Albion looking for Emirates repeat

Albion were today urged to summon the 'Emirates spirit' as they prepare to face world football's richest club.

Baggies captain Chris Brunt claims his team remain well-placed in their bid for Premier League survival despite a run of just one win in nine matches.

And boss Roberto Di Matteo called for a repeat of his team's display in their famous 3-2 win at Arsenal when they take on moneybags Manchester City at Eastlands.

He said: "They are a good team and they have a lot of good, dangerous players.

"They can replace quality with quality. If they have one player missing, they have another quality player to replace him without feeling it.

"They are playing at home but they have had a couple of results they weren't happy with so we will try to put some pressure on them. There is always more pressure on the home side anyway but it's obvious that they are big and strong at home.

"But we have had some good results against big clubs and we have matched them in many of the games we have played apart from the first game of the season.

"If we can raise our game to those levels we will have a good game. Our run is three games and four points and I am quite happy with that.

"We are looking at the bright side because I think we are improving and we've got four points from the last three games.

"At home against Manchester United we matched them in the game for long periods and should have got something out of it. I saw City at Birmingham and they started strongly.

"They had a lot of the game."

The Baggies' depressing recent results have seen them slump from their superb start to the season into the thick of a relegation battle.

But Brunt, who has taken over the captain's armband since Scott Carson was dropped, insists the players must attempt to look on the bright side.

He said: "We were probably running on adrenaline for a few games at the start of the season because we were doing so well.

"But if someone had put us in this position now we'd have said it was realistic. None of us expected anything other than a relegation battle and at the moment that's what we're in.

"We showed with our form at the start of the season that we are capable of doing better but it's producing consistency week in, week out that makes you a Premier League team and at the moment we're not doing that.

"We have to approach it as we did the Arsenal and Manchester United games but also take into account what happened at The Hawthorns when they came here.

"We know what Manchester City are about and if we can cut out the errors and sloppy goals we know we are capable of scoring goals.

"But keeping the ball out of our net would be a good start."

Brunt is eager to avoid a repeat of the Baggies' last trip to Eastlands, when his two goals counted for nothing as they were beaten 4-2 on their way to relegation under Tony Mowbray.

The skipper said: "It was a pretty exciting game up there last time and was probably as well as we played, but it highlighted our weaknesses that season.

"We played pretty well going forwards and scored two goals and had loads of chances but we still conceded four goals. A lot of things have changed there since then.

"They have spent astronomical transfer fees and the players that have been brought into Manchester City means things are going to be really difficult for us.

"But the boys are pretty confident after the second-half performance on Tuesday and hopefully we can take that into tomorrow. It was important for us to keep Wigan below us in the table.

"Psychologically that might give us a big boost."

Di Matteo today insisted Albion have enough firepower despite Roman Bednar's surprise move to Turkey.

The Baggies boss believes he has enough striking options with Ishmael Miller available to return from his loan at QPR in a fortnight.

Bednar's loan switch to Ankaragucu left Marc-Antoine Fortune and loanee Carlos Vela as the only back-up for leading scorer Peter Odemwingie.

Di Matteo said: "We have a recall available on Ishmael and I was very pleased for Fortune, who came on and had a big impact against Wigan on Tuesday.

"He was very good. Roman's move came about from a lack of opportunities. He is playing abroad so there is no recall."

Graham Dorrans, remains a major doubt with an ankle injury and the Hawthorns head coach could also be without full-backs Gonzalo Jara and Marek Cech, with Steven Reid and Nicky Shorey standing by to fill in.

Di Matteo said: "At the moment Jara and Cech are 50-50. It is Jara's hamstring and Cech's groin."