WEST BROM VS MAN CITY

MON AT THE HAWTHORNS

WEST BROM (4-5-1) MYHILL, DAWSPN, CHESTER, OLSSON, LESCOTT, GARDNER, FLETCHER, YACOB, McCLEAN, BRUNT, BERAHINO

MAN CITY (4-2-3-1) BONY, NAVAS, SILVA, TOURE, FERNANDO, FERNANDINHO, MANGALA, DEMICHELIS, ZABALETA, KOLAROV,

Manchester City will be determined to regain their Barclays Premier League title from current holders Chelsea, having finished in second place and eight points behind the Blues last season.

City, the Premier League champions in 2011-12 and 2013-14 and runners-up in 2012-13 and last term, are unbeaten on the season’s opening day in the last six seasons, keeping five clean sheets. They last lost on the first day in the 2008-09 campaign, a 4-2 reverse at Aston Villa.

Albion finished last season strongly with three wins and two draws from their last six games but the Baggies have a poor recent record against City. They have lost their last seven home and away in the league and are without a win in their last 11 (drawing once). Indeed, City last lost to Albion in December 2008 at The Hawthorns.

In the summer, City bought Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling and Villa’s Fabian Delph while WBA brought in Wigan’s James McClean, Hull’s James Chester and former Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert.

West Brom’s recent opening-day fixtures are poor; they have won just one of their last eight, in 2012.

City will miss Sergio Aguero, who has been given an extended break after featuring for Argentina in the Copa America.