The Premier League will have a major showdown as West Ham hosts Manchester City. We're live from London Stadium, sharing our Premier League odds series and making a West Ham-Manchester City prediction and pick.
West Ham defeated Crystal Palace 2-0 last weekend. It was quiet until the 67th minute when Tomas Soucek struck with one that got past the goalkeeper to make it 1-0. Then, West Ham added another in the 72nd minute when Jarrod Brown came through with a strike off an assist from Max Kilman.
West Ham was efficient, with 12 shots, including three that hit the target. Somehow, they managed to be decent on offense despite only having a 41 percent possession rate. The Hammers also had three corner-kick chances and just one yellow card.
Manchester City destroyed Ipswich Town 4-1 last week. Initially, things started slow when they allowed Sammie Szmodies to strike, making it 1-0. But the Citizens gained a penalty shot in the 12th minute. Then, Erling Haaland followed through with a penalty kick to tie it. Manchester City struck again two minutes later when Kevin Du Bryune hit one home off an assist from Savinho. Amazingly, it did not end there, as the Citizens scored again in the 16th minute when Haaland came through on a great goal off an assist from De Bruyne. Haaland scored again in the 88th minute to secure the hat truck.
Manchester City played like the best team in the Premier League, firing 16 shots, including five that hit the target. They also had a 76 percent possession rate and 10 corner-kick chances.
Here are the Premier League odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Premier League Odds: West Ham-Manchester City Odds
West Ham: +600
Manchester City: -270
Draw: +440
Over 2.5 goals: -244
Under 2.5 goals: +175
How to Watch West Ham vs. Manchester City
Time: 10 am ET/7 am PT
TV: Peacock
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Subscribe now to MLS Season Pass and watch every match, including the playoffs.
Why West Ham Will Win
West Ham has played well over the first two matches. However, they will have their hands full against the best team in the Premier League. The offense certainly has the playmakers to make some noise.
Soucek now has one goal on seven shots. Thus, expect him to be one of the biggest threats on the pitch. Lucas Paqueta has one goal this season. However, he did not score in the last one and will look to bounce back. Brown will look to add another goal after notching one in the last one. Additionally, the Hammers would like to see more from Michail Antonio, who has four shots but none that have hit the target.
The defense will also have its hands full. After allowing Crystal Palace to fire 10 shots, they likely will have to shield themselves from a lot more from a Manchester City squad that lives to fire shots at the net. Therefore, the most effective strategy would be to close out on the Citizens and not allow them any room to breathe. It will make things slightly smoother for goalkeeper Alphonse Arreola, who has made three saves and conceded two goals.
West Ham will win this match if its offense generates scoring chances early in the match. Then, it needs to prevent Manchester City from getting numerous opportunities.
Why Manchester City Will Win
Even after losing Julian Alvarez to the Athletico Madrid, Manchester City has prospered. Amazingly, the players still around are doing enough to destroy the competition. Lately, it's been a two-headed monster that has roared its way to victory.
Halaand now has four goals and leads the Premier League in scoring. Additionally, he also has six shots on target. Expect him to once again be a significant part of this offense. Meanwhile, De Bruyne continues to be exceptional, with one goal, one assist, and six shots, including one on target. Mateo Kovacic has one goal. Likewise, Saka now has one assist, including three shots, with two hitting the target.
Manchester City has not had to deal with any defensive struggles. Ultimately, they have controlled the ball so much that there have barely been any threats on their side. Goalkeeper Ederson has made three saves and conceded one goal this season.
Manchester City will win this match if Haaland and De Bruyne can combine to make magic again. Then, they need to avoid falling into a lapse and giving West Ham any hope.
Final West Ham-Manchester City Prediction & Pick
The squads have met 121 times in their storied history. So far, Manchester City has won 64 times, West Ham has taken 38, and the other 19 have resulted in a draw. The Citizens won both matches last season by an identical score of 3-1. In fact, they have won the last four showdowns. Additionally, West Ham has not won a Premier League matchup with Manchester City since September 19, 2015., That long streak will continue.
Final West Ham-Manchester City Prediction & Pick: Manchester City (-270)
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