West Ham United’s recent revival has not been lost on Pep Guardiola ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with Manchester City and he believes both clubs are desperate for points.
Guardiola’s side will be heavily expected to win as West Ham play Manchester City in a huge Premier League game on Saturday night.
While City aren’t the force of old, they haven’t lost to West Ham United in the Premier League since 2015 and still have designs on winning the title.
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West Ham v Man City perfect line-up
Still, there are reasons to believe that West Ham can beat City. They were thrashed by Real Madrid earlier this week, while they drew with Nottingham Forest in their last Premier League outing.
Guardiola, however, believes that there are simply no easy games in the Premier League.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference, he said both teams were desperate for points: “We are desperate, too. Both, we are.”
Earlier in his news conference, Guardiola said of West Ham: “Like Nottingham Forest before, every team play for something. For relegation, for Europe, for Champions League – for every game, there are no second chances.”
Pep Guardiola reacts towards the fouth official during Manchester City's FA Cup game against Newcastle United.
Photo by Paul Currie / AFP via Getty Images
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Guardiola thinks ‘desperate’ West Ham have it all to play for
The City boss is right to suggest both teams are desperate for points.
It’s a huge game at both ends of the Premier League table.
Unless City claim anything other than three points in east London, it’s incredibly difficult to see them having any hope of catching Arsenal at the top of the league.
A victory for West Ham, meanwhile, would lift them out of the relegation zone for the first time since late November.
With only nine games left this season, the stakes are incredibly high at both ends of the table.
Guardiola banned for West Ham vs Manchester City
It will be interesting to see how City operate without Guardiola on the touchline.
This is a club built in his image, so the fact that Guardiola is banned from the touchline for West Ham versus Manchester City may be telling.
Obviously, Guardiola has been able to take whatever training sessions they’ve been able to fit in following their tight fixture turnaround.
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Erling Haaland of Manchester City looks dejected after the Premier League match between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest at Etihad Stadium on March 4, 2026 in Manchester, England.
Still, he is unable to actually coach from the touchline on Saturday night – and there’s no telling what impact that might have.
Guardiola’s assistants Kolo Toure and Pep Lijnders will oversee the game instead.
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