The Daily Star Ireland
Manchester City is currently facing one of the most challenging periods since the Abu Dhabi United Group took ownership. The team, nearing the end of its cycle, has been struggling to recover from a significant slump. Prior to their recent 2-0 win over Leicester, City had managed just one victory in their last 13 matches, a 3-0 triumph over Nottingham Forest earlier this month. Following that, they had a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace and suffered three consecutive losses: 2-0 against Juventus in the Champions League, 2-1 against Manchester United, and 2-1 against Aston Villa in the Premier League. With their return to winning ways against Leicester after a 1-1 draw with Everton on Boxing Day, the team currently sits in 6th place in the league.
West Ham, traditionally a contender for European spots, has significantly underperformed this season. They are languishing in 13th place, 8 points adrift of the top 6 spots. However, there have been signs of improvement recently, with a four-match unbeaten run. This included victories over Wolverhampton (2-1), 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 struggling to get the best out of his squad, with several key players unavailable. Ruben Dias, Bobb, and Rodri are all missing, while Kyle Walker, Nunes, Ederson, Jack Grealish, and John Stones are uncertain for the upcoming match. Erling Haaland, who had a difficult period prior to his goal against Leicester, had scored just one goal in seven matches and missed a penalty against Everton. His goal should provide a confidence boost. Meanwhile, Jeremy Doku, who has netted twice, has also been disappointing. Kevin De Bruyne (2 goals, 2 assists) and Bernardo Silva (2 goals, 4 assists) have shown signs of a dip in form, despite Silva scoring against Everton.
Prediction
Manchester City has focused on tight defense recently, conceding only four goals in their last 21 home league games. Fourteen of those 17 matches have seen fewer than 3.5 goals. West Ham has had a similar trend, with 17 of their last 21 away matches producing fewer than 3.5 goals. Therefore, this match is expected to feature three goals or fewer.
Prediction: Manchester City 1 – 1 West Ham.
