West Bromwich Albion will be taking these two matches very seriously as these two matches will seal their league standing. The Baggies pay a visit to the Etihad Stadium to entertain the mighty Manchester City. Pulis has to take his chances as both Southampton and Bournemouth are sniffing on their shoulders and any slip in this crucial juncture would prove to be very costly.
West Brom are not an attacking side like City but they do have the players who can shake up City’s defence. They mainly attack on the counter and could be very dangerous from set piece situations.
Predicted 4-1-4-1 West Bromwich Albion Lineup
Defence
Ben Foster has had a very eventful season so far under the bar and he will be in the goal for this crucial match.
The unavailability of Gareth McAuley will force Pulis to tweak his defensive line a little bit. He will recall Mark Wilson again who replaced an injured McAuley in the last match.
Johny Evans has been an ever presence in the Baggies backline and he will lead the defence in McAuley’s absence. Baggies defence has been one of the most talked about things in this season.
Craig Dawson also has had a very fruitful season and he is expected to be in his usual right back position.
Allan Nyom will start as a left back.
Midfield
Darren Fletcher’s performance graph has gone upwards in this season. Since his transfer to the Baggies, his rise to prominence hasn’t gone unnoticed as he has flourished in the holding midfield role. To create a hurdle for the City attackers, Pulis would deploy him just before the four-man backline to ensure extra protection.
Jake Livermore usually plays the defensive midfield role but in the last match, Livermore was deployed in a further advanced role and Pulis would like to continue with this.
19-year-old Sam Field started four matches in the Premier League and he is poised to start his 5th game of the season.
Attack
James McClean struggled to get a foothold in the next match but he is the centre of Pulis’ strategy and will continue in his place. He will be on the left flank.
Chris Brunt’s age might cause a problem with City’s pace but he would retain his place in the starting lineup.
Salomon Rondon would be a genuine threat to the City defenders as the Venezuelan international will try to break in the Skyblues’ defence.
