Apart from Chelsea, Manchester City are the only team to still be unbeaten after seven games of the English Premier League; but four wins and three draws do no say the whole story of a team that have hardly looked like the dominant force of early last season.
Roberto Mancini's side have uncharacteristically leaked eight goals already, and if not for their potent offense and ability to pick up a result even when playing not too well, they would have been much further down the Premier League table than the 15 points, which keeps them four points behind Chelsea.
City travel to the Hawthorns to take on a buoyant West Brom side, that lie just one point behind the English Premier League champions. For manager Steve Clarke, the Man City game will just be another step towards continuing their splendid run. "If you have money to spend you go out and spend it -- and you have to spend it wisely," Clarke said.
"I think we've spent it wisely this year and Man City will claim they have spent it wisely because in a very short space of time they have become champions.
"But the challenge for us is 11 versus 11 on a matchday, or 14 against 14 if you use the subs. That's the challenge. It doesn't matter how much they cost.
"We respect but we don't fear them and we'll look to give them a good game."
West Brom will sweat on the fitness of influential midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu, after the 25-year-old picked up a knock on international duty with the Republic of Congo. However, striker Romelu Lukaku is expected to be fit for the game, after seemingly recovering from an ankle problem.
Despite there being only one point separating the two teams, Clarke acknowledged the ambition of the two clubs was completely different. "The pressure at Man City is to win trophies and not lose matches," he said. "You go from game to game looking to win game after game.
"One of the things at Chelsea when I was there was to look to win ten games in a row. Whereas maybe at another club you are only looking to win a couple in a row - you think you might lose one and get a draw here.
"At that level you know you need to string together a result or maybe ten consecutive wins. The pressure to win is there - but you deal with it. It's part and parcel of the job.
"You get on a run and you just keep playing the matches as they come along. I was fortunate at Chelsea that we did go on runs where we were winning, winning and winning.
"It's a good feeling and it does build the momentum. City are looking at maybe dropping no more than 25 to 30 points to be champions. They would work backwards on that principal.
"We work it the other way in terms of trying to reach 40 points because that's normally enough to stay in the Premier League. But the pressure is the same at all clubs.
"You get just as disappointed when you lose and as happy when you win."
City have been dealt a blow after playmaker David Silva was almost certainly ruled out for Saturday's clash due to a hamstring injury which forced him out of Spain's game against France, with the midfielder also a major doubt for the midweek Champions League clash against Ajax.
Mancini will know, with Chelsea going big guns and Manchester United and Arsenal also looking good, City cannot afford a slip-up, and the power and pace of Yaya Toure in particular will be crucial to unlocking the West Brom defense.
Expected lineups: West Brom: Foster, Tamas, McAuely, Olsson, Popov, Yacob, Mulumbu, Gera, Morrison, Odemwingie, Long.
Man City: Hart, Kolarov, Lescott, Kompany, Richards, Barry, Garcia, Toure, Milner, Aguero, Balotelli.
Prediction: 3-1 to Man City
