The reigning champions have dominated West Ham in recent years, winning both home and away against the Hammers for the past two seasons. Their last visit to the capital almost a year ago ended in a 3-1 victory for City.
West Ham’s new manager, Julen Lopetegui, began his tenure with a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa in the Premier League, but he celebrated his first win last weekend with a 2-0 triumph over Crystal Palace. After a scoreless first half, Tomas Soucek broke the deadlock in the 67th minute, and captain Jarrod Bowen added a second five minutes later, helping West Ham secure their first Premier League clean sheet since January, snapping a 19-game streak without a shutout.
The Hammers also advanced to the third round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night with a narrow 1-0 win over Bournemouth at the London Stadium. The victory came under controversial circumstances, as their 88th-minute goal might have been disallowed if VAR were in use, with Mohammed Kudus's shot deflecting off Bowen's arm before finding the net.
Next month, West Ham face a tough third-round EFL Cup match against holders Liverpool, but for now, their focus shifts back to the Premier League, where they have a challenging home fixture against Man City, followed by an away game against Fulham.
West Ham has struggled against Man City in recent years, failing to win any of their last 17 Premier League encounters with the Citizens since a 2-1 away victory in September 2015 under then-manager Slaven Bilic.
While Man City has been known for slow starts under Pep Guardiola, they’ve already secured the Community Shield and maximum points from their first two Premier League games this season, scoring six goals and conceding just one. Four of those goals have come from Erling Haaland, the two-time Golden Boot winner, who followed up his goal in a 2-0 opening win at Chelsea with his 10th hat-trick for City in a 4-1 victory over newly-promoted Ipswich Town last weekend.
Ipswich had a dream start at the Etihad Stadium, with Sammie Szmodics scoring within the first seven minutes of his full debut. However, that only seemed to ignite City’s fire, as they responded with three goals in four minutes.
Kevin De Bruyne scored between two of Haaland’s strikes, and the Norwegian completed his hat-trick in the closing stages, extending City’s remarkable run of Premier League wins by two or more goals to 11 games. They are also unbeaten in their last 46 home matches across all competitions.
City has a strong record away against West Ham as well, losing just one of their last 14 league visits to the Hammers and remaining unbeaten in their last nine trips since a 2-1 defeat at Upton Park in October 2014.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has shared that veteran left-back Aaron Cresswell is dealing with a hamstring injury and will undergo a scan to assess its severity.Edson Alvarez, who made his first start for the Hammers in midweek after recovering from a hamstring injury sustained while on international duty with Mexico during the Copa America in June, is in contention to keep his spot in the starting lineup. Tomas Soucek, Guido Rodriguez, and James Ward-Prowse are also vying for a place in midfield.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who was outstanding at left-back against Bournemouth, might shift back to his preferred right-back position, with Emerson Palmieri likely to return to the lineup. Mohamed Kudus, Lucas Paqueta, and possibly Michail Antonio, who could replace Niclas Fullkrug up front, are also expected to be recalled.
For Manchester City, Oscar Bobb is set to be out for several months following surgery on a fractured leg. Rodri, who has been a fitness concern, returned to training this week and might feature in some capacity at the London Stadium.
Phil Foden missed the win over Ipswich due to illness but is expected to be fit for Saturday's game, as is Mateo Kovacic, who picked up a knock last weekend.
Kyle Walker and John Stones are pushing for starting spots in defense, but Pep Guardiola may opt to stick with Rico Lewis, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, and Josko Gvardiol in his backline. Wingers Savinho and Jeremy Doku could also keep their places in the starting XI, potentially leaving Jack Grealish on the bench.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
West Ham United possible starting lineup:Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson; Alvarez, Soucek; Bowen, Paqueta, Kudus; Antonio
Manchester City possible starting lineup:
Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Bernardo; Savinho, De Bruyne, Doku; Haaland
EXPERT PREDICTION
West Ham 2-4 Manchester City
Man City has scored more goals on the road against West Ham than against any other Premier League team, with 42 goals in total. Their 25 goals at the London Stadium are the most any visiting team has scored at that venue since it opened in 2016-17. With that record, City has good reason to feel confident about their chances on Saturday.
West Ham has some dangerous attackers who could pose a threat, but it’s hard to bet against the champions outscoring them and securing a comfortable win in the capital.
