Premier League Team news and prediction: West Ham vs Man City

 

West Ham rallied to secure a late 3-3 draw with rivals Tottenham last week, coming back from 3-0 down with 10 minutes to go to earn a point. They sit level on points with Manchester City coming into Saturday's clash, albeit having played a game more. 

 

In the build up to Saturday's clash in the capital, we have all your need-to-know match information in one place, including team news, where you can catch the game and a scoreline prediction. 

 

When is kick off?    

Saturday 24th October, 12:30 GMT    

Where is the match?    

London Stadium, London 

Where can I watch it?    

BT Sport 1

 

Season so far 

 

After kicking off 2020/21 with back-to-back defeats, West Ham are unbeaten in three, picking up seven points from the last nine available. The Hammers fought back brilliantly to secure a point at Tottenham last weekend, with Manuel Lanzini's thundering effort deep into second half injury time completing the comeback at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. However, their home form against City of late makes for abysmal reading with the Hammers losing their last five league meetings with the Cityzens in the capital, conceding 22 goals in that time. 

 

City are level on points with, and two places below, West Ham, but have played one game fewer, and they'll be confident of leapfrogging the east London side in the table here. Pep Guardiola has won six of seven meetings with a David Moyes-managed side and having returned to winning ways at Arsenal's expense last weekend, the City boss will demand his players secure all three points. After kicking off their Champions League campaign with a win in midweek, City have the momentum here. 

 

Team news 

 

Said Benrahma is an option for David Moyes after the Algerian was unable to make his debut against Tottenham last week, though he is unlikely to start given his lack of match fitness. In all, Moyes has little to worry himself about in the way of absentees, but he is sweating on the availability of his two strikers Michail Antonio and Sebastien Haller. Ryan Fredericks was on the bench at Tottenham last week following a hamstring issue and the full-back, along with Manuel Lanzini, will be pushing to start. 

 

Manchester City's win over FC Porto in midweek came at a cost with the experienced Fernandinho out for at least a month now with a leg injury and the Brazilian joins Benjamin Mendy and Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines. Better news for Guardiola, though, is that Kevin De Bruyne and Aymeric Laporte returned to training this week, but Saturday's lunchtime kick off is likely to come too soon for the pair. Nathan Ake has a minor groin complaint and will hope to be fit to start. 

 

Probable XIs 

 

Premier League Team news and prediction: West Ham vs Man City

 

West Ham (541) - Fabianski; Coufal, Balbuena, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Masuaku; Bowen, Soucek, Rice, Fornals; Antonio 

 

Manchester City (433) - Ederson; Walker, Dias, Garcia, Ake; Silva, Rodri, Foden; Torres, Aguero, Sterling

 

Key Battle - Jarrod Bowen vs Raheem Sterling

 

Premier League Team news and prediction: West Ham vs Man City

 

Having put in a fairly sub-standard performance against Newcastle on the opening weekend of the season, Jarrod Bowen was named the WhoScored man of the match in West Ham's last home clash, netting twice in the Hammers' 4-0 win over Wolves at the end of September. With three goals from five league outings to his name, Bowen is one of West Ham's primary attacking threats and against a Manchester City side that has kept just two clean sheets in seven in all competitions, the 23-year-old will fancy his chances of adding to his goal return.

 

Conversely, Raheem Sterling has a fine record against the Hammers, netting eight times in 14 Premier League meetings with West Ham. The England international scored a hat-trick in this game last season, one of four he has scored in the Premier League in a Manchester City shirt, and has had a direct hand in five of the last eight goals City have scored in all competitions. Given his solid start to the Premier League campaign - Sterling has scored twice and assisted once in four league outings - Pep Guardiola would like nothing more than to witness a repeat of the 25-year-old's showing in the capital back in August 2019.

 

Prediction: West Ham 2-4 Manchester City

Premier League Team news and prediction: West Ham vs Man City