Manchester City and West Ham United will be desperate for three points when they lock horns at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
The second half of the 2024/25 Premier League season starts on Saturday with Gameweek 20. The latest round of fixtures kicks off with the game between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United before the action continues with five simultaneous matches, including Manchester City vs West Ham United at the Etihad.
Manchester City might sense the opportunity to put the wretched run of form behind them in the coming weeks before the fixtures become more difficult towards the end of January. The reigning Premier League champions beat Leicester City 2-0 last weekend to climb to sixth in the standings.
On the other hand, West Ham United continue to blow hot and cold after showing some promising signs in recent weeks. A four-game unbeaten run helped the Hammers rise in the Premier League standing before a 5-0 defeat to Liverpool killed the momentum Julen Lopetegui’s men had built.
The reverse fixture saw Manchester City beat West Ham United 3-1, with Erling Haaland scoring a match-winning hat-trick. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Manchester City manager might be bereft of the services of six first-team players vs West Ham United on Saturday.
Guardiola hopes to see Ederson Moraes (unspecified), John Stones (foot), and Matheus Nunes (knock) returning to the fold after missing recent games. However, none of the players might be fit enough to start against West Ham. Meanwhile, Ruben Dias (calf), Rodri (knee), and Oscar Bobb (leg) remain on the sidelines.
Stefan Ortega will deputise for Ederson Moraes between the sticks, with Manchester City lining up in a 4-1-4-1 formation in front of him vs West Ham United on Saturday. The backline should feature Rico Lewis, Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake, and Josko Gvardiol.
As for the midfield unit, Mateo Kovacic will hold the fort in the middle of the park, with Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne providing the creative impetus in the advanced areas. Finally, Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City against West Ham, with Phil Foden and Savinho being the two wide attackers.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Ortega; Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Kovacic; Savinho, Silva, De Bruyne, Foden; Haaland
West Ham United
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester City dugout, Julen Lopetegui has a new issue to worry about ahead of the trip to the Etihad. The West Ham United manager will be without three first-team players on Saturday.
Jarrod Bowen is the latest absentee after fracturing his left foot last weekend against Liverpool. The English international has joined Lukasz Fabianski (head) and Michail Antonio on the sidelines. However, Lopetegui has some respite, with Tomas Soucek and Guido Rodriguez available after serving their suspensions.
Alphonse Areola is an automatic pick between the sticks, with West Ham United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Manchester City on Saturday. The backline should feature Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Konstantinos Mavropanos, Max Kilman, and Emerson Palmieri.
As for the midfield unit, Soucek and Rodriguez will resume their partnership in the double pivot, with the duo looking to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Bowen’s injury will benefit Crysencio Summerville, who will join Mohammed Kudus, Lucas Paqueta, and Niclas Fullkrug in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Soucek, Rodriguez; Kudus, Paqueta, Summerville; Fullkrug
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won 14 of their last 15 Premier League home matches vs West Ham United (L1), including the eight most recent outings. The Hammers are without a win in 18 Premier League clashes with City, equalling the longest winless run in their league history, which came against Liverpool between 1983 and 1994.
- Manchester City have won only one of their last five home games in all competitions (D2 L2). The 2-0 win at Leicester City last weekend was their second victory in 14 games in all competitions (D3 L9).
- Manchester City have begun the New Year with a Premier League win in 17 of the last 18 seasons, winning 12 successive year-opening games since a 1-0 loss at Sunderland in 2012.
- West Ham United are unbeaten in their two most recent top-flight away games, drawing at Bournemouth and beating Southampton at St. Mary’s.
- West Ham United have failed to score in only one of their nine Premier League away trips this season, in the 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest in November.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
While Mohammed Kudus was a viable candidate for this section, we have picked Erling Haaland as the Player to Watch. The Manchester City talisman has scored seven goals in five Premier League appearances vs West Ham United, although only one strike has come at the Etihad Stadium.
However, the Norwegian striker has gone four Premier League home games without a goal since he scored in the 1-0 home win over Southampton in October. So, Haaland will take hope from his excellent record against West Ham, and he will aim to help Manchester City embark on an unbeaten run with a top-class showing this weekend.
Prediction
Manchester City 3-1 West Ham United
A week ago, West Ham United would have fancied their prospects vs a struggling Manchester City. However, the heavy defeat to Liverpool and Jarrod Bowen’s absence due to a fractured foot has left Julen Lopetegui’s team in a spot of bother.
In addition, despite not being fluid enough against Leicester City, Manchester City showed some promising signs last weekend. All that factors into our prediction, and we expect the home side to clinch a relatively comfortable victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges, with Erling Haaland continuing his fine run against West Ham.
