Man City vs. West Ham: Betting Insights, Preview, and Predictions

A tough test awaits Julen Lopetegui’s side as they head to the Etihad, where Manchester City looks to start 2025 on a high.

January 3, 2025
5:04 pm

Manchester City bounced back with a solid 2-0 win over a struggling Leicester City. While it was a good result, Pep Guardiola’s squad didn’t look quite like their usual dominant selves. But hey, returning to the Etihad to take on West Ham might just spark their confidence again, especially since City has won 14 of their last 15 home games against the Hammers.

The hosts also have a fantastic record in their first league game of the year, winning 17 of their last 18, including the last 12. Still, their recent home form is a bit worrisome, with just one win in the last five competitive matches at the Etihad and a surprising ten goals conceded during that time.

West Ham’s Struggles

Things aren’t looking great for West Ham after a heavy 5-0 loss to Liverpool. Manager Julen Lopetegui is feeling the heat, with many betting on him being the next Premier League manager to go.

The Hammers have a tough road ahead, having not won in their last 18 Premier League clashes with Manchester City, a streak that goes back to 2015. That’s tied for the longest winless run against a single opponent in their league history. Plus, West Ham has let in a league-high 79 goals in 2024, showing some serious defensive issues that Guardiola’s team could take advantage of.

Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability

Manchester City: 3/10 (76.9%)
Draw: 19/4 (17.4%)
West Ham: 7/1 (12.5%)
(Odds from Ladbrokes, subject to change.)

Betting Tips and Odds

Erling Haaland to score anytime – 7/4
Manchester City to win the game – 4/11
Both teams to score – 3/1

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Key Players to Watch

For Manchester City, Erling Haaland ended his three-game league scoring drought with a goal against Leicester and will be looking to keep it going against West Ham. He’s scored seven goals in just five Premier League games against them, with only Wolves suffering more at his hands (eight goals).

On the West Ham side, Tomáš Souček has netted four league goals from midfield this season. However, he hasn’t scored against City in ten career matches – second only to Liverpool (11 matches) for his longest drought.

Head-to-Head and Key Numbers

Manchester City has the upper hand, winning 65 of the 122 meetings with West Ham, while the Hammers have 38 wins.

City has won their last eight home Premier League games against West Ham.
West Ham hasn’t kept a clean sheet in their last 24 league matches against Manchester City, their second-longest such run in Premier League history.
The Hammers’ last league win against City was back in September 2015, with a score of 2-1.

West Ham has had a mixed bag away this season. While they haven’t won in their last 18 meetings with City, they’ve only been shut out in one of their nine away Premier League games this season. Defensively, though, they’ve struggled, giving up an average of 2.1 goals per game on the road.

Hot Stat: West Ham has only failed to score in one of their nine away Premier League games this season, which is a little silver lining as they try to pull off an upset at the Etihad.