Manchester City welcome West Ham United to the Etihad Stadium on December 20, knowing that victory could take them top of the Premier League table, at least temporarily, ahead of Arsenal’s later fixture. City begin the weekend in second place, while West Ham find themselves in serious trouble, sitting 18th with just 13 points from 16 matches.
Recent Form
Pep Guardiola’s side arrive in formidable form, having won six consecutive matches in all competitions. City are fresh from a 2–0 EFL Cup quarter-final win over Brentford and have been ruthless in the league, scoring 14 goals across their last four Premier League games.
- West Ham, by contrast, are enduring a torrid run. They are winless in five league outings and have managed just three Premier League victories all season, the most recent coming against Burnley in early November. With relegation pressure mounting, the Hammers sit three points adrift of safety.
Team News
Manchester City will be without several key players. Rodri, Jérémy Doku, Mateo Kovačić, John Stones, and Oscar Bobb are sidelined through injury, while Omar Marmoush and Rayan Aït-Nouri are unavailable due to AFCON commitments.
West Ham’s squad issues are less clearly defined, but their defensive record remains a major concern, with the side conceding an average of two goals per game in the league.
Predicted Lineups
Manchester City (4-3-3):
Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, Gvardiol; Gündoğan, Silva, Foden; Haaland
West Ham (4-2-3-1):
Fabiański; Peters, Scarles, Kilman, Cresswell; Mavropanos, Fernández; Paquetá, Summerville, Bowen
Head-to-Head & Key Stats
City boast a dominant recent record against West Ham, remaining unbeaten in their last 19 Premier League meetings (W16, D3). They have won the last six encounters, scoring 18 goals, including a 4–1 victory earlier in 2025. Guardiola has never lost to West Ham in 20 matches across competitions.
Outlook
With City chasing top spot and West Ham battling relegation, the contrast in momentum could hardly be starker. Anything other than a home win would be a major surprise, though West Ham will be desperate to halt their slide and defy the odds at the Etihad.
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