Aguero
Sergio Agueri not at his very best Getty

Manchester City host West Bromwich Albion at the Etihad on Saturday in a game that can determine two positions at either end of the table.

Where to watch live

Kick-off is set for 12.45pm GMT. Live coverage of the game will be on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 1 HD.

Overview

Manchester City are in a spot of bother at the moment, currently six points behind Chelsea, who have a game in hand, and are out of all other competitions following their 1-0 loss to Barcelona in the round of 16 tie of the Champions League.

The reigning English Champions were given a lesson in football by Lionel Messi and his teammates although they managed to restrict Barcelona to a 1-0 win after some brilliant goalkeeping by Joe Hart.

The tie was already in the balance following their 2-1 loss at home to the Catalans which needed them to score two away goals at the home of the La Liga leaders. They came close to halving the deficit but scuppered the opportunity as Sergio Aguero missed a penalty with 10 minutes left in the clock.

Meanwhile, Manuel Pellegrini's hopes of retaining the league title are looking bleaker by the day and the Champions are instead holding on for a top four spot, while being chased by the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, who are one and two points behind respectively.

Their 1-0 loss to Burnley at Turf Moor last weekend was a reflection of City's struggles in the league, which can be exacerbated by Tony Pulis' West Bromwich Albion who are fighting to save relegation.

The Baggies have lost only two of their last 10 games in the league since the induction of Pulis and will be a tough nut to crack in spite of the Citizens being at home. Pulis will be looking to take advantage of City's exertions in midweek and hope that they fall short and allow them a route to take some points from their highly distinguished rivals.

What Managers Say

Manuel Pellegrini: "Always it will be my responsibility because I choose the starting XI, I choose the squad and I choose the way we like to play. I am very happy not to change our style of play because I don't think that you can try to arrive at [the next stage in another way]. So I don't have any complaints about that. I have a very good relationship with the players, always they try to give their best and, I repeat, we are not doing as bad as everyone has tried to demonstrate. We can do better, especially in cups this year – that was not good – but I don't think I have anything to complain about."

Tony Pulis: "We talk about playing against Barcelona and they are one player short in that game: Messi. He was the difference. I'm absolutely convinced if you put him in City's team, they would be through now. The pressure is he has to win, the amount of money Man City have invested. I don't think it's just at the top, it's at the bottom. We've seen it with Gus Poyet at Sunderland this week, there comes a tipping point. That's the industry we're in. There are lots of things in life that aren't fair."

Betting Odds (By 888Sport.com)

Team News

  • Manchester City Win: 1/3
  • Draw: 17/4
  • West Bromwich Albion Win: 37/4

Manchester City

Possible XI: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy; Nasri, Toure, Fernandinho, Silva; Bony, Aguero

West Bromwich Albion

Possible XI: Myhill; Dawson, McAuley, Olsson, Lescott; Gardner, Morrison, Fletcher, Sessegnon; Berahino, Ideye

Manchester City FC