Man City vs. West Brom
Venue; Etihad Stadium
Kick off: 5:30pm
Manchester City’s quest to ensure that they qualify for next season’s Champions League will continue on Saturday evening when West Bromwich Albion make the trip to the Etihad Stadium.
While City have Europe on their mind, the visiting Baggies are on course to record their highest league finish since 2013.
All of a sudden, a little bit of the gloom that has engulfed the Etihad Stadium of late appears to have lifted.
A 1-0 defeat to rivals Manchester United just before the international break had left City sweating on a top-four finish that had previously looked assured for so long.
A 4-0 victory in the sunshine down at Bournemouth brightened the mood, which was then followed by a useful-looking 2-2 draw in the first leg of their quarter-final tie away at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night.
Ten victories have been collected in front of their own supporters, but the loss to United was the fifth inflicted at the Etihad – that is the same number as 19th-placed Newcastle United have suffered at home.
Shipping goals at home has also been issue, with the City net being breached 18 times – the likes of Sunderland and Watford have conceded less.
Reports have filtered through over the last few days that the West Brom hierarchy is preparing to offer manager Tony Pulis a new contract.
On the face of it, the 58-year-old has done a good job at The Hawthorns. The 0-0 draw away at Sunderland last time out saw the Baggies reached the coveted 40-point mark, with a respectable 10th-placed finish very much on the cards.
Scoring goals has been a problem for Pulis’s side all campaign long. Only relegation certainties Aston Villa (22) have scored less goals than West Brom (30) – a tally that has come from 31 outings.
Part of the problem is down to the situation involving Saido Berahino, who has spent much of 2015-16 confined to the bench after a summer move to Tottenham Hotspur fell through.
The frontman bagged 20 goals in all competitions last term, but has just seven to his name this time around.
Man City possible starting lineup: Hart, Zabaleta, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov, Fernando, Toure, Navas, Silva, De Bruyne, Aguero.
West Brom possible starting lineup: Foster, Dawson, Chester, Evans, McAuley, Yacob, Fletcher, Gardner, McClean, Rondon, Berahino.