Manchester City travel to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, 29 October as Pep Guardiola looks to end his worst run of games in a season during his time in management. The Citizens have gone six games without a win, including a heavy defeat against Barcelona in the Champions League and a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in the fourth round of the EFL Cup.

Where to Watch

Kick-off is set for 3pm BST. Highlights of the game will be available on BBC match of the Day on BBC One from 10:20pm BST.

Overview

Tony Pulis will be looking to stifle Manchester City by keeping 11 men at the back and hope to catch them on the counter, something the likes of Everton have managed successfully against Pep Guardiola's men. The former Stoke City manager has developed a reputation for keeping well packed defences and will make life difficult for Guardiola, who would not want to make it a run of seven games without a win.

Meanwhile, City played a second string side against United in the fourth round of the EFL Cup compared to Jose Mourinho, who went full throttle to secure his first victory over his rival this season. The Citizens had beaten United 2-1 in the league but have since found it very difficult to find the rhythm they hit earlier in the season.

Jose Mourinho and Josep Guardiola
Jose Mourinho greets Josep Guardiola at Old Trafford Getty Images

Sergio Aguero, who was left out against Barcelona, is expected to resume up top for the Citizens, having started on the bench in the EFL Cup. On the injury front, Bacary Sagna is unavailable with a hamstring problem while Kevin de Bruyne has encountered a calf issue, which will keep him out of contention.

What Managers Say

Tony Pulis: "The football club has to find a way of getting into that top 10. It has to get on the track where we're giving the supporters the chance to see the club grow and grow a nd within a framework and a structure that isn't ridiculous where there's hundreds of millions of pounds being spent. Even if it's just less than £100million, there's lots of clubs doing that and they're not successful. So it's important you do it in a proper way and the thing that excites me more than anything is the fact there are some fantastic young players here as well."

Pep Guardiola: "West Brom play a physical game and a counter-attacking game," he said. "I am aware of the danger posed by Salomon Rondon, and I expect he will try to play long balls for him to hold up. We will have to try and adapt our game, but that happens all the time. Every game is different, every opponent is different, and you have to find a way to deal with it. I have heard a lot about Tony Pulis and I would like to congratulate Tony Pulis on his new contract at West Brom. I have been speaking with my players and I understand he made it almost impossible for visiting teams to win at Stoke City."

Betting Odds (betfair)

  • West Bromwich Albion Win: 13/2
  • Draw: 18/5
  • Manchester City Win: 1/2

Team News

West Bromwich Albion

Possible XI: Foster, Dawson, McAuley, Evans, Nyom; Fletcher; Phillips, Chadli, Gardner, Brunt; Rondon

Manchester City

Possible XI: Bravo; Maffeo, Otamendi, Stones, Kolarov; Fernandinho, Gundogan; Sterling, De Bruyne, Silva; Aguero

Manchester City FC West Bromwich Albion FC Premier League