It’s Premier League match time at the Hawthorns as West Bromwich Albion host Manchester City on Sunday.

The sides had earlier met at the same venue in a Carling Cup encounter in September, a game the Baggies won 2-1.

City are coming off a 2-1 loss to Wolves in match week ten; that loss has been compounded by a 3-1 defeat in the Europa League at the hands of Poland’s Lech Poznan.

The Wolves match began well as Mancini’s charges went on the attack from the whistle; they went ahead in the 23rd minute off a penalty kick by Emmanuel Adebayor, after Wolves defender Stearman brought down Silva in the box. Strangely, the Eastlands squad were content to sit back on their early lead and that allowed Wolves the foothold they wanted.

Late in the game, Adebayor had another chance to score which would have brought the teams level.

West Brom also faced defeat, in match week ten, at the hands of debutants Blackpool. The Baggies did a commendable job of defending after they were reduced to nine man, with both team managers agreeing that at least one of the send offs was contentious.

Pablo Ibanez was the first to be sent off, eleven minutes into the match. Less than twenty minutes later, Jara was the second to go, giving Holloway’s charges their second and decisive goal.

Under the circumstances, the Baggies not only made it tough for the Tangerines to pierce their defence but also managed to reduce the margin in the 85th minute off a Mulumbu strike, and the Seasiders survived a nerve-racking five minutes in the end, to prevail over the Geordies.

Scharner and Reid had clear scoring opportunities in the dying minutes and the Baggies were justified in being cheated as Pablo Ibanez’s offence did not merit a red card.

West Brom  will be concerned about the leg injury sustained in the Blackpool match by Marc-Antoine Fortune and will hope to have their striker fit for the match against Mancini’s men, on Sunday.

While West Brom hold the home advantage in Sunday’s match, Man City have a point to prove, as a loss at the Hawthorns could unravel their title plans.

Ahead of the match, City only have M Johnson sidelined with injury, while the Baggies have a much longer list that comprises Olsson, Cech, Miller and Mattock. Those apart, West Brom will also not have the services of Jara who is serving a one-match suspension.

West Brom had the following players in their starting eleven against Blackpool: Carson, Jara, Pablo, Tamas, Shorey, Brunt, Mulumbu, Scharner, Thomas, Fortune, Cox

Dorrans, Barnes and Reid played as substitutes.

Manchester City’s starting eleven comprised the following players in their game against Wolves: Hart, Richards, Toure, Kompany, Boateng, Milner, Y Toure, Barry, Adebayor, Balotelli, Silva

The substitutes who played in the game were: Zabaleta, Jo and Johnson