Manchester United pulled off a brilliant comeback win at the Etihad Stadium last weekend, and
Jose Mourinho's side must win again today to delay Manchester City's title coronation. They will be glad then, that it is rock-bottom
West Bromwich Albion who are the visitors to Old Trafford today.
MAN UNITED: De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Lindelof, Young; Matic, Herrera, Pogba; Mata, Sanchez, Lukaku
Subs: Pereira, Jones, Rojo, McTominay, Lingard, Rashford, Martial
WEST BROM: Foster; Nyom, Dawson, Hegazi, Gibbs; Phillips, Livermore, Brunt, McClean; Rodriguez, Rondon
Subs: Myhill, Gabr, Yacob, Krychowiak, Field, Burke, Sturridge
Mourinho makes two changes from the starting XI which faced City, with Juan Mata replacing Jesse Lingard and Victor Lindelof coming in for Eric Bailly, whose fitness is still being managed after three months out with a hamstring injury.
Once again it looks as though United will line up in the 4-3-3 formation that brought the best out of
Paul Pogba last weekend, with the Frenchman scoring his first goals since November to inspire the turnaround. Ander Herrera keeps his place, providing Pogba with greater attacking freedom.
With Lingard, Marcus Rashford and
Anthony Martial on the bench, that is a huge vote of confidence in Pogba's ability to affect the game as an offensive force. United could have got away with playing Pogba in a two today but Mourinho feels he can get more out of him in this three-man midfield.
Defender Phil Jones is back on the bench for the hosts, having last played in the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United two months ago, but Luke Shaw once again misses out on the squad completely.
West Brom's caretaker manager
Darren Moore names the same team which drew 1-1 with Swansea City, which ended the miserable run of nine straight defeats under the departed
Alan Pardew.
With Pardew having left the club earlier this month, it appears as though the Baggies are now planning for life in the Championship. They are 12 points adrift of safety with five games to play, so even defeat today would not see them mathematically relegated, even if it is an inevitability.
A famous scalp at Old Trafford might help Moore, a warrior of a defender who made over 100 appearances for Albion between 2001 and 2006, stake his claim for the job on a permanent basis. The 43-year-old has Daniel Sturridge back among the substitutes to help him to that.
However, former United centre-back Jonny Evans, a player Mourinho admits he wouldn't have sold, is absent because of a knee injury, and Nacer Chadli and Gareth Barry are still unavailable.
Moore appears to have been brave and stuck with a 4-4-2 formation, although
Jay Rodriguez's versatility means that he could be shifted out wide to leave Salomon Rondon as the lone striker if West Brom begin to get overwhelmed in midfield.
Either Rodriguez or Rondon have scored in Albion's last four matches, but goals have been West Brom's biggest problem over the course of the season. They have only netted eight times on the road all season - which is the worst return in the division.
That statistic might explain why the Baggies are winless in their last 15 Premier League away games, losing 11 and drawing four. However, all of their seven away points this season have come against teams that began the day in the top half of the table.
Although last Saturday's point against Swansea stopped the rot, it was the third time in four games that Albion had surrendered a lead. The Baggies have actually dropped a league-high 26 points from winning positions this season and that has been another huge factor in their doomed campaign.
RESULTS: West Brom's awful season has been compounded by the fact that their Black Country rivals Wolves have run away with the Championship. Nuno Espirito Santo's side were confirmed promoted yesterday and celebrated in style with a
2-0 win over Birmingham today.
Elsewhere, Newcastle are now surely safe following a 2-1 win over Arsenal, who have now lost five Premier League away games in a row and are in a real battle to hold off seventh-place Burnley.
Since themselves losing to Newcastle back in February, United have strung together five league wins in a row, which is their best form of the season. It has come too late to challenge City for the title, but they have reconsolidated second place ahead of Liverpool.
Back-to-back wins this week - United travel to Bournemouth on Wednesday - would open up a seven-point gap on their other fierce rivals.
In three of those five victories, United had to come from behind but it would be a surprise if that were to happen today as they have not conceded a single home goal against a side in the bottom half of the table this season.
The Red Devils have kept 11 home clean sheets this season to help them to a league-high 16 shutouts, which might explain why
David de Gea is among the PFA Player of the Year nominees again.
It might not always have been carnival football, but that defensive record has helped United to 71 points, which is already the most they have managed across a single season since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
As some of you will no doubt remember, Ferguson's final match in charge was at home to West Brom, in which
Romelu Lukaku, then on loan at the Baggies from Chelsea, scored a hat-trick in a remarkable 5-5 draw.
Lukaku has scored for both teams in this fixture, having bagged in the 2-1 win at The Hawthorns earlier this season. The Belgian also notched four times in six games for Everton against Albion.
Hands up if you captained Lukaku this week! (Triple captain actually - but I will keep this commentary professional!)
While Lukaku is one of the first names on Mourinho's teamsheet, it is disappointment again for Martial and Rashford who are left on the bench once again. There are rumours that the Frenchman in particular is unhappy with his playing time and is stalling on a new contract at Old Trafford.
Mourinho encouraged the paper talk this week when he said that the top teams should do more swap deals, like the one involving now-Arsenal winger Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alexis Sanchez in January. What about Tottenham's Toby Alderweireld for Martial in the summer? Make it happen.
Around 10 minutes until kickoff at the Theatre of Dreams, where Paul Tierney is our referee. It has not been a great week for English officials, with Michael Olivier earning Gianluigi Buffon's wrath in the Champions League, so Mr Tierney will be hoping to stay out of the spotlight this afternoon.
HEAD TO HEAD: West Brom have won three of the nine Premier League matches against United in the post-Ferguson era. Of those three Baggies wins, two came at Old Trafford: 2-1 in September 2013 and 1-0 in May 2015, and they also drew here last season.
The Red Devils are looking for their first league double over Albion since 2011-12, when Wayne Rooney scored three goals across two games in a season in which they famously lost out on the title to Manchester City with the last kick of the campaign. (AGUERROOOO!)
PREDICTION: United are probably in the best shape they have been in since the early months of the season and could put West Brom to the sword if they get an early goal. Albion's draw against Swansea is not going to be enough to rebuild the confidence that has been shattered by such a miserable run and I expect the Red Devils to be ruthless in a 4-0 rout.
KICKOFF: The action is underway at Old Trafford, with United immediately on the front foot as Sanchez knocks a ball in behind for Mata, who doesn't quite have the pace to get on the end of it.
Not only does the three-man midfield give Pogba more freedom, but it allows Mata to drift across the pitch rather than stick to the right flank. The Spaniard has been heavily involved in the early minutes and taken up some dangerous positions.
Rodriguez pinches the ball off Matic and drives into the box, but Lindelof uses his body well to thwart the forward. Both of them limp away from the innocuous challenge, but aren't badly enough hurt to require any medical attention.
SHOT! Pogba collects the ball from the left wing and turns inside, bending a 30-yard shot towards the bottom corner which is easy pickings for one-time United goalkeeper Foster.
The match has already established the expected pattern of 10 Albion players behind the ball, with Rodriguez dropping into midfield to help out, and United trying to pick holes in the defensive wall.
Young drifts in from the left and is given the time and space to lift a pass over the top for Mata, who brings it down skilfully but pokes straight at Foster, with the offside flag raised anyway.
SAVE! United are handed a real scare as Rodriguez and Rondon combine to find the unchecked run of Livermore into the right side of the area. The midfielder cuts back onto his left foot but his tame shot is pushed away by De Gea, and United eventually clear their lines.
CHANCE! West Brom are showing signs of life as Livermore switches the play to McClean, whose deep cross is met by a Rondon header which the striker cannot keep down.
Matic's slip allows the visitors to spring forward again but Livermore's pass for Rondon is overhit.
Mourinho spoke in the week about the danger of complacency after their win over City and there has been an element of that to the way that they have started this game. Some of the passing in their own half has been sloppy and there has not been much urgency to their attacks as of yet.
SAVES! Foster makes a great double save to keep Albion on level terms, firstly blocking from Lukaku from point-blank range after Mata had neatly turned the ball into his path, and then keeping out Sanchez's follow-up effort with his legs.
Pogba makes a run into the left channel but Dawson, who moments ago could have given away a penalty when he clipped Herrera, follows him and does well to earn his side a goal kick by knocking it off the Frenchman.
CHANCE! Rondon is having some joy pulling onto Lindelof at the back post, and McClean is targetting him with his delivery from the left. The Venezuelen gets up for another header but it is down into the floor and safely into De Gea's midrift.
West Brom are keeping their defensive shape well and United are having to be very cute to try to get the ball into Lukaku's feet. It is not working for them at present, and I wonder if they would have more success by getting their full-backs forward and whipping some crosses in.
Lukaku loses Nyom with a stepover and fizzes a brilliant ball across the six-yard box but both Mata and Pogba had hung back. That is the type of service the Belgian would love himself.
YELLOW! You've heard of the hand of God, but what about the hand of Pog?! The United midfielder has just been booked for deliberate handball after sticking a hand out to meet Young's cross. There was not much intent to it, just an instinctive action when he realised he couldn't reach it with his head.
Lingard is being missed by United here, as the midfielder makes those runs off Lukaku and also gets into the box alongside the striker. Pogba has only done that once so far and has been more content to come deep to collect the ball as he would in a two-man midfield.
There is very little going on in front of Matic, so he takes a 25-yard shot on which he drags horribly wide.
Rondon spots Phillips getting on his bike down the right and tries to release him with a through-ball on the inside of Young, but the former winger had taken up an excellent defensive position.
CHANCE! Pogba's pass takes a nick off Herrera which fools Hegazi, and Lukaku would have had a one-on-one had his heavy first touch not allowed Foster to race off his line.
Lukaku had peeled onto Gibbs at the back post but Pogba choose to shoot from 30 yards out instead, and gets it horribly wrong by finding the second tier behind Foster's untroubled goal.
Dawson gets away from Matic from a Brunt corner and heads back across goal. United are lucky that it falls to Smalling five yards out and the defender hoofs the ball clear.
United are trying eye-of-the-needle passes through West Brom and they are largely defending quite comfortably. The hosts need to get the ball wide and stretch Albion's compact rearguard.
Rodriguez heads a corner away at the near post and that might get the Baggies through to half time.
HALF TIME: MAN UNITED 0-0 WEST BROM
This isn't quite going to script, with WBA keeping United out with relative ease and even causing a few problems themselves. If Pep Guardiola has finished his golf game, he might want to get his eyes on Old Trafford as it isn't out of the realms of possibility that his side become champions today.
Romelu Lukaku has had a couple of good openings but has been denied by the quick reactions of
Ben Foster on each occasion, while at the other end David de Gea saved from Jake Livermore. The Red Devils could also have had a penalty when Craig Dawson clipped Ander Herrera in the box.
It would be unfair to say that Mourinho's team selection was cautious, as it was this setup that scored three goals in a half against Man City last weekend, but I am sure that West Brom's defence would be far less comfortable with
Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford running at them.
Time for Lingard as well? Plenty of Fantasy Football managers will be hoping so...
Darren Moore will be really pleased with what he has seen from his side in that first half. They have sprung forward in numbers and the delivery from McClean on the left has been good.
KICKOFF: We are back underway at Old Trafford and Mourinho has indeed made a half-time change, taking off Herrera and bringing on Lingard to play off Lukaku.
BLOCK! Lingard immediately has a chance as Sanchez and Mata play clever balls around the corner for the substitute, whose shot was on target but is blocked heroically by Dawson.
CHANCE! The McClean-Rondon combination continues to carry a threat for the Baggies, and the striker directs his header back towards the top corner but De Gea read it well and moves his feet quickly to make a simple catch.
If we saw the good of
Paul Pogba last weekend, then it has been the bad and the ugly again today. The midfielder's passing has been well off and his body language isn't very encouraging either.
Pogba turns Valencia's cutback into the path of Mata, who lets the ball run across him and strikes with his left foot 20 yards out, but the effort was always swerving away from goal.
The visitors load the box after Pogba trips McClean on the left edge of the box, but Brunt's delivery is off the wall and West Brom cannot recycle the ball to salvage the opportunity.
West Brom have defended very well this afternoon but an injury to Dawson could upset the solidity of that back four. The 27-year-old has indicated to the bench that he is struggling.
SUBSTITUTION: There is some action from the bench, but Dawson will have to wait as Mourinho introduces Martial at the expense of Pogba, for whom today was one step forward and two back.
Matic leaves a backwards pass to Lindelof short and only a strong and brave tackle from the Swede prevents Rodriguez from getting to the ball first and potentially running through on goal.
United now have an abundance of attacking players on the pitch, with Mata and Lingard dropping back into the midfield three, Sanchez switching to the right and Martial taking up his favoured position on the left. At the moment though the Red Devils still lack a cutting edge.
Moments after Lingard had nearly squeezed a through-ball into Mata, United want a free-kick for handball on the edge of the box, but Martial had knocked the ball against Livermore's hand.
SAVE! Lukaku connects brilliantly with his header, powerful and down to Foster's right, but the West Brom goalkeeper makes a superb diving save to push the ball away, with Martial forced too wide to make anything of the second ball.
CLOSE! United are starting to knock on the door now, with Lingard going close with a drive from the edge of the box, which took a nick off Brunt but did not result in a corner.
The Red Devils finally have Albion outnumbered going forward but Lingard tries a difficult pass to Martial, who was in a better position but is frustrated as Hegazi intercepts the ball.
GOAL! MAN UNITED 0-1 WEST BROM (JAY RODRIGUEZ)
Jay Rodriguez may have just sealed the title for Manchester City! The forward's own good work earns Albion a corner, from which Matic inadvertently heads the ball back across goal to tee up Rodriguez for a simple headed finish from close range. Get that trophy engraver on the phone...
There is no doubt that United will throw the kitchen sink at Albion now and their first half-chance to equalise is spurned by Martial as he shoots into the ground and over from the edge of the box.
SUBSTITUTION: Mourinho throws on yet another attacker as Rashford replaces Young. That is six offensive players on the pitch now, surely they can salvage something here?
YELLOW! Nyom enters the book for a heavy and late challenge on Martial by the left touchline.
SUBSTITUTION: Moore has made a move to preserve this shock lead - bringing on Grzegorz Krychowiak for Phillips.
It is still not happening for United, with West Brom staying disciplined and getting their bodies in the way of every cross. The visitors even look a little threatening on the break through McClean and Rodriguez, with United committing at least eight players forward with every attack.
SUBSTITUTION: Daniel Sturridge is on for the final six minutes in place of Rondon, who has had a very fine game. The Liverpool player inside the on-loan striker must be loving this!
United work it nicely around the box but Matic's through-ball is just out of reach of Sanchez.
So far the Red Devils have not been able to create that one clear-cut equalising chance. There was Lukaku's header at 0-0, brilliantly saved by Foster who has arguably been man of the match.
Martial whips a ball into the near post which is just out of reach of Lukaku, who was been held closely by Dawson. Now Man City are just FOUR minutes of added time away from being champions.
CHANCE! Smalling was United's hero last weekend, and the defender climbs above Nyom at the back post to meet Valencia's cross, but it is a simple save from Foster.
SUBSTITUTION: Moore makes a time-wasting sub by bringing on Claudio Yacob in place of Chris Brunt.
FULL TIME: MAN UNITED 0-1 WEST BROM
MANCHESTER CITY ARE CHAMPIONS! Nobody expected it to happen like this, but it is West Brom who have handed Pep Guardiola's side the title with a shock victory at Old Trafford. It will come too late to save them from relegation, but this is a moment for them to remember in a miserable season.
However, it is an afternoon to forget for United who now have a battle on their hands for second.
That is it from me. You can read our
match report from Old Trafford here, and more on
City's title triumph here. Thanks for joining
Sports Mole today. Until next time, goodbye, and congratulations to Manchester City!