West Ham United v Manchester City preview: Hammers looking to do double
Saturday 23 January 2016 17:31, UK
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic is optimistic his team can beat Manchester City for the second time this season when they meet at Upton Park on Saturday.
Manuel Pellegrini's side, one point adrift of league leaders Arsenal in third place, will be looking to avenge their surprise 2-1 defeat against West Ham at the Etihad back in September.
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But while Bilic believes City have the best squad in the league, he is hopeful the Hammers can continue their impressive record against the established big teams this season by claiming another scalp on Saturday Night Football.
The Croat, who has overseen victories over Arsenal, Chelsea, City and twice against Liverpool already this campaign, said: "We have the confidence but we know we have to be on top of our game.
"We have done it before, so we don't have to dream to do something that other clubs have done. We have done it this season - and with the greatest respect to them as I really believe they are the best side in England - we are playing at home.
"We have been playing really well at home. Our last game [at home in the Premier League] was against Liverpool and we beat them 2-0 and we played really well."
West Ham were unbeaten in eight league games before losing at Newcastle United last weekend and are sixth in the table, while City beat Crystal Palace 4-0 at home.
But Pellegrini knows the visitors can't take any result for granted on Saturday.
"If you have good players and a good performance as a team I think everyone can beat another team. The difference is very slight between one team and another," he said.
Team news
West Ham's new signing Sam Byram is set to start this game on the bench after joining the club from Leeds United in midweek.
Meanwhile, defender Joey O'Brien is available after a long injury absence, but centre-back James Collins faces a fitness test and could join the likes of Andy Carroll, Manuel Lanzini and Diafra Sakho on the club's absentee list.
City have Fernandinho available after the midfielder missed the last three games due to a muscle problem, before returning to training this week.
Aleksandar Kolarov, though, has been ruled out after coming off in the win over Palace with a calf injury, and joins fellow defenders Eliaquim Mangala (hamstring) and Vincent Kompany (calf), plus midfielder Samir Nasri (hamstring) and striker Wilfried Bony (calf), on the sidelines.
Opta stats
After winning just one of the previous 14 Premier League games against City (W1 D3 L10), West Ham have won two of the last three meetings (W2 L1).
City's win over Watford ended a run of six Premier League away games without a win on the road (D3 L3); a sequence which saw them score just two goals.
The Hammers are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League matches at the Boleyn Ground (W4 D4).
Diafra Sakho has scored the winning goal in each of West Ham's last two wins over the Citizens.
West Ham ended City's 11-game winning streak in the Premier League when they defeated the Citizens 2-1 at the Etihad back in September.
Fourteen different players have scored a Premier League goal for West Ham this season - only Chelsea (also 14) have had as many individual goalscorers in the competition in 2015-16.
Sergio Aguero has had a hand in six goals (four goals and two assists) in seven Premier League appearances against West Ham.
The average age of City's starting XI in the Premier League this season has been 28 years, 182 days. Only West Bromwich Albion's starting XI (29y 239d) is older on average.
Michail Antonio has scored six competitive club goals this season (four for Nottingham Forest, two for West Ham United) - all six have come in home matches.
West Ham have used 245 different players in the Premier League since its inception in 1992; more than any other side.
Merson's prediction
West Ham will be disappointed with the result they had at Newcastle, they let Newcastle get away and when they turned it on at the end it was too late. The Hammers have got that class about them though, they can make things happen.
They appear to have sorted out their early-season troubles at Upton Park and I expect them to try and hit City on the counter. But they have to contend with Aguero who, for me, is the best centre-forward in the world, alongside Luis Suarez. City haven't been great away from home so I don't expect West Ham to lose this one.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (Sky Bet odds 13/2)
Betting
City are 8/13 with Sky Bet to inflict a second successive defeat on 4/1 shots West Ham, with the draw 3/1 ahead of SNF.
City are even-money favourites to win the title, with West Ham 5/1 to secure a top-six finish under Bilic.
Sky Bet have Price Boosted Aguero to score and City to win from 11/10 to 7/4, while the Hammers to repeat the 2-1 win they secured at the Etihad earlier in the season boosted from 14/1 to 18/1.
Aguero is 3/1 to open the scoring, with West Ham's Enner Valencia a 5/2 shot to score anytime.
Sky Sports football expert Jamie Redknapp is tipping Aguero to score first in a 2-2 draw at 40/1. Bet here.
