West Ham United will make the trip to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday to take on Manchester City in what will be a tough game for the Hammers.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side picked up a 3-1 win over Fulham at the London Stadium last Friday, but are expected to face a sterner test against City.
Pep Guardiola’s side clinched the EFL Cup on Sunday after their win over Chelsea, and will now focus on the title challenge as they dropped to second following Liverpool’s draw against Manchester United.
Even a point would be seen as a positive result of the Hammers are Manchester City are in good form.
Fabian Balbuena and Winston Reid might have returned to light training, but aren’t expected to feature against Manchester City.
Manuel Lanzini made his comeback from a long-term knee injury against the Cottagers, but he too might not be rushed back into the starting lineup.
While Jack Wilshere is a few days away from his return from his ankle injury, Andriy Yarmolenko is on the treatment table and is not likely to return anytime soon.
Defence
Lukasz Fabianski is expected to be in goal as usual. The Polish shot-stopper has been a key figure at the back for West Ham this season with his consistent displays.
Issa Diop and Angelo Ogbonna have forged a decent partnership, and are likely to start once again.
Aaron Cresswell and Pablo Zabaleta might operate as the full-backs.
Midfield
Declan Rice and Mark Noble might sit deep in the midfield to protect the defence, and they will have the tough challenge to shut out the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva.
Robert Snodgrass might start in the attacking midfield. The Scot has played most of the games through the middle, and has shown good creative prowess. We expect Lanzini to get a few minutes off the bench in the second half.
Attack
Marko Arnautovic is likely to replace Javier Hernandez up top. The 29-year-old has scored 7 goals in 19 league appearances, and will be keen to add to his tally.
Felipe Anderson and Michail Antonio might keep their place on the flanks. The two have been in good touch, and will have to make the counter-attacks count against Manchester City as Guardiola’s side are expected to dominate possession.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
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