-0 victory at lowly Middlesbrough.
Brewster held up a shirt that read "our colour is not a crime" after his first goal, expressing support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
TIGERS ON THE SLIDE
Wigan Athletic were 2-0 winners at fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town, while Hull City slipped into the bottom three after losing 1-0 at home against Charlton Athletic.
Barnsley climbed off the bottom by winning 1-0 at QPR, and Stoke City drew 1-1 at Reading.
The Birmingham-born former defender, who twice represented the Reggae Boyz in 1999, leaves the West Yorkshire team with just three league triumphs in 23 games since taking charge last September.
He was sacked following a winless six-match run, culminating in the weekend’s 1-1 draw at struggling QPR when a stoppage time equalizer denied the 49-year-old a long overdue victory.
The former West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield Wednesday boss and his backroom staff leave after four months of seeing his side stutter during his 23-game tenure.
Having led Wednesday to promotion to the Championship last term via the play-offs, Moore took over from veteran Neil Warnock at the John Smith's Stadium.
Huddersfield had managed to stave off relegation from the second tier, while in contrast Moore masterminded a gutsy extra time 1-0 success over Barnsley Town in their League One play-off final at Wembley Stadium.
Although that seemed to be the start of something special for Moore — who played for the likes of Barnsley, Derby County, Portsmouth and WBA at club level — he left Wednesday by mutual consent after two years at the helm.
His appointment at Huddersfield was always deemed to be a gamble, which has now failed to pay dividends.
Huddersfield Town AFC’s official statement read: “Darren Moore has been relieved of his duties as Huddersfield Town manager.
“This decision was taken after our Sky Bet Championship draw at Queens Park Rangers on Sunday, which took Moore’s record as Town manager to three wins, 11 draws and nine defeats in all competitions.”
Moore kicked off his managerial career at WBA in 2018, having cut his teeth as interim head coach with the Premier League club to become only the second top-tier boss from the CONCACAF region. American Bob Bradley was the first head coach from the Caribbean and North American region, when he managed Swansea City in 2016.
Moore surprisingly left The Hawthorns in 2019 with 10 games remaining in the Championship and WBA in with a shot of automatic promotion in fourth place.
He joined League One outfit Doncaster Rovers a few months later, then was headhunted by Wednesday so jumped ship in March 2021.
Despite a highly successful stint at Wednesday, Moore left the promoted club in June because he failed to agree terms of a potential contract renewal with chairman Dejphon Chansiri.
Moore’s managerial career may have taken a blip, but with a proven track record of transforming the fortunes of teams outside the top-tier there’s little doubt he’ll be a wanted man soon in the British game.
The Terriers avoided a defeat that would have seen them relegated on Saturday, but even a win on the final day over promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town will not be enough unless they overcome a huge goal difference of 15 goals with Plymouth Argyle.
Birmingham remain in the other relegation place and now must beat Norwich City to stand a chance of staying up with Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth and Blackburn Rovers also still in danger.
At the other end of the table, the Canaries dropped points in a 2-2 draw with Swansea City, leaving the door open for Hull City, who face Ipswich Town later today.
The 74-year-old announced his retirement last April, five months after leaving Middlesbrough.
Warnock is now back in the dugout for the 18th permanent position of his managerial career, with this his second spell in charge of Huddersfield.
He returns to the club almost 30 years after his first stint, during which time he earned the Terriers' promotion to the second tier via the play-offs in the 1994-95 campaign.
"I'm really excited about this challenge," Warnock told Huddersfield's official website.
"My first spell at Huddersfield Town had everything; we went to Wembley twice, moved into the new stadium, and really built the club from nothing. It was a special time.
"I'm coming back to help the club, but also [chairman] Dean Hoyle. I know what he has done behind the scenes and I've always had a lot of time for him.
"I've looked at the fixtures and we've got some fantastic games to come. I want to come back and put smiles on faces."
At the age of 74 years and 74 days, Warnock is 10 years older than the next-oldest manager in England's top four tiers – recently appointed Blackpool boss Mick McCarthy.
Warnock, whose coaching career started with Gainsborough Trinity in 1980, has managed 1,599 games in the top four tiers of English football, including the Premier League.
That is just two short of equalling the all-time record held by former Crewe Alexandra manager Dario Gradi.
His longest spell came at Sheffield United, where he managed for 388 games across eight years at the helm.
Huddersfield are one point from safety in the Championship relegation zone and travel to Stoke City in Warnock's first game back in charge on Wednesday.
