West Ham eager to exit relegation zone as City trip looms.
Manchester City vs West Ham kicks off at 15:00 [GMT] on Saturday, December 20, at the Etihad Stadium.
This fixture has become one of City’s most one-sided in the Premier League era. Pep Guardiola’s side are unbeaten in their last 19 league meetings with West Ham, winning 16 and drawing three since a 2-1 defeat back in September 2015. That dominance is even more pronounced in Manchester, where West Ham have lost 15 of their last 16 away league games against City. The only exception came under Slaven Bilic in 2015, and no visiting side has found much joy at the Etihad since. Recent encounters have been particularly punishing. City have won each of the last five Premier League meetings, scoring at least three goals every time. Only Arsenal against Sunderland and Manchester United against Nottingham Forest have ever managed six consecutive wins against an opponent while scoring three or more goals in each match, underlining the scale of the task facing the Hammers. The broader context offers little encouragement for West Ham either. Manchester City have not lost a single Premier League home game against a side starting the day in the relegation zone since November 2008. In that time, they have won 42 of 46 such matches, including each of the last 14, with an aggregate score of 43-7. On the touchline, Guardiola faces one of his most familiar opponents. West Ham are the team he has faced most often in his managerial career without ever losing, winning 17 and drawing three. While one of those draws ended in a penalty shootout defeat in the League Cup, his league record remains immaculate. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Erling Haaland in attack is expected against the Hammers.
West Ham do at least arrive with a degree of resilience away from home. They have drawn their last three away league matches, twice surrendering a lead, and could equal a club record by drawing four consecutive away Premier League games for the first time since 2000. However, turning draws into wins has been a persistent issue, and that habit will need to be broken to avoid further damage to their survival hopes. However, if West Ham fail to take maximum points here, they will be guaranteed to spend Christmas in the bottom three, something they have only experienced four times before in the Premier League. While they survived on two previous occasions when not bottom, history suggests it is a dangerous position for the Hammers [DLDDL], who currently sit in 18th place, having accumulated only 13 points. Callum Wilson and Jarrod Bowen could team up at the attacking end of West Ham’s 4—3—1—2 formation.