Pulis' words may be of scant consolation to Albion manager Tony Mowbray, whose side romped to the Coca-Cola Championship title last season but are now rooted to the foot of the table after Mamady Sidibe climbed highest in the 84th minute to score the only goal of the game at the Britannia Stadium.

But while the Baggies have struggled to impose their favoured flowing style on the top flight, the Potters and - even more dramatically - Hull, have defied expectations to claim a series of eye-opening results.

Both teams have beaten Arsenal this term, contributing to the malaise currently engulfing the Emirates, while Stoke have taken points off title hopefuls Liverpool and the Tigers are within striking distance of the Champions League spots after 14 games.

Pulis welcomes Phil Brown's men next weekend and he is confident each of the teams is worthy of its place in the top division.

"We play Hull next week and they have really been the flag bearers for the Championship in the Premier League this season," said Pulis.

"We know it will be a very tough game but if we get the support of the crowd and if we play to our top form we will give them a really good game.

"The more clubs involved, the better. We prefer it that way.

"The top four clubs will eventually pull away but for the rest of us, the closer we are together the better. It certainly suits teams who are fighting for points every week."

Pulis conceded that the newly promoted sides target wins against each other, but he remained adamant that no result is impossible in what is becoming an increasingly unpredictable division.

"The thing I would say is, looking at the results this weekend - Fulham have drawn at Liverpool, Arsenal have been beaten, Chelsea have drawn - you can't just wash away any games.

"Yes, there are games you can look at and say 'we're going to specifically target those games' but, especially at the Britannia, if we are on it and the crowd are up for it and everything is going the way we want it to, we have every chance."

Despite a number of upsets this season, some results still go firmly with the form book.

That was the case when Stoke were handed a 5-0 thrashing by Manchester United last weekend, but Pulis was delighted with the resolve his players showed in bouncing back from the worst result of the year with three points.

"We had out pants pulled down and our backsides slapped at Old Trafford. But we've come back from getting beaten by Manchester United and I thought the attitude and the application was first class.

"We scored a great goal, well worked down the left-hand side, and I was very pleased to see Mama score. It was a great goal back across the goalkeeper and I don't think anyone can say we didn't deserve to win the game."

Mowbray was left searching for positives after the final whistle, and found some in the character shown by goalkeeper Scott Carson.

Carson, who made another high-profile gaffe for England in midweek, was barracked by the home support and subjected to a series of testing balls in the second half.

But Mowbray said: "The pleasing aspects were that I can't remember Stoke threatening our goal too much and I don't think we had too many problems with their long throws and corners.

"I had no fears that Scott wouldn't be fine. He didn't have a lot to do and what he did do, he did fine."