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Manchester City Faces Test vs West Ham

Upstart Hammers Seeking Road Win in Top-Four Premier League Clash

The top four has a fresh face as fourth-place West Ham has played excellently this season. The East London club is just six points behind English Premier League-leading Chelsea and are potentially in line for a special season.

On the other hand, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City is expected to be near or at the top of the league each and every season. The defending Premier League champions are set to make another title challenge but face a formidable foe in visiting West Ham on Sunday. Even with West Ham’s stellar form, City is still listed as a -340 favorite by our soccer odds.

City vs West Ham
Oli SCARFF / AFP

Game: Manchester City F.C. vs West Ham United F.C.

Location: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England, U.K.

Date/Time: Sunday, 9 a.m. ET

Team Goal Line Moneyline Over/Under Team Total
Manchester City   -1½ (-125) -340 3 (-125o) 2½ +110o/-140u
West Ham   +1½ (+105) +950 3 (+105u) ½ -140o/+110u
Draw +490

City vs West Ham Betting Preview

Head to Head

These teams played in a scoreless draw in the EFL Cup in October, only for West Ham to come out victorious on penalties. The EFL Cup is hardly Manchester City’s priority and its last defeat to West Ham in normal time came in 2015.

Manchester City has been a good pick for betting online in this fixture. They are undefeated in their last 11 matches vs West Ham in the Premier League and went 1-0-1 last season. At the Etihad, City picked up a 2-1 win last season in a back-and-forth match. A John Stones goal broke the deadlock in that match, but these teams did play to a 1-1 draw in London earlier in 2020-21.

Manchester City’s Striker Problem

In the Champions League match of the week, Manchester City took on PSG at the Etihad in a bid for revenge. Manchester City fell behind in the 50th minute but goals from Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus sent them to the top of Champions League Group A.

Guardiola and City have done just about everything but win the Champions League and this year they’re one of the most popular soccer picks to do so. Things could get tricky in the Premier League, though, as Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea has been on another level to this point.

Trying to figure out their striker situation in the first season post-Sergio Aguero, Manchester City is linked with Erling Haaland. He’s unlikely to leave Dortmund until the summer so Guardiola has a selection dilemma in the meantime. Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden have been used as a number nine but it is neither of their preferred positions. Ferran Torres has the ability to play as a striker, but the Spanish international has been out since mid-October with a foot injury.

Jesus is the most traditional striker on the roster, along with youngster Cole Palmer, but Guardiola is hesitant to rely on Jesus for what seems to be play-style reasons. Jesus is talented but he doesn’t exactly fit the uber-technical mold of a Manchester City player.

The striker situation hasn’t mattered too much yet as City sits in second place in the Premier League and has consecutive shutout wins over Everton and Manchester United.

West Ham Inspiring Fear in Opponents

David Moyes famously flopped as Manchester United manager after Sir Alex Ferguson left the club, but I’ve got to hand it to him for his work with West Ham. West Ham was in the relegation zone in his first stint as manager and now it is challenging for the top four.

Moyes will have been disappointed that he couldn’t bring Jesse Lingard back to East London after revitalizing the Hammers last season. However, he’s done an excellent job with the squad he has and they look like they’ll make noise in both the Europa League and Premier League.

Midweek, West Ham defeated Rapid Wien 2-0 to secure first place in Europa League Group H and make the knockout stage in the competition for the first time. The Hammers were on the cusp of Champions League qualification last year, and this year looks like another great chance.

Three points ahead of fifth-place Arsenal, West Ham has managed some eye-catching results. The Hammers beat Leicester by three goals in August and are the only team to defeat Liverpool this season. Striker Michail Antonio was named Premier League Player of the Month in August and leads the team with six goals.

Unfortunately, center back Angelo Ogbonna tore his ACL in the match vs Liverpool, which means Issa Diop, Kurt Zouma and Craig Dawson will share mop-up duties this season. West Ham will also be looking to put a 1-0 loss vs the Wolves last weekend behind them here.

Manchester City vs West Ham Prediction

West Ham has lost three matches, all by a slim one-goal margin. Manchester City is a 1½-goal favorite in the sportsbook but it appears to be a wide spread for what should be a competitive match.

I wouldn’t at all be surprised if the Hammers manage a result on the road here and contain City’s possession-based attack. Man City did drop a match to a relentless Crystal Palace at the Etihad less than a month ago and West Ham, spearheaded by midfield engine Tomas Soucek, never stops running.

Even if the Hammers don’t grab a point here, they should still keep it close. Bet on them to cover the spread.

Pick: West Ham +1½ goals (+105)

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