WEST BROMWICH ALBION v MANCHESTER CITY
Barclays Premier League
Friday 26th December, 2014, 3pm
The Hawthorns

MATCH NOTES

The game is the 146th league and cup meeting between the two clubs. City currently have the edge in terms of victories with 62 compared to Albion's 54.

Albion's game last season on Boxing Day saw them earn a 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur thanks to a goal from Swedish defender Jonas Olsson. The club's last win on December 26 came in 2012 when they recorded a 2-1 win at  Queens Park Rangers.

City beat Liverpool 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day 2013.

Albion and City have met five times previously on December 26 - 2011 (H) 0-0; 2001 (A) 0-0; 1999 (H) 0-2; 1967 (H) 3-2 and 1924 (H) 3-1.

If he features in the game, Baggies' midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu will make his 150th Premier League appearance for the club.

Albion's last six games: Queens Park Rangers (A) 2-3; Aston Villa (H) 1-0; Hull City (A) 0-0; West Ham United (H) 1-2; Arsenal (H) 0-1; Chelsea (A) 0-2.

Manchester City's last six games: Crystal Palace (H) 3-0; Leicester City (A) 1-0; Roma (A, CL) 2-0; Everton (H) 1-0; Sunderland (A) 4-1; Southampton (A) 3-0.

TEAM NEWS

Albion

Baggies' boss Alan Irvine could be without striker Victor Anichebe (groin) and back-up goalkeeper Boaz Myhill (illness) who both face late fitness tests ahead of the clash with the Premier League champions.

Albion captain Chris Brunt definitely returns following his hamstring injury whilst Graham Dorrans should feature after shaking off a calf problem. Greek striker Georgios Samaras is also available after being away on compassionate leave.

Manchester City

City will again go into a game with no recognised strikers, with Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic all missing through injury.

Captain Vincent Kompany is also out with a hamstring problem, but Gael Clichy is fit after a foot injury.

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 5/1, Manchester City Win: 8/13, Draw: 13/5.

First Goalscorer

Albion: Berahino 8/1, Ideye 10/1, Anichebe 11/1, Samaras 12/1, Sessegnon 12/1, Blanco 14/1, Gardner 16/1, Brunt 20/1, Morrison 20/1, Dorrans 20/1, Varela 20/1, Dawson 28/1, McAuley 33/1, Mulumbu 33/1.

Manchester City: Silva 4/1, Lampard 5/1, Pozo 5/1, Toure 5/1, Milner 11/1, Ambrose 11/2, Nasri 6/1, Sinclair 6/1, Navas 9/1, Kolarov 12/1, Fernandinho 16/1, Mangala 25/1, Reges 25/1, Demichelis 25/1, Boyata 33/1, Zabaleta 33/1.

No Goalscorer: 11/1.

www.williamhill.com

REFEREE

Mark Clattenburg (County Durham)

Clattenburg has officiated one Albion game so far this season - the 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace in October.

He refereed three Albion games last season - the 1-0 win at Norwich City in April, the 4-3 defeat at Aston Villa in January and the 2-0 defeat against Norwich at The Hawthorns in December.

The County Durham official has taken charge of one City game so far this season - their 2-2 draw at Arsenal in September.

The official has issued 91 yellow and two red cards in the 21 games he has taken charge of so far this season.

A full run-down of Clattenburg's history refereeing the Baggies can be found here

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are on general sale to home supporters priced at £39 adults, £29 seniors (over 60s), £25 Under-21/Students and £15 Under-17.

WEATHER FORECAST

Light rain turning to sleet, 3°C.

FIXTURE HISTORY

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

(Click on game to view)

LAST MEETING AT THE HAWTHORNS

Albion 2-3 Manchester City
Barclays Premier League
Wednesday 4th December 2013, 8:15pm

Albion: Myhill; Reid, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Yacob, Brunt (c); Amalfitano (Vydra 76), Morrison (Gera 64), Berahino; Long (Anichebe 64). Subs not used: L Daniels (gk), Lugano, Popov, Sessegnon.

Goalscorers: Pantilimon 85 (og), Anichebe 90+4

Booked: Olsson 88 (foul)

Manchester City: Pantilimon; Zabaleta, Kompany (c), Demichelis, Kolarov; Navas, Fernandinho, Y Toure (Rodwell 88), Nasri (Garcia 76); Aguero (Milner 69), Dzeko. Subs not used: Hart (gk), Lescott, Richards, Negredo.

Goalscorers: Aguero 9, Toure 24 (pen) & 74

Booked: Pantilimon 84 (time wasting)

Attendance: 22,943

Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside)

In-form Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure provided the perfect antidote to Manchester City's bout of travel sickness this season. After a 15-minute delay due to congestion on the surrounding roads, first-half goals from Aguero and Toure, combined with a penalty from the latter in the second, were enough to sink West Brom 3-2 at The Hawthorns. The scoreline was only respectable courtesy of an 86th-minute own goal from Costel Pantilimon, and a very late stoppage-time strike from Victor Anichebe. The victory, only the club's second away from home in seven Barclays Premier Legaue matches this season, keeps City in touch with leaders Arsenal at the top of the table, albeit still trailing by six points. That is due to their woeful away record because, while City have been unbeatable at the Etihad Stadium with a run of seven successive wins, manager Manuel Pellegrini's side have strangely faltered on the road. With four defeats in six away games coming into this encounter, that is as many as were inflicted upon them in 19 away days last season. Aguero's 17th of the season in the ninth minute, and Toure's first of his brace 15 minutes later, were sublime team goals as City carved their way through the Albion defence. Beyond that the three points were never in doubt, although if Chris Foy had awarded an early second-half penalty for an Aleksandar Kolarov challenge on Shane Long then maybe the second half might have been different. Instead, Foy did award a 72nd-minute penalty when Kolarov was tripped by Claudio Yacob, although the midfielder did appear to touch the ball first. Seven minutes from time Albion did get on the scoresheet, but only after Kolarov had deflected a low cross from Matej Vydra on to the outstretched body of the unfortunate Pantilimon before Anichebe netted his first for the club in the dying moments.

Overall, this was a stroll for City, who should have been in front after just five minutes, only for Aguero to fire a first-time shot across the face of goal after Edin Dzeko had chested down a Toure cross into his path. As wake-up calls go, though, the alarm should have been heeded by the Baggies who were ripped apart just three minutes later, and this time there was no mistake from Aguero. An incisive move culminated in Dzeko playing in Pablo Zabaleta, whose surging run had taken him behind his marker Liam Ridgewell, for a cut back to compatriot Aguero. In the centre of the area and 11 yards from goal, Aguero gave Boaz Myhill no chance with a rasping drive for his ninth goal in his past eight matches. There was a moment of respite for Albion in the 16th minute when striker Saido Berahino, the England Under-21 international this week rewarded with a big-money contract following a sensational start to the campaign, curled a 25-yard right-foot shot wide of the right-hand post. Eight minutes later, however, City doubled their advantage with ease, the ball zipping along the left wing between Aguero, Samir Nasri and Kolarov. From the Serbian's piercing low ball into the heart of the area, Toure simply opened up his body and steered a deft right-foot touch beyond Myhill. Only the intervention of Myhill in the 36th minute with a fingertip save to push the ball beyond his right-hand post denied Aguero his second on a night when he proved almost unplayable in the first half.

Somehow Albion survived through to the break without further damage being inflicted upon them, and arguably five minutes into the second half they should have been handed a lifeline. There was definite contact as Kolarov brought down Long, but Foy was unimpressed and waved away furious appeals. With City in charge, and Albion unable to make any inroads into the the visiting defence marshalled again by skipper Vincent Kompany after two months out with a thigh injury, the second half lacked intensity. Not even a double substitution, with Victor Anichebe and Zoltan Gera on for Long and James Morrison, could rouse the Baggies before Foy arguably got his second penalty decision wrong 18 minutes from time. Kolarov did go down under a challenge from Yacob, but only after a clear touch on the ball beforehand. Toure, however, took full advantage and slotted home the spot-kick for his ninth goal of the season. The own goal gave City some respect, and although Anichebe added a second four minutes into injury time, the full-time whistle followed soon after to deny hopes of a potentially dramatic end.

 Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Albion defender Joleon Lescott spent a hugely successful five years with City before joining the Baggies last summer.

Baggies' striker Georgios Samaras played for City between 2006 and 2008 but his time in Manchester was largely viewed as disappointing, the Greek star scoring just 12 goals in 65 appearances.

PAST CONNECTIONS

Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Nicolas Anelka, Peter Barnes, Paul Beesley, Tommy Broad, Gerry Creaney, David Cross, Andy Dibble, George Dorsett, Joe Dorsett, Frank Dyer, Tony Grant, Tony Grealish, Henry Hancock, Asa Hartford, Robert Hopkins, Derek Kevan, Steve MacKenzie, Ken McNaught, Ishmael Miller, Gary Owen, Bruce Rankin, Nicky Reid, Uwe Rosler, Barry Siddall, Scott Sinclair, Jason van Blerk and Imre Varadi.

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS MANCHESTER CITY