Guardiola cares primarily about technical quality, and confidence in possession. Indeed, it's no surprise to learn that while Manchester City lead the way in terms of possession this season, averaging 63.7% so far, West Brom's average share is the lowest in the division, just 36.9%. The difference starts from the back: Claudio Bravo was recruited because he's comfortable in possession and completes 80% of his passes, generally to the centre-backs, while his opposite number Ben Foster is tasked with kicking long, and therefore only 42% find a teammate.
The most interesting aspect of the game, however, will be whether Guardiola decides to change his approach slightly to guard against West Brom's threat. While Guardiola insists upon a brand of short passing football, he's also a studious manager who scouts the opposition thoroughly, and tinkers with his system accordingly.
Therefore, while we're unlikely to see him switch strategy entirely, it would probably be wise to use centre-backs who are more commanding in the air and full-backs who boast aerial prowess. The recent return of Vincent Kompany could be very useful - it remains to be seen whether City's captain can force a way into Guardiola's first-choice XI, but he's exactly the type of defender you want battling against Salomon Rondon, for example. Guardiola, though, should be able to make minor alterations without upsetting his side's passing patterns.
Guardiola will also emphasize the importance of City playing their proactive possession game. Hold onto the ball for long periods, and there will be fewer long balls to fight against and fewer set-pieces to defend. Do that and the contrast in approach could be even greater than usual, with City's possession share likely to hover around the 75% mark.
Many in English football would love West Brom to prevail this weekend, to witness the Premier League old-timer get one over upon the serial La Liga and Bundesliga champion. It's not, however, exclusively about a dislike of Guardiola himself, more a desire to see him forced to adapt his approach to cope with an entirely different style of football. There's nothing wrong with that - football remains so fascinating partly because of the various wildly different approaches across league, and tactically it remains complex because top managers have to adjust their approach to account for the opposition.
Guardiola must show he can cope with the type of aerial bombardment he'll rarely have encountered in Spain or Germany, and it would be another string to his bow if he proves able to build a slightly different type of side, to adjust to a different challenge in a different league. Heterogeneity is vital to keep football exciting.
A failure to triumph at the Hawthorns, though, and it will be seven consecutive winless matches for Guardiola - an alarmingly poor run. Some will call for him to change tack entirely, to build a more solid, pragmatic side. Guardiola, however, will simply concentrate on creating a side playing the same time of football, simply at a higher level.