Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hailed his opposite number at West Brom, Sam Allardyce, as a genius. 

The two come face-to-face at The Hawthorns on Tuesday night in the Premier League.

West Brom have won 4 points of a possible 18 since Allardyce was handed the reins in December. He's guided them to a 1-1 draw away to Liverpool and a 3-2 victory at Wolves.

The Baggies remain second-from-bottom in the table, and 6-points from safety.

But that hasn't prevented Guardiola from praising the ex-Sunderland, Bolton and England manager to the hilt.

"It is not easy to take over a team during the season," the City manager said, "But against Wolves, Liverpool, other clubs he got good results.

"Sam Allardyce is a genius to take these teams when everyone believes it is over and get results.

"The results give you an incredible boost, an incredible confidence. What is first - do results make you play good, or do you play good if you get results?

"I think both are connected but we are just at the end of January, so it is just West Brom, trying to analyse them and make a good game to get another victory."

A City win on Tuesday night would take them a point clear of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League table.

With still half of the season remaining, Guardiola isn't getting carried away with their potential position this week, "The leader is United. They are top of the league.

"The moment we have all games together we will see.

"Now we are not top of the league and the difference [to] third, fourth, fifth and sixth is so close, so narrow.

"But I didn't look at the table much when we were 12th and eight or nine points behind the leaders, and now is the same."

Having scored on each of his last three outings, Matheus Pereira is someone Guardiola and co must be cognisant of come Tuesday night.

But the City manager feels an Allardyce team brings plenty of threat, "It's not just Pereira. I know how good Allardyce teams are at set-pieces and throw-ins and corners.

"I imagine they worked a lot this week to punish us in this way. They attack the channel because they have incredibly fast players up front, but at the same time you have to look for the weak spots.

"After 80 minutes against Cheltenham we were 1-0 down, football happens, but when we are as we have been you will get the chance to make good results."

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