And that is that. Fairly routine stuff from City and fairly poor stuff from WBA who, for the most part, posed zero threat in the second half. The only worry for City after that match will be the injury that forced Silva off on a stretcher. That win means City are still in the title race and that the league cannot be decided next weekend. Thanks for all the emails, tweets and opinions. Bye!

90 + 4 mins Milner's effort on goal is saved by Foster and goes out for a corner. Nasri fails to beat the first man. Most of the crowd at the Etihad have gone home and there are large bare patches of seats dotted around the stadium.

90 + 3 mins Dorrans does one over the bar. Something tells me WBA are not going to win this one.

90 + 1 mins

90 mins Five more minutes separate City from three points.

89 mins Ridgewell has gone off injured so WBA will finish the game with 10 men on the pitch. Kolarov, meanwhile, comes on for Dzeko.

88 mins "David Flynn is wrong ," says Ben Bamford. "I was bitten by a spider when standing in a field once and suffered a really swollen hand so if Spider-man hid in the tall grass and just waited for Batman to have picnic or something, then bit him, I think it could be another big win for the arachnids."

87 mins Corner to City after Olsson stays tight to Dzeko and blocks his effort on goal. Nasri crosses but it his effort is overhit and WBA clear the danger.

85 mins Morrison on for Mulumbu.

84 mins And that could, nae should, have been a goal to City. Nasri played a neat one-two on the edge of the area and set the ball up for Dzeko. From a decent angle, he curled the ball around the post when, at the very least, he should have been testing Foster.

82 mins Meanwhile, down the other end WBA almost did a goal. Anichebe out-muscled Kompany on the edge of the box with his back to goal. The ball was played out wide to Ridgewell who met the pass with a curling effort. Hart made a terrific reaction save but Berahino was this close to getting to the ball ahead of the keeper.

80 mins "That Silva injury has subdued both the game and the crowd," says the official Manchester City Twitter feed, ignoring the fact that the injury had nothing to do with the lack of noise and that the crowd had been "subdued" from almost the start of the game.

78 mins A long diagonal pass finds Milner, near the corner flag on the left. He sets up Jovetic who sets up Fernandinho. The Brazilian blasts the ball over row Z and into the car park, almost breaking the front window of one of the fancy cars parked there.

76 mins On with Berahino, off with Sessègnon.

75 mins "There's no doubt Batman would beat SpiderMan" says a confident David Flynn. "Barman beat Superman for God's sake. Plus what Spiderman villains never realise is they just need to take him away from the city, most of his ability involves swinging from very tall buildings. He's basically defenceless when standing in a field."

72 mins Meanwhile, down the other end, Jovetic gets away from Dorrans and sees the ball bounce nicely for him just outside the box. He aims for goal but his effort is just wide.

71 mins Amalfitano goes on a mazy run around the half-way line, skipping and slipping past a few challenges. He sent the ball out to Ridgewell who knocked it long into the box. Anichebe knocked it down but WBA could do nothing with it. Amalfitano then tests Hart from distance but the City keeper rises to the challenge.

69 mins Milner comes on for Silva. Just seen a replay of the incident, 'twas a fairly innocuous challenge.

66 mins WBA get a rare foray into the City half. It comes to a swift end when Amalfitano kicks Silva on his sore ankle. He looks to be in some pain. There is a stretcher on the pitch. This could well be the end of his season.

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64 mins Agüero, perhaps still nursing that earlier knock, is replaced by Jovetic.

62 mins "If there are no rules, it would be Batman every time" says Michael Brett in a matter-of-fact manner. "Batman’s contingency plans for taking out every single hero in the DC Universe have been the basis of more than one storyline. He even has a back up personality in the event of a physiological attack (which is ever more insane than his regular one). The only thing that would save Spider-Man is that he currently exists in an entirely separate universe (one that hasn’t crossed over with Batman’s since the mid 90’s ‘Amalgam’ days)."

60 mins Anichebe comes on for Vydra.

57 mins Silva shakes off Mulumbu to ensure City retain possession on their left. They move the ball to the right via the medium of passing. It comes back inside and Silva picks it up again and spreads the ball wide to the right once more. They eventually break through the massed ranks of the WBA defence with Silva setting Nasri free near the corner of the box. The Frenchman plays the ball back to Silva who sends it wide to Zabaleta. He plays the ball to the front post where Nasri tries to reconnect with it but the danger is snuffed out for a corner. City do nothing with that.

55 mins WBA are now getting their foot on the ball but once they get within a whiff of goal, they get all in a tizzy and do nothing with it, except give the ball back to their opponents. Meanwhile, there might be some bad news on the horizon for City, Agüero is struggling and looks to have injured himself.

53 mins "Maybe there's an analogy in this year's league title contenders," reckons James Walker Boyd. "Manchester City is Batman: the secretive billionaire spending his ocean of oil wealth on slick imported kit. Liverpool is Spider-Man: a reckless youth whose super powers are all down to being in the wrong place at the right time. Who wins? We shall soon find out!"

51 mins Corner to City. Nasri sends it over but WBA clear and go on the counterattack. It's three versus three but on the half-way line Vydra gives the ball away and the WBA attack peters out almost as quickly as it started.

50 mins The Etihad is still almost silent. It's not always this bad, is it?

48 mins City have spent the first few minutes doing their own interpretation of tiki-taka. WBA are doing their best to close them down but they are struggling to get their foot on the ball. "Readers of the Comic Curmudgeon know that the Spiderman in the daily strip is completely useless and just likes to sit around watching TV," says Dave Hill. "If he has the powers shown in the movies, he should take the Batman."

46 mins No changes to tell you about just yet.

45 mins And we are back.

"Spider-Man" reckons Patrick Crumlish. "Too fast and too strong for Batman who, after all, despite all the gadgets, is just a man at the peak of his physical powers and has no super powers. Remember, Spider-Man has the proportional strength of a spider. Or something."

For those asking about the rules for the rumble between Batman and Spiderman, there are no rules. And that's not trying to sound all Fight Clubish, that's just due to a lack of time, wit and imagination.

Well that was fun. Back in a few minutes for some more fun, yeah? See you then.

45 mins García concedes a free-kick about 27 yards out. Brunt gets ready to whack it. His effort is miles over. And I mean miles.

43 mins Sessègnon, surrounded by City players, loses the ball in his own half and City canter down their left-hand side. They do nothing with the attack, however. Meanwhile, down the other end on the right, WBA enjoyed a decent spell of possession. That led to Jones putting a most dangerous ball for Sessègnon whose effort is deflected by Kompany onto the roof of the net from just a few yards out. WBA do nowt with the corner.

40 mins So, who would win in a fight – Batman or Spiderman?

39 mins "I don't think West Brom's decision to look like AC Milan is having the desired effect," honks Ian Copestake.

After that last corner, City won another, this time on the right. Nasri was the man to take it. He sent it over with speed and Kompany got a touch on it near to the near post. In the middle, Ridgewell was dreaming about who would win in a fight between Batman or Spiderman. This allowed Demichelis the time and the space to let the ball knock off his shin and into the net.

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Too easy this one.

34 mins WBA attack down the right. Amalfitano plays the ball inside to Sessègnon. He loses it and City attack. They lose that but soon win it back and win a corner. Nasri takes, Ridgewell clears.

31 mins City, eventually, break on though to the other side. On the edge of the area, Silva dinks it over the defence and into the path of the on-rushing Agüero. He half-volleys up in the air and out over the line.

29 mins City are back to the passing it around the pitch. Silva and Nasri combine in the middle. Then Silva and Kompany. Then Silva and Zabaleta. They work the ball to the left and then to the right but they are going nowhere. WBA are defending well here, pushing them back, not allowing them the space to move forward into the more dangerous areas of the park.

27 mins "History is, of course, written by the winners" states Gary Naylor. "Rightly, Roberto Martinez has been praised this season as much as David Moyes has been vilified, but it's worth looking at his first selection for Everton (2-2 at Norwich). The 14 who played for Everton that day included Victor Anichebe, Aroune Kone and Nikica Jelavic. And, had Gareth Barry and Romelu Lukaku not come in on loan on deadline day and fans had their way over the £13M asking price for James McCarthy (my Player of the Year at Everton), those three might still be first choices at Goodison now. What did Napoleon say about his generals?"

25 mins It is almost completely silent in the Etihad.

23 mins Everyone Sessègnon is too quick for Demichelis and the defender gives away a free-kick in a dangerous spot on the right-hand side, near the corner of the box. (He also gets a yellow card). Brunt takes aim for Hart's near post and the goalkeeper spills his save into the feet of the on-rushing WAB players. Luckily for the England international – who seems to me to have been rather poor of late – the lads are blown up for offside.

20 mins While I was typing all that, Dawson went into the book for a foul on Dzeko.

This goal all started with a City free-kick down the other end. Mulumbu gave one away right in the middle of the park about 25 yards from the WBA goal. Up stepped Silva who combined with Fernandinho to make a complete dog's dinner of it. WBA won the ball back and Ridgewell started the move, playing the ball up the left for Sessègnon. He strode forward before cutting the ball inside to Vydra who in turn passed it onto to Dorrans. The Scot got the ball behind him but this is where the magic happens. On the edge of the box, he juggled the ball around Clichy and smashed it past Hart to half the deficit.

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Oh my.

Agüero had gone five games without a goal but had never gone six and he has made sure that tonight would not be that night. Clichy, Silva and Nasri has played some keep-ball deep in the West Brom half on the left-hand side. The ball was played back to Agüero just outside the box. He knocked the ball off the legs of Dawson but he got it on the return. This allowed him enough space to creep forward and curl the ball across the box and into the far corner of Foster's net to double his side's lead.

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What a goal!

7 mins Corner to City. In it goes. Out comes Foster. He drops it like one would a potato that has spent the last 10 minutes in a fire but the goalkeeper manages to collect it at the second time of asking.

5 mins In the mean time, Vydra has the ball in the City net but it is correctly ruled out for offside.

City started by stroking the ball around the pitch like a Bond villain with a cat. On the right, deep in West Brom territory, Zabaleta played the ball back to García. He set up Dzeko who did his best to try get an effort in on goal only for a West Brom defender to deflect his effort out for a throw. Nasri picked the ball up from that throw and chipped the ball into the box. Ridgewell got his head on it but could only find Agüero. He volleyed it home with plenty of power but Foster palmed it back out. Zabaleta followed it up and headed it home for his first goal in about 400 years.

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Well that was quick!

1 min Off we go then. City, draped in blue, play left to right. WBA, draped in red and black, do the opposite and it is they who get us going. Sky are calling this Manic Monday. No, really, they are. Surely, they could have come up with something better than that.

The lads are the pitch, the fingers are on the keys and the good-lucks have been proffered. We are almost ready to go. Before we start here's the thoughts of Simon McMahon on that news. "I take no pleasure from saying it, but Moyes simply did not possess the necessary personality or ability to manage Manchester United. We talk about players and teams finding their level, and the true is same of managers. Moyes' level, I'm afraid, is mid-table, which is never going to be good enough for Man U. Perhaps even more surprising than his troubles this season, though, is exactly what Ferguson saw in him in the first place."

"Tell J.R. In Illinois," instructs Michael Angus, "that Football Weekly is up on soundcloud. AC Jimbo's intro is particularly puntastic this easter monday."

"Hey Ian," cheers J.R. in Illinois. "Was hoping you might have some insider info and also thinking you would be providing your readers with a valuable service if you could answer the following question: WHERE IS THE FOOTBALL WEEKLY PODCAST!??!" I have as much insight into this as I do into the intricacies of theoretical maths but I shall see if I can get in touch with Producer Ben and see if he knows its current location. In the mean time, you can get your fix of AC Jimbo in this handy video format.

Some pre-match reading for you on the day's biggest news and why there is too much at stake for a club of Manchester United's size meaning that they simply have to pull the trigger.

In Frank O'Farrell's day, he started getting suspicious when he turned up for Bobby Charlton's testimonial dinner and discovered that he was not even seated on the top table for a function he had organised himself. It was the next day O'Farrell was summoned to Manchester United's boardroom to be sacked and "A Nice Day for an Execution", the relevant chapter of his autobiography, remembers how Matt Busby avoided eye contact as the chairman, Louis Edwards, broke the news. "It wasn't so much I got the sack but the way they behaved as people," O'Farrell wrote. "I can never forgive them for that – they were nasty beggars."

Wilf McGuinness ended up taking solace in a bottle of sherry when it was his turn. "It was as if the world had ended," he recalled many years later. "I was demoralised, heartbroken, horribly hurt. I'm not ashamed to admit that, in those darkest moments of my career, I literally banged my head against the wall, several times." Jack Crompton, the trainer, eventually found him, in a crumpled heap on the boardroom floor.

The break is rarely clean and for David Moyes nobody should make the mistake of thinking the payoff will prevent it being the most harrowing moment of his professional life. Moyes was the wrong man for the job; he just did not realise it. He will find future work, maybe even success, but his reputation will never fully recover. He will always be remembered as the man who took over from Ferguson and blew it. The modern-day O'Farrell, replacing a legend and, ultimately, falling so far short he will have to carry the consequences like a rucksack of bricks.

Continued here.

Well we knew that Yaya Touré would not make it and we thought that Silva would be in the same boat but made it he has, taking the place of Milner. He is one of three changes to the side that drew with Sunderland the other day along with the swapping of Clichy for Kolarov and Dzeko for Negredo. West Bromwich Albion make one less change than that with Jones and Dawson coming in ahead of Reid and McAuley. Those teams in full then are as follows:

Manchester City: Hart, Zabaleta, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy, García, Fernandinho, Nasri, Silva, Dzeko, Agüero. Subs: Pantilimon, Lescott, Richards, Kolarov, Milner, Negredo, Jovetic.

West Bromwich Albion: Foster, Dawson, Olsson, Ridgewell, Jones, Amalfitano, Mulumbu, Dorrans, Brunt, Sessègnon, Vydra. Subs: Myhill, Morrison, Anichebe, Yacob, Lugano, Berahino, Reid.

Referee: Phil Dowd

"Being part of a team that belongs to everyone," wrote Andrea Pirlo, the man who makes more people go weak at the knee than osteoarthritis, "makes me feel good. A lot of the time it's better than sex: it lasts longer and if it falls flat, it can't just be your fault. Take someone like Antonio Cassano. He says he's slept with 700 women but he can't get picked for Italy any more. Can he really be happy?"

Ah, happiness, that oft-elusive friend. There has been times this season that Manchester City have walked hand-in-hand with it, head and shoulders cocked with confidence, feeling like a room without a roof. The late September thumping of their beloved neighbours was one such moment; the December dismantling of Arsenal was another; and the ultimately triumphant trip to Wembley was is a third example. But, of late, happiness has found a new play-mate, a new person to swap World Cup stickers with, a new person to invite on family holidays whereupon an elder sister reveals a long shameful and long embarrassing secret that will be the talk of the schoolyard once the summer holidays are done and which you will strenuously deny to this very day.

City could ask the local scout troop to make a massive papier-mâché finger that they could then point at who to blame for this ruction in the relationship but it would ultimately point at themselves. Take the recent trip to Liverpool for example. Manuel Pellegrini rolled the dice and took a massive gamble on the fitness of Vincent Kompany. It was quite clear by half-time – if not before – that the City captain was struggling to keep up with the pace and panache of Liverpool. He was at fault for the opening two goals – though he wasn't helped by Hart on the first – and ultimately, after David Silva had dragged his side back into the game, Kompany's sideways interpretation of a clearance led to Liverpool's winning goal and a crucial loss of points. Would it not have been better to start a fully-fit Joleon Lescott?

You could also take the recent welcoming of Sunderland to the Etihad as another example. OK, so the group of players were a bit "fatigued" from the Liverpool match (even though there were five changes to the side) but they had still only dropped points at home once this season and besides, with all due respect, this was Sunderland. This was Sunderland who were in last in the league. This was Sunderland who were seven points from safety. This was Sunderland who had recorded eight defeats in their last nine matches.

And this was a Sunderland side who for large parts of the game were the better side. They bossed and bullied City off their own patch. Despite taking an early lead, City lacked Silva, lacked direction and often lacked the basic skills that accompany the average professional footballing side, especially at the back where they have conceded seven goals in four games after recording clean sheets in each of the five games before then. Had it not been for that Vito Mannone howler of howlers, things would have been a whole lot uglier for City.

With the ending of those two games – as well as one where they threw away a lead against Arsenal – came, almost, the ending of City's hopes of claiming the league title this season. Those results mean that they have won only one of their last four Premier League games and would suggest that when it came down to it, they could not handle the pressure that comes with the title race. For a most experienced and the most expensive squad of players in the world – the average salary of the squad is £5.2 million – that is a most disappointing return. Technically, they could still do it, of course, but they would need a lot of favours from elsewhere and Liverpool and Chelsea do not look to be in the mood for helping others right about now.

As for West Bromwich Albion, they are three points above safety but still fighting for their Premier League lives. They have games in the bush but points in the hand would be a position much more preferable to Pepe Mel. Unfortunalty ofr him, the ability to win and to defend usually wave goodbye when the Baggies beat a path to the Etihad. They have lost four times and shipped 11 goals in that stadium since the 2008/09 season. However, City's form of late, their increasing ability to throw away a lead and West Brom's ofrm of late – only one defeat in five games – will give him some sweet, nourishing hope. The last time these managers met should do the same. Three first-half goals for Real Betis led to a three nil win over Málaga. "That’s not important because we are with other clubs and other teams," says Mel but if he and his side were to find it within themselves to put on their own interpretation of that performance then they would take one giant leap for mankind safety.

Team news and all that jazz is on its way soon enough.

Kick-off: 8pm