There is no reason why Albion cannot gain from the pain of this defeat by the champions.

That is what Graham Potter is all about – learning, improving, developing, One wonders whether one such development will be a new attacking option.

At 3-0 down and with nothing to lose, Albion’s head coach threw a new look at Manchester City.

It was one which helped the hosts enjoy a half-hour which lifted spirits and got the crowd in full voice.

Whether we see it again remains to be seen.

But it was one answer to that widely-held theory that Albion, especially with Danny Welbeck out for a few weeks yet, do not have enough strikers.

Potter used Enock Mwepu as an attacking-minded midfielder or false No.9 with Solly March and Leandro Trossard buzzing around him.

Add in the attacking presence wide of Marc Cucurella and Tariq Lamptey’s significant step towards full power and there were a few questions asked of City.

In the end, a second-half scoreline of 1-1 was a bit harsh on the hosts.

Just as a 3-0 deficit at half-time reflected their own failings and City’s quality in picking them off.

Neal Maupay was replaced by Mwepu rather than fellow striker Aaron Connolly while Jurgen Locadia was not among the matchday 20.

Potter said: “We felt Solly was doing well centrally but could also move and be fluid.

“Him and Leo could play in between their centre-back and full-backs.

“At the same time, Enock has the capacity to run off their midfield players if we get enough control of the game and it opens up a space centrally.

“Then to push our full-backs on and provide the width with Tariq and Marc.

“Up to 85 minutes I thought we were the better team in the second half.

“The performance level was amazing but I thought we ran out of steam in the last five minutes and they bring on De Buyne and Mahrez and see the game out.

“We can’t say we deserved to win anything or take anything from the game but, when I look back at the performance of the guys, I was so, so proud.”

Mwepu has not really got going in the Premier League as yet but this looked a comfortable role for him.

He twice got into really good positions deep inside the City box.

On the first occasion, he miskicked as the ball dropped over his shoulder.

Then Trossard ad Adam Lallana knitted together the move from which Mwepu, almost on the byline, was sent tumbling by Ederson.

Alexis Mac Allister thumped in a penalty via the keeper’s fingers.

That came too late to offer hopes of a comeback.

Instead, City looked to their all-star supporting cast on the bench and scored again right on time when a more complicated pass by Moder put his team in trouble.

Still, it was an uplifting half-hour or so for fans who responded superbly.

Worth watching again.

The first half will also be examined by Potter and his staff.

Asked what he will learn from the evening, Potter told The Argus: “I think the first half will be an interesting watch-back from a learning perspective.

“I think we also gave them a bit of a soft one.

“The first goal was a bit soft, which is not like us but it can happen in football.

“That puts you on the back foot in terms of belief and confidence.

“Then, the second goal, we are attacking their box and we turn the ball over and they have such pace and quality on the counter attack that they hurt us.

“Then an error on the third goal.

“The scoreline was harsh and we suffered, we had to, but the response was really good and has confirmed the admiration I have for the group.”

Albion have certainly been given a great insight into the range of challenges in the Prem.

A week earlier, they also made errors at rock bottom Norwich and were let off the hook That does not happen when you come up against the champions.

Or, one suspects, in-form Liverpool this coming Saturday.

Ilkay Gundogan touched home an overhead pass from the outstanding Bernardo Silva after Robert Sanchez, claiming he was fouled, dropped a high ball.

Phil Foden evaded even the telescopic leg of a sliding Dan Burn to add the second on a counter after Marc Cucurella’s pass was picked off and Silva orchestrated things from midfield.

Foden also got the final touch to a Gabriel Jesus shot for the third after Sanchez denied Jack Grealish following an initial mis-placed pass by Lewis Dunk.

Dunk had earlier saved a seemingly certain goal with an overhead clearance and Sanchez made several good saves.

One sensed City were up for this.

Pep Guardiola gave a press conference on Friday which, whenever he was asked about Albion, was one of few words.

He said the match was absolutely not about revenge for last season’s 3-2 defeat at the Amex but the way in which he said that suggested it was, at least to a degree.

Guardiola, that particular itch well and truly scratched, was complimentary about Albion after the game, praising their “courage to play” and their attacking width.

He was able to do so from a position of strength on this occasion.

But Albion can profit from this experience in the longer term.

There is another huge test just around the corner.

Albion: Sanchez; Veltman, Dunk, Burn (Lamptey 57); March, Lallana, Gross (Mac Allister 71), Moder, Cucurella; Trossard; Maupay (Mwepu 57). Unused subs: Steele, Webster, Connolly, Bissouma, Duffy, Richards.

Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; Rodrigo, Gundogan (Fernandinho 75’), Bernardo; Grealish (De Bruyne 77’), Jesus (Mahrez 86’), Foden. Unused subs: Steffen, Stones, Ake, Zinchenko, De Bruyne, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Edozie, Palmer.

Referee: Kevin Friend.