West Ham v Manchester City predictions: Hammers can strike blow against champs

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for West Ham v Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Premier League & Main Event, 4.30pm Sunday

Best bet

Both teams to score
3pts 17-20 Hills

Team news

West Ham
New defender Nayef Aguerd (ankle) is likely to miss the first two months of the season. Striker Gianluca Scamacca should be in the squad after his move from Sassuolo.

Manchester City
Centre-back Aymeric Laporte is City's only confirmed absentee as he continues his recovery from knee surgery. Erling Haaland is set for a Premier League debut.

Match preview

West Ham are hoping to continue their progress under David Moyes after impressive 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns and the Hammers' improvement is encapsulated by their record against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

They were thumped 5-0 by the Citizens on the opening day of the 2019-20 Premier League season, following 4-0, 4-1, 4-0 and 5-0 routs in their previous four home clashes with City.

Since then, however, this fixture has been far more competitive and West Ham are capable of troubling a City side beaten 3-1 by Liverpool in last weekend's Community Shield in Leicester.

Backing both teams to score at the London Stadium is tempting at a shade of odds-on as it is a bet that has copped in the last four league meetings between these clubs.

In 2020-21, West Ham held City to a 1-1 draw in east London before losing 2-1 at the Etihad. Last term they beat Pep's men on penalties in the EFL Cup, a competition City have dominated, before another 2-1 loss in Manchester and a dramatic 2-2 draw in their final home game of the season.

Jarrod Bowen put the Hammers 2-0 up as the hosts threatened to derail City's title charge although the champions roared back and Riyad Mahrez missed a late penalty that would have made it 3-2.

Lukasz Fabianski's spot-kick save ensured that West Ham ended the season unbeaten at home against the Premier League's top four, having drawn with City, beaten Liverpool and Chelsea 3-2, and won 1-0 against Tottenham.

They were far from outclassed in 2-1 home defeats to fifth-placed Arsenal and sixth-placed Manchester United and their run to the Europa League semi-finals, dumping out six-time winners Sevilla and Lyon along the way, further boosted the confidence of the squad.

As the title betting suggests, City remain the team to beat in the English top flight and striker Erling Haaland adds another dimension to an attack averaging 2.55 goals per game over the past five league campaigns.

However, Guardiola's men can be vulnerable early in the season, taking just 12 points from their first eight games in 2020-21 and losing 1-0 at Tottenham in last term's opening fixture.

There was nothing cagey about their Community Shield clash with Liverpool, who had 15 attempts at goal to City's 14, and West Ham are unlikely to park the bus, having scored in their last 20 home league matches.

The visitors will be wary of the threat of Bowen and Michail Antonio, who scored in both league meetings in 2020-21, and they could also face 6ft 5in striker Gianluca Scamacca, who notched 16 times for Sassuolo in Serie A last season.

The 23-year-old Scamacca, regarded as a clinical finisher, should make the Hammers even more threatening from set-pieces and the hosts can land a blow on a City defence missing key man Aymeric Laporte.

Key stat

West Ham have scored in their last 20 home Premier League matches.

Inside info

West Ham

Penalty taker Manuel Lanzini
Assist ace Jarrod Bowen
Set-piece aerial threat Craig Dawson
Card magnet Michail Antonio

Manchester City

Penalty taker Erling Haaland/Riyad Mahrez
Assist ace Kevin De Bruyne
Set-piece aerial threat Ruben Dias
Card magnet Joao Cancelo

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