Manchester City v West Ham – Match Preview
West Ham head into Saturday’s trip to the Etihad firmly entrenched in the Premier League relegation zone, and it’s fair to say Nuno Espírito Santo has his work cut out. If going away to Manchester City wasn’t difficult enough, the Hammers arrive without both recognised full-backs after Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf departed for AFCON duty.
This already feels like one of those afternoons where damage limitation and performance levels matter just as much as the result.
Man City v West Ham: Obi Wan Bissaka will be missing
A brutal task before Christmas
West Ham will be looking to build up to Christmas by bouncing back after last weekend’s defeat to Aston Villa at London Stadium. That loss was absolutely gutting but the likes of Mateus Fernandes and Jarrod Bowen again showed there is enough quality in this side to compete.
Away from home, the Hammers have at least been stubborn. Draws at Bournemouth, Manchester United and Brighton underline that this team is capable of staying in games. Turning those draws into wins is the problem — and the Etihad is about the hardest place in the league to attempt it.
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Defensive headache: life without full-backs
Nuno’s biggest headache is obvious. With Wan-Bissaka and Diouf both unavailable due to AFCON, the Hammers are short in wide defensive areas.
Kyle Walker-Peters looks certain to be drafted in on one side, but the other flank is far less clear. Does he trust Ollie Scarles, back after his collarbone injury, or will the gaffer change the system entirely and switch to a back three?
Scarles returning to the squad against Villa suggests he’s close, but throwing him in at the Etihad after eight weeks out feels like a huge ask. A tactical tweak may be the safer option — even if it sacrifices attacking intent.
City’s form and festive momentum
Manchester City come into this fixture in ominous form. Pep Guardiola’s side have won six of their last seven Premier League matches and have lost just once at home all season — a narrow defeat to Tottenham back in gameweek two.
City also booked their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals in midweek with a 2–0 win over Brentford, though that victory came with a growing injury list that could slightly level the playing field.
Manchester City injuries & absentees
City will be without several key players:
Rayan Aït-Nouri – AFCON
Omar Marmoush – AFCON
Rodri – hamstring
Jérémy Doku – muscular injury
There is some good news for Guardiola though, with John Stones pushing for a return and possibly featuring against West Ham.
Predicted West Ham XI (if Nuno sticks to a back four)
It’s nearly impossible to predict Nuno’s selections, but this feels like a likely shape if he resists changing system. It will be interesting to see which side Ollie Scarles is deployed:
West Ham XI (4-2-3-1)
Summerville
Fernandes
Bowen
Potts
Magassa
Walker-Peters
Mavropanos
Todibo
Scarles
Paquetá operating as a false nine again feels inevitable, with Bowen and Summerville providing what little counter-attacking threat West Ham are likely to have. Personally, I’d drop the Paq man and start with Callum Wilson up top but there is no chance of NES benching his favourite player.
Score prediction: realism over romance
It’s hard to see anything other than a Manchester City win here. West Ham’s defensive issues, combined with City’s relentless pressing and home dominance, point towards a long afternoon.
If the Hammers can keep it tight for an hour, that would be a minor victory in itself — but expecting points feels optimistic.
Prediction: Manchester City 3–0 West Ham. Sorry!