Alan Irvine is certain that out-of-form West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino will remind the Premier League of his talismanic qualities over the festive period.

The 21-year-old was benched by Irvine for the Baggies' last three games, having not added to his seven league goals this season in over two months.

Berahino enjoyed an impressive cameo in last week's 3-2 defeat at Queens Park Rangers, however, and struck the post late on, and the Scot says that another purple patch is not far away.

"He's working hard in training and I'd expect we'd see something of Saido in the next few games without a doubt," he told the club's official website ahead of tomorrow's visit of Manchester City.

"I thought he looked sharp when he came on against QPR. I saw Toure's goal against Palace which was from a similar angle - it hit the post and went in.

"Saido hit the post and it came out. It was a terrific piece of play and would have been worthy of a goal but it didn't go in for him and that's kind of where he is at the moment, whereas only a few weeks ago everything was going in."

Berahino is reportedly in demand this January, however, and Irvine revealed recently that Albion had received no bids for the £25m-rated forward.