Manchester City vs West Ham (Premier League): Match Preview, Team News, Head to Head, How To Watch | OneFootball

Julen Lopetegui and West Ham present Manchester City with their first challenge of 2025 as the reigning Premier League champions look to kickstart a comeback.

Pep Guardiola and his players have hugely underperformed over the last couple of months recording just two wins across their last 14 matches in all competitions, leaving them in sixth position in the Premier League and 22nd in the UEFA Champions League.

Very few of Guardiola’s first-team stars have emerged as leading performers either, with Manchester City desperately needing their players to step up to the plate, take responsibility, and lift the team towards a second-half comeback this campaign.

There was some hope of that coming to fruition in the last match, as Manchester City managed to grind out a 0-2 away victory against Leicester despite performing below their lofty standards, thanks to goals from Savinho and Erling Haaland either side of half-time.

West Ham performed much worse themselves but at the hands of the runaway league leaders, succumbing to a 0-5 home defeat to Arne Slot’s Liverpool at the London Stadium, leaving them in 13th position after 19 games played.

Ahead of Manchester City and West Ham’s first game and meeting with one another of the new calendar year, here is everything you need to know ahead of the encounter at the Etihad Stadium!

Match Details

Manchester City will welcome West Ham United to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with kick-off in the reverse Premier League match-up between the two sides scheduled for 15:00 (UK).

Match Officials

The Premier League have confirmed that Michael Salisbury will take on the role of match referee at the Etihad Stadium this weekend, in what will be just his second match involving Manchester City in his top-level officiating career.

You can check out the full list of appointed match officials, HERE!

Team News

Pep Guardiola confirmed to the media that despite some positive updates surrounding two of his sidelined stars, Manchester City’s injury and fitness situation will likely remain unchanged from the visit to Leicester City prior to the turn of the year.

As such, that will leave all of Rodri, Oscar Bobb, Ruben Dias, Matheus Nunes, Ederson, and John Stones all ruled out of this weekend’s tie at the Etihad Stadium, despite the return of their Brazilian goalkeeper to first-team training this week.

Guardiola revealed on Ederson during his pre-match press conference, “Yesterday (Thursday) he trained better. The first training a little bit without disturbances in his leg… I hope so [that he will be back soon].”

As for Ruben Dias, who remains sidelined with a muscular problem, it was further revealed that the Portuguese centre-back is ‘getting better’ but remains unavailable for Manchester City this weekend.

As for West Ham United, they have their own battles to contend with as Michail Antonio, Jarrod Bowen, and Lukasz Fabianski are all sidelined with injuries, with the former ruled out following a serious car crash in December.

Tomas Soucek and Guido Rodriguez may return after they received a suspension following an accumulation of yellow cards during the first portion of Premier League fixtures this season.

Head To Head

Manchester City and West Ham have met one another on 121 previous occasions with the Sky Blues coming out on top and claiming the victory in 64 of those meetings, recording 20 draws against the Hammers, and ending up on the losing side 37 times.

Pep Guardiola and his players won the reverse fixture earlier this season as Erling Haaland recorded yet another sensational hat-trick for the club, and West Ham’s only goal of the game courtesy of a City own goal.

As for their last meeting at the Etihad Stadium, that is one all Manchester City fans will remember with the 3-1 win for the hosts coming on the final day of last season’s Premier League campaign to claim a historic fourth consecutive English top-flight title.

The eventual Premier League Player of the Season in Phil Foden would bag a brace that afternoon, whilst the Ballon d’Or winner for 2024 would wrap up the three points to fend off another challenge from Arsenal for the top-flight crown.

Statistics

Manchester City have won 14 of their last 15 Premier League home games against West Ham (L1), including the last eight in a row since a 2-1 loss in September 2015.

West Ham are winless in their last 18 Premier League games against Manchester City, since a 2-1 away win in September 2015. Against no side have the Hammers had a longer winless run in their league history (also 18 vs Liverpool between 1983 and 1994).

West Ham have conceded at least once in each of their last 24 Premier League games against Manchester City – only against Sunderland have they had a longer run without a clean sheet in their league history (25 between 1923 and 1968), a run they ended with an 8-0 win with Geoff Hurst scoring six goals.

Manchester City have won their first league game in 17 of the last 18 calendar years, including each of the last 12 in a row since a 1-0 loss at Sunderland on New Year’s Day 2012.

West Ham have not lost their opening league game in any of the last seven calendar years (W4 D3), since a 2-0 loss to Manchester United in 2017. This is the first time they are facing the reigning champions in their first league game of the year since 2006, and a 3-1 defeat to Chelsea.

How To Watch

Manchester City’s meeting with West Ham United this weekend not be available to watch live for those in the United Kingdom, with the contest only available via radio broadcast, with regional coverage courtesy of BBC Radio Manchester.

Those in the United States can watch the game live on Peacock.

You can find full global TV listings for the matchday one encounter in the UEFA Champions League HERE!

City Xtra will have full live coverage available on our X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram channels throughout matchday, with content also provided on cityxtra.co.uk and YouTube!