TEAM NEWS
John Stones and Gabriel Jesus remain sidelined, while Benjamin Mendy is nearing fitness and will be assessed. Manchester City are without Fernandinho and Aymeric Laporte, both of whom suffered muscle injuries in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final win.
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has reported no new injury concerns.
Manuel Lanzini is again likely to feature as a substitute, having made his comeback from a long-term knee problem in Friday’s win against Fulham.
Defenders Fabian Balbuena and Winston Reid have returned to light training but are not yet fully fit.
MOTD COMMENTATOR’S NOTES
Jonathan Pearce: Pep Guardiola won’t want to hear any excuses about tired legs after the Carabao Cup final. Manchester City have a big enough squad to cope.
A more relevant question is whether West Ham will start as poorly as they did against Fulham. They could have been three down in five minutes.
If they do, City will run riot. It’s a game the hosts must win.
Marko Arnautovic must start for West Ham. Michail Antonio could also cause problems in his current form.
But City are on the top flight’s best home scoring spree since 1965 and carry a goal threat from all quarters. Add to that the Hammers’ poor away form, in particular at City, and it looks like a banker home win.
VIEW FROM THE DUGOUT
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on Manuel Pellegrini’s time in charge at the club: “He did an incredible job. He won the Premier League with an outstanding amount of goals.
“Here in England there is a lot of respect for [former players and managers], and especially with Manuel because he is an excellent person.”
West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini on facing his former club: “It was three beautiful years, especially when we won the Premier League, we had a very successful season.
“Not only because we won that, but it was the team that scored the most goals in history.
“The fans enjoyed the football we played. I have only good memories.”
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
Hammers manager Manuel Pellegrini will get a good reception from the home fans but his side are in for a tough night.
West Ham carry a threat up front, but they are not great defensively and I don’t think City will struggle to find a way through.
Prediction: 3-1
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Manchester City have won 10 of their 12 league games against West Ham at the Etihad Stadium (D1, L1).
- The Hammers’ only league win there came in September 2015, when current boss Manuel Pellegrini was in charge of the home side.
- Under Pep Guardiola, City have won all six of their league and cup games against the Hammers, scoring 22 goals and conceding just three.
Manchester City
- The reigning champions have won 13 of their 14 top-flight games at the Etihad Stadium this season.
- City have scored two goals or more in each of their last 15 home league matches – the longest such run in the top flight since Tottenham did so in 16 consecutive games in 1965.
- After scoring three goals against both Arsenal and Chelsea, Sergio Aguero can become the first player to score Premier League hat-tricks in three consecutive home appearances.
- Aguero has ended on the winning side in each of the last 23 league games he has started at the Etihad Stadium, scoring 29 goals and assisting seven more.
West Ham United
- The Hammers are winless in their last five league and cup away games, losing four of those matches.
- Since beating Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City at the start of the 2015-16 season, West Ham are winless in 17 league games away to sides from the established top six (D6, L11).
- The Hammers have lost 19 of their 22 Premier League matches away to the reigning champions, with their only victory coming against Manchester United in December 2001 under Glenn Roeder.
- Manuel Pellegrini has lost eight of his nine league matches as a manager against Pep Guardiola. The exception was a 3-3 draw for his Villarreal side against Barcelona in 2009.
Source: BBC News
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