WEST BROMWICH ALBION v MANCHESTER CITY
Barclays Premier League
Monday 10th August, 2015, 8pm
The Hawthorns
(Live on Sky Sports)

MATCH NOTES

The game will be the 148th league and cup meeting between the two clubs. City currently have the edge in terms of victories with 64 compared to Albion's 54. There have been 18 Premier League meetings between the clubs with the men from Manchester winning 11 and Albion four.

Albion's last game on this date took place in 1999 when the Baggies played out a goalless draw at Halifax Town in a Worthington League Cup 1st round 1st leg clash. Albion would win the second leg at The Hawthorns 5-1 to progress to the second round of the competition where they would meet Wycombe Wanderers. More details on Albion happenings on August 10 over the years can be found here

City's last game on August 10 came back in 1968 when they suffered a 2-1 defeat away at Liverpool in the old First Division. Neil Young scored for City whilst Bobby Graham and Peter Thompson hit the goals for the hosts.

Albion have met City four times previously on the opening day of a season: 2005/06 (0-0), 1981/82 (1-2), 1935/36 (0-1) & 1934/35 (1-1).

The Baggies have won only one of their last 16 opening games of a top-flight season (3-0 v Liverpool, 2012/13).

Albion have won only three of the 21 Premier League games they've played on a Monday, although they have lost only one of the last six.

Albion's last six games: Bristol Rovers (A, Fr) 4-0; Walsall (A, Fr) 2-0; Swindon Town (A, Fr) 4-1; Richmond Kickers (A, Fr) 2-1; Charleston Battery (A, Fr) 2-1; Orlando City (A, Fr) 3-1.

Manchester City's last six games: VfB Stuttgart (A, Fr) 2-4; Vietnam national team (A, Fr) 8-1; Real Madrid (N, ICC) 1-4; AS Roma (N, ICC) 2-2 (won 5-4 on pens); Melbourne City (N, Fr) 1-0; Toronto FC (A, Fr) 1-0.

TEAM NEWS

Albion

Baggies' boss Tony Pulis has doubts over the defensive duo of Joleon Lescott and Gareth McAuley whilst long-term injury victim Ben Foster remains unavailable.

Serge Gnabry signed too late to feature in the game but fellow new signings James Chester, Rickie Lambert and James McClean may all figure.

Manchester City

Recent signing Fabian Delph (hamstring) and Gael Clichy (ankle) are both missing for the visitors.

The quartet of Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Demichelis and Fernandinho are expected to figure despite returning to pre-season training late due to international duty.

David Silva and Samir Nasri are both available after recovering from illness.

MATCH ODDS

Result

Albion Win: 9/2, Manchester City Win: 7/10, Draw: 5/2.

First Goalscorer

Albion: Lambert 8/1, Berahino 9/1, Anichebe 9/1, Ideye 10/1, Sessegnon 12/1, McManaman 16/1, McClean 16/1, Gardner 20/1, Brunt 25/1, Dawson 25/1, Morrison 25/1, Chester 28/1, Fletcher 33/1, McAuley 33/1.

Manchester City: Aguero 7/2, Sterling 4/1, Bony 4/1, Iheanacho 5/1, Silva 6/1, Toure 6/1, Nasri 13/2, Roberts 15/2, Garcia 10/1, Navas 11/1, Zuculini 12/1, Kolarov 20/1, Fernandinho 20/1, Fernando 25/1, Evans 25/1, Denayer 28/1, Demichelis 28/1, Mangala 33/1, Zabaleta 33/1, Kompany 33/1.

No Goalscorer: 12/1.

www.williamhill.com

REFEREE

Mike Dean (Wirral)

Dean officiated three Albion games last season - the 2-2 draw against Burnley at Turf Moor in February, the 1-0 win over Aston Villa in December and the 2-2 draw against Manchester United in October, the latter two games both taking place at The Hawthorns.

The Wirral official took charge of five City games last season, four of which took place at the Etihad Stadium - the 6-0 win over Queens Park Rangers in May, the 3-2 win over Aston Villa in April, the 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in January and the 1-1 draw against Chelsea in September. He also refereed the the 2-2 draw against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road in November.

Dean issued 158 yellow cards and eight red in the 38 games he officiated during 2014/15.

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

TICKET INFORMATION

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

City have sold their complete allocation.

WEATHER FORECAST

Light cloud, 19°C.

FIXTURE HISTORY

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS

(Click on game to view)

LAST MEETING AT THE HAWTHORNS

Albion 1-3 Manchester City
Barclays Premier League
Friday 26th December 2014, 3pm

Albion: Foster, Wisdom, Lescott, McAuley, Pocognoli (Gamboa 66’), Mulumbu, Gardner (Brunt 66’), Morrison, Varela (Ideye 66’), Sessegnon, Berahino. Subs not used: Myhill, Dawson, Baird, Yacob.

Goalscorer: Ideye 87

Manchester City: Hart, Sagna, Mangala, Demichelis, Clichy, Fernando, Toure, (Fernandinho 69’), Navas, Silva (Kolarov 63’), Nasri (Lampard 75’), Milner. Subs not used: Caballero, Boyata, Zabaleta, Jovetic.

Goalscorers: Fernando 8, Toure 13 (pen), Silva 34

Booked: Fernando 84 (foul)

Attendance: 26,040

Referee: Mark Clattenburg (County Durham)

Champions Manchester City again made light of the absence of strikers as they cruised to a 3-1 win at West Brom. Fernando, Yaya Toure and David Silva did the damage in the first half at The Hawthorns, scoring inside the opening 34 minutes, as City kept up the pressure on Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea. Snow made conditions difficult in the second half and West Brom earned reward for showing some late spirit as they scrambled an 87th-minute consolation from a corner, Brown Ideye getting the final touch. The scrappy end - albeit mitigated by the weather - took the gloss off an otherwise impressive display by City, who raced out of the blocks and led after just eight minutes. Their victory was their ninth in succession in all competitions, equalling a club record and was the perfect response to Chelsea's defeat of West Ham earlier in the day. It was also all the more impressive coming without forwards Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic and captain Vincent Kompany. Jovetic did make the bench after overcoming a hamstring injury but was not needed as makeshift centre-forward James Milner and the impressive Silva, operating behind him, led the attack.

City needed little time to get into their stride and stretched the hosts early as Silva and Jesus Navas burst forward. Bacary Sagna delivered a dangerous cross but West Brom managed to scramble clear from the feet of Silva and Milner. The respite did not last long as City attacked again with Navas finding space in the area. His deflected cross should have been claimed by Ben Foster but the England goalkeeper fumbled and Fernando acrobatically hooked in from close range. The damage soon got worse for West Brom as Silva skipped into the area and was adjudged to have been fouled by former team-mate Joleon Lescott. Toure stepped up to rifle home the penalty with just 13 minutes gone and City began to look rampant, with Navas darting through and shooting at Foster soon after. West Brom showed some spirit as the recalled Saido Berahino drove across goal but City went close again as Silva fired over after a good move. Samir Nasri twice needed treatment, first for a head injury after being caught between Lescott and Gareth McAuley, and then for a leg problem after a strong challenge by Mulumbu. City were hardly disrupted and went 3-0 up as Fernando seized possession and drove forward to release the ever-threatening Navas. Navas almost casually picked out Silva on the edge of the area and he finished with a superb first-time shot just into the far bottom corner. That finally seemed to spark West Brom into life as Craig Gardner tested Joe Hart and Berahino again shot wide.

It came too late to prevent them being booed off by the home fans at half-time but they carried some momentum into the second period. For a spell the Baggies dictated the play and they almost earned reward when Silvestre Varela slid in to meet a Gardner cross at the back post but diverted the ball wide. James Morrison troubled Hart with a fizzing low shot from distance which the England number one clutched only at the second attempt. As the snow began to thicken and settle, City switched their focus to seeing out the game. Silva, perhaps also as a precaution after an earlier knock, was replaced just after the hour by defender Aleksandar Kolarov. West Brom went close to replying as Lescott headed over and Stephane Sessegnon shot across goal. They finally got on the scoresheet as Hart missed a corner and the ball rebounded in off the back of Ideye's head. It was highly fortuitous, but the Nigerian had at least opened his Premier League account. City saw out the rest of the game with little alarm and Milner celebrated by throwing his shirt to the away fans.

 Sporting Life

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

Albion defender Joleon Lescott spent a hugely successful five years with City before joining the Baggies in June 2014. Lescott joined City from Everton in August 2009 for a reported fee of £22million and made 160 appearances for the club before being released at the end of the 2013/14 season.

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, 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