Julen Lopetegui is underneath no illusions over the standard of Manchester Metropolis, regardless of their latest kind, as West Ham put together to go to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Metropolis ended their Premier League struggles with a 2-0 victory over Leicester Metropolis final day trip, although the four-in-a-row champions nonetheless sit sixth and 14 factors adrift of leaders Liverpool.
The Leicester win marked solely a second victory of their final 14 video games throughout all competitions – however Lopetegui is aware of of the standard Metropolis’s facet pose, no matter their struggles.
“Manchester Metropolis are among the best groups on this planet,” the West Ham boss mentioned on Thursday. “You may speak about latest weeks, however I do know the standard of the workforce that we’re going to face.
“They’re an excellent workforce, with superb gamers and a high coach, who’ve performed with the identical concepts for a very long time. We’re going to have a really demanding match.
“However, we now have to place the concentrate on the strengths we now have, and consider that we’re capable of overcome these calls for.
“We attempt to enhance issues, whether or not we win, draw or lose video games, and we’re working exhausting to be able to play Manchester Metropolis at their residence on Saturday.”
Lanzini’s beautiful late strike on the Etihad Stadium in 2021 pic.twitter.com/8o5FYoDif7
— West Ham United (@WestHam) January 2, 2025
West Ham have been hammered by Liverpool in Sunday’s 5-0 defeat, leaving them thirteenth within the desk heading into 2025 – and that loss was compounded by an damage to Jarrod Bowen.
“Let’s see, however it’s not going to be a couple of days for certain,” Lopetegui mentioned of his captain and star ahead. “It’s not excellent news for us, however it’s the second for different gamers.
“We’re certain that Jarrod goes to make the time that he has to get better [as short as possible], due to his character, however it’s true that he’s going to be out of the subsequent matches.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester Metropolis – Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland has scored seven targets in simply 5 Premier League video games in opposition to West Ham, so the Norway talisman will fancy his probabilities of including to his account right here.
Nevertheless, solely a type of targets has come on the Etihad – the place Guardiola’s facet haven’t gained since December 4 in opposition to Nottingham Forest.
Working in direction of the weekend pic.twitter.com/qgy3pFqfQD
— Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) January 2, 2025
West Ham – Mohammed Kudus
Bowen’s absence might even see Mohammed Kudus shifted to the right-hand facet of Lopetegui’s assault, a spot by which he might pose some counter-attacking risk.
Kudus was one in every of few to impress final day trip in opposition to Liverpool, creating two probabilities and managing two pictures – a type of in opposition to the woodwork of Alisson’s objective.
MATCH PREDICTION – MANCHESTER CITY WIN
The Opta supercomputer’s pre-match predictions struggled to see previous something aside from a house win, and that may not come as a shock contemplating this pair’s head-to-head report.
Certainly, Man Metropolis have gained 14 of their final 15 Premier League residence video games in opposition to West Ham (L1), together with the final eight in a row since a 2-1 loss in September 2015.
These final eight victories on the Etihad have all come underneath Guardiola, with solely former Arsenal supervisor Arsene Wenger boasting a greater 100% residence win fee in opposition to an opponent within the competitors (11/11 vs Leicester Metropolis, 10/10 vs Stoke Metropolis).
It might be one other bleak outing for the guests, who’re winless of their final 18 Premier League video games in opposition to Man Metropolis total – in opposition to no facet have the Hammers had an extended such run of their league historical past (additionally 18 vs Liverpool between 1983 and 1994).
West Ham have additionally conceded at the very least as soon as in every of their final 24 Premier League video games in opposition to Saturday’s hosts. Solely in opposition to Sunderland have they’d an extended run with out a clear sheet of their league historical past (25 between 1923 and 1968).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Man Metropolis win – 68.3%
Draw – 17.2%
West Ham win – 14.5%