MANCHESTER CITY v WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 9th April, 2016, 5:30pm
Etihad Stadium
(Live on Sky Sports 1)

MATCH NOTES

The game will be the 149th league and cup meeting between the two clubs. City currently have the edge in terms of victories with 65 compared to Albion's 54. There have been 72 games on Manchester soil with the Baggies winning 16 and City 44.

There have been 19 previous Premier League meetings between the clubs with the men from Manchester winning 12 and Albion four.

Albion's last game on this date took place in 2011 when goals from Peter Odemwingie, Youssouf Mulumbu and Paul Scharner gave the Baggies a 3-2 Premier League win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

City's last Premier League game on April 9 came back in 2007 when they beat Fulham 3-1 at Craven Cottage with goals from Joey Barton, DaMarcus Beasley and Darius Vassell.

The clubs have met twice before on April 9 - in 1960 at Maine Road when the Baggies won 1-0 thanks to a goal from Alec Jackson and in 1904 when Albion won 2-1 at The Hawthorns, Harry Aston and Alfred Owen the scorers.

The Baggies have won four and drawn one of the last five games they have played on this date.

Albion have lost eight games in a row against City - their worst ever run against them.

City have scored 39 league goals at the Etihad Stadium this season, nine more home goals than any other top-flight club.

Albion's last six games: Sunderland (A) 0-0; Norwich City (H) 0-1; Manchester United (H) 1-0; Leicester City (A) 2-2; Crystal Palace (H) 3-2; Reading (A, FAC) 1-3.

Manchester City's last six games: PSG (A, CL) 2-2; Bournemouth (A) 4-0; Manchester United (H) 0-1; Dynamo Kiev (H, CL) 0-0; Norwich City (A) 0-0; Aston Villa (H) 4-0.

TEAM NEWS

Albion

Baggies' boss Tony Pulis is expected to go with a similar line-up to what started last time out at Sunderland although Stephane Sessegnon is available again after sitting out the trip to the Stadium of Light due to returning late from international duty.

Manchester City

Yaya Toure could return after a knee injury but midfielder David Silva won't feature due to an ankle problem. Silva is joined on the sidelines by Vincent Kompany and Raheem Sterling.

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 9/1, Manchester City Win: 4/11, Draw: 7/2.

First Goalscorer

Albion: Berahino 11/1, Rondon 11/1, Anichebe 12/1, Lambert 14/1, Gardner 20/1, Sessegnon 20/1, Pritchard 25/1, McManaman 25/1, Fletcher 25/1, McClean 25/1, Morrison 25/1, Dawson 33/1, Leko 33/1, Sandro 33/1.

Manchester City: Aguero 5/2, Iheanacho 7/2, Bony 7/2, de Bruyne 5/1, Toure 5/1, Silva 6/1, Nasri 6/1, Fernandinho 9/1, Navas 9/1, Garcia 9/1, Delph 12/1, Kolarov 14/1, Fernando 16/1, Otamendi 20/1, Mangala 33/1, Demichelis 33/1.

No Goalscorer: 12/1.

www.williamhill.com

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Michael Jones (Cheshire)
Assistant Referees: Andy Garratt (West Midlands) & Ian Hussin (Merseyside)
Fourth Official: Roger East (Wiltshire)

Jones has taken charge of two Albion games so far this season - the FA Cup tie at Peterborough United in February that the Baggies won on penalties and the 1-0 win over Newcastle United at The Hawthorns in December.

He took charge of three Albion games last season - the 3-0 win at The Hawthorns over champions Chelsea in May, the 0-0 draw at Sunderland in February and the 2-1 defeat at home to West Ham United in December.

The Cheshire official has officiated three City games during 2015/16 - the 4-0 FA Cup win at Aston Villa in January, the 4-1 win at home over Hull City in the Capital One Cup in December and their 1-0 win at Crystal Palace in September.

Jones has issued 113 yellow cards and one red in the 32 games he has officiated so far this season.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets will be available for Albion supporters to purchase from the Etihad Stadium South Stand ticket office up until kick-off.

Seats are priced at £42 adults, £36 18-21-year-olds, £36 seniors (over-65s), £30 16-17-year-olds, £22 under-16s.

WEATHER FORECAST

Light cloud, 8°C.

FIXTURE HISTORY

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

(Click on game to view)

LAST MEETING AT THE ETIHAD STADIUM

Manchester City 3-0 Albion
Barclays Premier League
Saturday 21st March 2015, 12:45pm

Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Mangala, Clichy, Navas, Fernando, Lampard (Jovetic 65), Silva (Milner 80), Bony (Dzeko 77), Aguero. Subs not used: Caballero, Sagna, Demichelis, Fernandinho.

Goalscorers: Bony 27, Fernando 40, Silva 77

Albion: Myhill, Dawson, McAuley, Olsson, Lescott, Baird, Morrison, Gardner, Fletcher, Sessegnon (Mulumbu 89), Berahino (Anichebe 86). Subs not used: Rose, Wisdom, Davidson, Pocognoli, Nabi.

Sent-off: McAuley 2 (foul)

Attendance: 45,018

Referee: Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire)

Referee Neil Swarbrick took the gloss off Manchester City's return to winning ways as the Barclays Premier League suffered yet another mistaken identity controversy. A blunder by referee Neil Swarbrick in sending off the wrong player overshadowed Manchester City's return to winning ways against West Brom. Swarbrick incorrectly dismissed West Brom's Gareth McAuley for a foul by team-mate Craig Dawson on Wilfried Bony in the second minute of City's comfortable 3-0 win at the Etihad Stadium. City took full advantage of more than 88 minutes of numerical supremacy, easing to victory with goals from January signing Bony - his first for the club - Fernando and David Silva.

The result was just what City - and under-fire manager Manuel Pellegrini - needed after a harrowing week in which their title defence was ravaged by relegation battlers Burnley and they were dumped out of the Champions League by Barcelona. But regardless of the outcome, Swarbrick ensured the headlines would be all about him as he mistakenly gave McAuley his marching orders. He quickly apologised for the mistake after the game, via a statement from Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, the body responsible for refereeing appointments. Nevertheless, it was a second apparent case of mistaken identity in the top flight in three weeks and the third in a year, after other incidents involving Sunderland and Arsenal and came on a day when there was another red-card mix-up in the Sky Bet Championship. At Huddersfield, Richard Clark sent off Cauley Woodrow only to later change his mind and dismiss Shaun Hutchinson after chaotic scenes in which Woodrow initially refused to leave the field in protest and had to be dragged away by team-mates. Back at Eastlands, Dawson committed the initial offence as he bundled Bony over just outside the box after the striker had broken clear. Confusion followed as Bony attempted to play on and was knocked over again, this time by McAuley in the area. But with Swarbrick having already blown for a free-kick outside the box, it was clear Dawson should have been the recipient of any red card, a fact now acknowledged by the official and PGMOL.

City did not dwell on the issue and took full advantage of the situation. They had the game all but wrapped up before the interval with Bony capitalising on their dominance to open the scoring after 27 minutes and Fernando doubling the lead after 40. The only surprise was that it took so long to score. That owed much to West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill who, playing in place of the injured Ben Foster, saved well from Silva, Jesus Navas and Sergio Aguero. Frank Lampard, making his first start since January 4, was also wayward with three attempts from good positions. The opener finally came after a Fernando shot was blocked by Jonas Olsson and spun in the direction of Bony, who hooked the ball down on the turn and lifted into the roof of the net. Olsson also played an unwitting role in the second goal, getting in Myhill's way after James Morrison fluffed a chance to clear a corner. The ball broke to Fernando and he stabbed home from six yards.

Statistics at half-time indicated 80 per cent possession to City with 24 shots, while West Brom had not mustered a single effort on goal. The second half began in much the same manner as Myhill twice denied Aguero and kept out another good effort from Silva. The woodwork also twice came to the Baggies' rescue as Aguero rattled a post and Bony struck the crossbar from the rebound. Substitute Stevan Jovetic also curled an effort just wide before West Brom finally showed some attacking intent to win a corner. Olsson nodded on the resulting cross and Saido Berahino headed against the bar before former City player Joleon Lescott put the rebound over. But any thoughts West Brom might still be able to breathe life into the game were dispelled 14 minutes from time as Silva diverted home a Jovetic shot after good build-up play. It completed the most routine of victories but there could still be repercussions from the game. To City's relief, after much questioning of their fortitude lately, they will have nothing to do with them.

 Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

None

PAST CONNECTIONS

Amongst the players to have turned out at various levels for both clubs are: Nicolas Anelka, Peter Barnes, Paul Beesley, Tommy Broad, Chris Buckley, Jimmy Cookson, Gerry Creaney, David Cross, Arthur Crump, John Deehan, Andy Dibble, George Dorsett, Joe Dorsett, Frank Dyer, Marton Fulop, Tony Grant, Tony Grealish, Ron Green, Henry Hancock, Asa Hartford, Robert Hopkins, Alf Horne, Frank James, Derek Kevan, Joleon Lescott, Steve Mackenzie, Ken McNaught, Ishmael Miller, Gary Owen, Derek Panter, Bruce Rankin, Nicky Reid, Uwe Rosler, Georgios Samaras, Barry Siddall, Scott Sinclair, Jason van Blerk and Imre Varadi.

ALL-TIME LEAGUE & CUP RECORD VS MANCHESTER CITY

DATE	COMPETITION	H/A	F-A	GOALSCORERS	GATE
Mon 10 Aug 2016	Premier League	H	0-3	Silva, Touré, Kompany	24,564
Sat 21 Mar 2015	Premier League	A	0-3	Bony, Fernando, Silva	45,018
Fri 26 Dec 2014	Premier League	H	1-3	Ideye - Fernando, Touré (pen), Silva	26,040
Mon 21 Apr 2014	Premier League	A	1-3	Dorrans - Zabaleta, Aguero, Demichelis	46,564
Wed 04 Dec 2013	Premier League	H	2-3	Pantilimon (og), Anichebe - Aguero, Touré 2 (1 pen)	22,943
Tue 07 May 2013	Premier League	A	0-1	Džeko	46,158
Sat 20 Oct 2012	Premier League	H	1-2	Long - Džeko 2	24,891
Wed 11 Apr 2012	Premier League	A	0-4	Aguero 2, Tévez, Silva	46,746
Mon 26 Dec 2011	Premier League	H	0-0		25,938
Sat 05 Feb 2011	Premier League	A	0-3	Tévez 3 (2 pens)	46,846

PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

Saturday 9th April

12:45pm - West Ham United v Arsenal.

3:00pm - Aston Villa v Bournemouth; Crystal Palace v Norwich City; Southampton v Newcastle United; Swansea City v Chelsea; Watford v Everton.

5:30pm - Manchester City v Albion.

Sunday 10th April

1:30pm - Sunderland v Leicester City.

4:00pm - Liverpool v Stoke City; Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United.

Tweet