Manchester City is going through one of its toughest times since the Abu Dhabi United Group took over.
The team, nearing the end of its current cycle, has been struggling to bounce back from a significant slump. Before their recent 2-0 win over Leicester, City had only one victory in their previous 13 games, a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest earlier this month.
Following that, they drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace and suffered three consecutive losses: 2-0 to Juventus in the Champions League, 2-1 to Manchester United, and 2-1 to Aston Villa in the Premier League. Their return to winning form against Leicester came after a 1-1 draw with Everton on Boxing Day, and they are currently in 6th place in the league.
West Ham, typically a contender for European spots, has underperformed this season, sitting in 13th place, 8 points away from the top 6.
However, they have shown improvement recently with a four-match unbeaten run, including victories over Wolverhampton (2-1) and draws against Bournemouth (1-1) and Brighton (1-1), and a 1-0 win against Southampton on Boxing Day. Unfortunately, their progress was halted by a heavy 5-0 defeat at home to league leaders Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola is facing challenges in getting the best out of his squad, with several key players unavailable. Ruben Dias, Bobb, and Rodri are all out, while Kyle Walker, Nunes, Ederson, Jack Grealish, and John Stones are doubtful for the upcoming match.
Erling Haaland, who had a tough spell before his goal against Leicester, had scored just once in seven matches and missed a penalty against Everton. His goal should boost his confidence. Meanwhile, Jeremy Doku, who has scored twice, has also been underwhelming. Kevin De Bruyne (2 goals, 2 assists) and Bernardo Silva (2 goals, 4 assists) have shown signs of a dip in form, although Silva scored against Everton.
Prediction
Manchester City has recently focused on strong defense, conceding only four goals in their last 21 home league games. Fourteen of those matches have had fewer than 3.5 goals.
West Ham has followed a similar trend, with 17 of their last 21 away matches producing fewer than 3.5 goals. Therefore, this match is expected to have three goals or fewer.
Prediction: Manchester City 1 – 1 West Ham.
