Aguero starts as City make seven changes | OneFootball

Sergio Aguero makes his first City start for four months as Pep Guardiola rotates his squad for the visit of West Ham United.

The Club’s record goal-scorer has made just seven appearances from the bench since his last start – ironically against West Ham in October.

He is one of seven changes from the side that beat Borussia Monchengladbach in midweek.

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Oleksandr Zinchenko, John Stones. Fernandinho, Kevin De Bruyne, Ferran Torres and Riyad Mahrez are also recalled, with much of the side that played in Budapest on Wednesday starting on the bench.

TEAMS

City: Ederson, Walker, Zinchenko, Dias, Stones, Fernandinho (c), Gundogan, De Bruyne, Torres, Mahrez, Aguero

Subs: Steffen, Sterling, Jesus, Laporte, Rodrigo, Bernardo, Mendy, Cancelo, Foden

West Ham: Randolph, Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Cresswell, Rice, Soucek, Johnson, Fornals, Lingard, Antonio

Substitutes: Martin, Trott, Balbuena, Benrahma, Lanzini, Noble, Bowen, Odubeko

Formation and tactics

With no Joao Cancelo, here will be no ‘phantom full-back’ drifting around the midfield.

West Ham may have made plans to nullify that threat, so by chopping and changing the line-up, it makes it difficult for opponents to make any detailed plans.

Stones resumes his partnership with Ruben Dias, though with Aymeric Laporte available too, it seems the manager can use any two of the three with the same effective results.

Ferran Torres will also be keen to impress, and both he and Mahrez will be tasked with creating chances for Aguero.

De Bruyne and Gundogan will be supporting from the middle of the park, with skipper Fernandinho shoring up in the anchor role.

SERGIO boost

Sergio Aguero has had to be patient in his wait to return to the side with a series of injuries and then Coronavirus side-lining the City legend for most of the campaign.

Guardiola has been at pains to say he wouldn’t rush the Argentine back, wanting to be 100% sure he was match-fit before naming him in the starting XI.

Aguero will be hungry for goals and is there a better striker in the world to be returning for the final third of the season?

It’s been a difficult campaign for Kun, but there is plenty of time for it to become a memorable one.

Hammer time

City’s record-breaking run will be tested this afternoon as the in-form Hammers roll into town.

David Moyes’ side have become one of the season’s surprise packages and are genuine Champions League challenges.

Moyes has shaped a side that are defensively sound, creative and solid in midfield and dangerous in attack.

They will look to continue that run at the Etihad and on the road, they have lost just three of their 12 matches.

In short, this is the best West Ham side in years, and this will be a hard 90 minutes for the Premier League leaders.

STATS AND MILESTONES

West Ham United