Manchester City vs. West Bromwich Albion, Premier League 2017: Players to Watch

Manchester City will play their second match of the final week of the Premier League season against West Bromwich Albion at Etihad Stadium.

City dominated the Baggies earlier this season with a 4-0 win, which came courtesy of braces from Sergio Agüero and Ilkay Gundogan. It appeared as if both would miss this match with injury, but Agüero did come on in Saturday’s game against Leicester City as a substitute, so hopefully he is fit enough to play again tomorrow.

Tony Pulis’ side has pretty much outperformed everyone’s expectations this season, as they currently sit in eighth place on the table. Although they haven’t had a true standout player, several stellar performances have come from guys like Ben Foster, Matt Phillips, Gareth McAuley and Salomón Rondón throughout the year.

The Baggies are coming off a 1-0 loss against Chelsea, which actually isn’t as terrible as many believed. Of Chelsea’s 24 shots, only five were on target thanks to West Brom's stout defense. City will have to put plenty of pressure on West Brom this time around if they expect to score and win.

Here’s a look at a few players who can impact this game.

Gareth McAuley

McAuley is having quite the breakout season this year, as he currently leads all Premier League defenders with six goals. Before this season, he had scored only 9 goals in all competitions in his six-year career with the Baggies.

McAuley hasn’t only scored goals, though. Although he only averages 1.4 tackles per game, his 6.3 clearances per game are among the best in the Premier League. McAuley must be on the top of his game to prevent another loss to the Citizens.

Pablo Zabaleta

Rumors have circulated all year surrounding Zabaleta’s inevitable departure from the Etihad, and they were finally confirmed when it was announced that he will leave City at the end of the season. Thus, the match against West Brom will be his final home match as a Citizen.

It is very tough to swallow for City fans, as he has been a mainstay in the team since his arrival in 2008. Even though his talents have deteriorated with age, Zabaleta will be missed at the Etihad for a long time to come. Hopefully he will have a great final performance on Tuesday night.

Salomón Rondón

Rondón has been West Brom’s top scorer with 8 goals this season, but he has been far from consistent. Since his hat trick against Swansea City in December, the Venezuelan striker has only scored one goal.

However, that goal did come against Burnley just over a week ago, which could mean that a spell of good form is on the way. He didn’t have a spectacular performance against Chelsea, as the Baggies focused on a defensive shutdown of the Blues’ lethal attack. Look for Rondón’s name on the scoresheet if West Brom come out on top.

Sergio Agüero

After he suffered a groin injury against Middlesbrough a few weeks ago, many believed City’s star man could miss the rest of the season. However, after a quick appearance as a substitute against Leicester City on the weekend, Agüero should be back in the lineup against Albion.

He had one of his best performances of the season against the Baggies in October, as he scored a brace with two superb goals, one being a right-footed rocket into the top right corner of the goal. Look for the Argentine to impress in City’s final home game this season.