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Manchester City vs. West Bromwich Albion, Premier League 2017: Team News, Match Preview, Predictions

Three points, one giant step to the Top 4. Can City get the job done?

West Bromwich Albion v Manchester City - Premier League Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

As we enter the final week of the Premier League season, the only race left is the one for the Top 4. With Manchester United out of contention, three teams (Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal) fight for two spots that guarantee Champions League football next season.

Pep Guardiola's men will be just one point away from qualification if they beat West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday night at the Etihad, so a win in the home finale will make the job against Watford in the last day of the season much easier.

Facing a Tony Pulis team is never easy, but City have enjoyed a lot of success against the Baggies in recent seasons. The Sky Blues have won the last five meetings by a combined score of 15-2, including a 4-0 thrashing at the Hawthorns earlier this season. City haven't lost in their last six league matches, while Albion have won just one of their last 10 games.

City really are favorites and Guardiola is facing this game like a final. As hard as Tony Pulis gets his teams to work, it's hard to motivate his squad having just lost to Chelsea on Friday and being forced to travel to the Etihad just three days later.

Everything points to City getting the job done. Can they do it?


MATCH INFO, TV/STREAMING

Date/Time: Tuesday, May 16, 2017, 8pm BST (UK) / 3pm ET, 12pm PT (USA) / 12:30am IST (India, Wednesday)

Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England

Referee: Craig Pawson

Television: Sky Sports 1 (UK), Not Televised (USA), SuperSport 3 (Africa), TSN5 (Canada), Star Sports Select HD1 (India), elsewhere

Online streaming: Sky GO (UK), NBC Sports Live (USA), elsewhere


TEAM NEWS

Fabian Delph has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a muscle injury and joins Claudio Bravo and Ilkay Gundogan in the injured list. These are the only absences for Pep Guardiola in the final week, which means that John Stones is back in training and ready to start. Sergio Agüero returned from injury against Leicester but should be on the bench again as Gabriel Jesus retains the spot up front.

Pablo Zabaleta will probably start his final home game at the Etihad and will say goodbye to the crowd, which likely moves Fernandinho to midfield and sends Grandpa Yaya Touré to the bench.


POSSIBLE LINEUPS

Man City (4-1-4-1)

Caballero; Zabaleta, Stones, Kompany, Kolarov; Fernandinho; Sterling, De Bruyne, Silva, Sané; G.Jesus

West Brom (4-1-4-1)

Foster; Dawson, Wilson, Evans, Nyom; Yacob; Chadli, Livermore, Fletcher, Brunt; Rondón


PREDICTION

Tough game, no entertainment, but a win is a win: 3-1 City.