Manchester City will look to get back to winning ways in the league when they make the trip to a revitalised West Ham United who have won 5 matches out of their last 7 and will be raring to avenge the early season losses against Manchester City, especially the 5-0 hammering at the London Stadium in the FA Cup.
City also have been boosted by the return of Fernandinho who has completed his 4-match ban and the fact that Vincent Kompany came through 90 minutes of football against Crystal Palace unscathed in tough conditions is another huge boost for the team and the player. With Aguero pictured returning to training, good times might be ahead for City finally after their initial 10-match winning streak has been succeeded by inconsistency.
Pep will have to make sure they come away with 3 points from the London Stadium as any more loss in ground will see them well and truly out of the title race, with Chelsea not showing any signs of slowing down in their relentless march to the title. West Ham, though, will be no pushovers and the Catalan will have to be prepared to face a drastically different Hammers side who have grown in confidence and a more unified bunch and will have a spring in their steps with the addition of Snodgrass and Fonte.
PREDICTED MANCHESTER CITY XI VS WEST HAM UNITED (4-1-4-1)
DEFENCE
Claudio Bravo will be in goal and he has been the only player who hasn’t impressed even once this season. The pressure is mounting on him and he needs to have a good game, not just a quiet game.
Bacary Sagna got the nod against Palace so we might see Zabaleta coming in for this match. He has been a revelation, especially in the final third!
Otamendi and Stones can be paired and selecting Stones will send out a loud and clear message by Guardiola and will be a vote of confidence for the youngster, as he has been in the eye of the storm lately and needs a couple of good displays now.
Kolarov could start as the left-back with Clichy likely to face the axe.
MIDFIELD
We might get to see an immediate return for Fernandinho after he served his ban and will sit in the holding role.
David Silva can be in the free no.8 role alongside Yaya Toure and will look to pull the strings.
ATTACK
Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling will be on the opposite flanks and will have to be much more clinical in the final third, than what they have been in the league.
Sergio Aguero will probably be the one who will be lining up front as he is likely to get fit in time.
