Premier League matchup prediction: West Ham vs. Manchester City

On Saturday night, Manchester City will go to West Ham United in an attempt to build on their unbeaten start to the campaign.

Pep Guardiola’s team defeated Chelsea and Ipswich Town to earn six Premier League points out of a possible six, and they also won the FA Community Shield for the first time since 2019.

But with the first international break of the season approaching, City’s focus will be as much on staying healthy and fit as it will be on defeating Julen Lopetegui’s new club.

With a 3-1 victory over West Ham at the Etihad Stadium in May, thanks to goals from Phil Foden’s incredible brace and Rodri in the second half, Manchester City—who have not lost to the Hammers in their previous 19 meetings—clinched the Premier League championship.

After suffering a hamstring injury, Rodri might play in his first minutes of the season on Saturday, but Foden will not be able to play in the London Stadium game that weekend because of an ongoing fitness issue.

Here’s how we think Manchester City and West Ham will lineup before their match on Saturday night in east London!

Even though there were rumors earlier in the summer window that Stefan Ortega might be moving, Ederson is still the most predictable name on the squad sheet for Premier League matches.

Kyle Walker might have to wait a few more weeks to make his first City start of the season because it would be a crime for Rico Lewis, who was just called up to the senior England squad, to lose his spot following an incredible start to the campaign.

Manuel Akanji and Ruben Dias are equally difficult to break down, but Guardiola has several options in central defense should he choose to rotate. Josko Gvardiol is the favorite to start as left back over Nathan Ake.

Mateo Kovacic, who Guardiola said in his pre-match press conference that he was “feeling much better,” will have the opportunity to continue his excellent run as Rodri has only recently returned to training and a start is improbable.

Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne, who are expected to start alongside once more in this match, will both be essential to whatever success City hopes to achieve this season.
After scoring four goals in his previous two games, Erling Haaland might be thinking about breaking yet another record. He will undoubtedly start in London with the intention of surpassing his personal record of 36 league goals.

Many had anticipated that Phil Foden would return to the starting lineup against Ipswich Town, but according to Guardiola, the PFA Player of the Year “still doesn’t feel good” and will likely have to wait until September to make his first start of the new season. That most likely means that Savinho and Jeremy Doku, the dynamic duo of wings, will go on another tour.

Predicted starting lineup: Bernardo, Doku, Haaland, Savinho, De Bruyne, Akanji, Ederson, Lewis, Dias, and Kovacic

Ortega, Carson, Walker, Ake, Stones, Rodri, O’Reilly, McAtee, Gundogan, Foden, and Grealish are some of the replacements.