West Bromwich Albion make the trip to Watford this afternoon looking to put Monday’s disappointing 3-0 defeat to Manchester City behind them whilst earning their first points of the season.

Manuel Pellegrini's side made light work of Albion at The Hawthorns with David Silva and Yaya Toure putting the Citizens into a 2-0 lead after 25 minutes before captain Vincent Kompany sealed the win just before the hour mark.

Tony Pulis’ men will be looking to build on their respectable 13th place finish of last season after the former Stoke City and Plymouth Argyle boss dragged the west Midlands side away from the relegation zone.

Predecessor Alan Irvine had endured a poor first half a season before being sacked on December 29.

Pulis, 57, was appointed three days later and his impact was instantaneous with a draw at West Ham United followed by a 7-0 FA Cup win over Gateshead in his first two games.

When Pulis arrived on New Year’s Day West Brom had won just four times in 20 games, kept just six clean sheets and were sitting in 17th place, just outside the relegation zone.

By May he had totally turned their fortunes around.

In their final 18 games they were only defeated six times, keeping ten clean sheets in the process.

That run included memorable wins over Chelsea and Southampton at The Hawthorns, as well as an impressive victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford for the second straight in succession. The Baggies were one of only two clubs to stop the Red Devils from scoring at home last season.

The Welshman has never been relegated in his lengthy managerial career and it is that fact which made him the outstanding option for Albion chairman Jeremy Peace when the decision was made to part with Irvine.

West Brom had a mixed pre-season, winning four and losing two of their seven outings, but those four wins came in succession towards the end of July.

Pulis has spent £24 million in the transfer window so far, breaking Albion's transfer record to sign striker Jose Salomon Rondon from Zenit St Petersburg for half of that figure.

Hull City centre-back James Chester, Liverpool outcast Rickie Lambert and former Wigan Athletic winger James McClean have also moved to The Hawthorns this summer.

Last season’s top scorer Saido Berahino has been linked with Tottenham Hotspur throughout the transfer window and Pulis will be desperate to hold on to the England Under-21 striker after he netted 20 times for the Baggies last term.

Venezuelan international Rondon, 25, scored 13 times in 17 league starts for Russian outfit Zenit last season and will be expected to shoulder some of the goal-scoring responsibility.

Only Berahino made it into double figures in the league last season with Brown Ideye the next highest scorer with a paltry four goals in 24 outings.

Similar expectations will be on former Southampton striker Lambert, who moved to West Brom after a single, miserable season at Anfield in which he scored twice in seven league starts.

The Baggies travel to Vicarage Road this coming Saturday having tasted defeat just once in their last eight visits to WD18.

Their most recent was a 1-1 draw in April 2010 when Roberto Di Matteo, in his first season in charge of the club, was on the verge of guiding Albion back into the top flight at the first attempt.

Danny Graham put ten-man Watford in front with five minutes remaining only for Chris Brunt - still at Albion now - to equalise at the death.

West Bromwich Albion XI v Manchester City (10.8.15): Myhill; Chester, Dawson, Lescott, Brunt; Gardner, Fletcher, Morrison, McClean; Lambert, Berahino.