Manchester City v West Ham United Predicted Starting XI

Man City Square look in detail at the upcoming Premier League Match against West Ham United and try to predict a likely starting XI

Manchester City have had little time following the exhilaration of the Carabao Cup win after extra time and penalties on Sunday against Chelsea to prepare for this match with West Ham United. There has been limited chance for any of the players to regenerate let alone train and the squad will now also have to cope following a growing number of injuries to key players.

This will be our 7th game in February and the tiredness is beginning to take its toll on our players. No one is at their very best but we must stay mentally strong to remain focussed on the challenge ahead, a single game at a time. Every one is a Cup Final between now and the end of the season and each victory takes us closer to achieving the impossible.

West Ham United are a team with a point to prove after some erratic performances of late. There is the added frisson of a return to the Etihad for some ex City players and a manager who is fondly remembered. West Ham can move the ball around quickly and are likely to try and seek to make the most of their opportunities on the break against tired legs. They have some aerial height and real power available to them with Marko Arnautovic and Antonio in their starting side and will cause us some difficulty.

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City will need to try and take an early lead to take the sting out of this game. Chasing a result with our team after all our recent matches will likely prove impossible.

The injury issues are beginning to turn into a crisis, especially when coupled with the players who are still returning from lengthy injury lay offs who are still trying to regain peak fitness like Kevin De Bruyne. At the back the situation may be most acute as Benjamin Mendy has been out for the most of the season but looks to be nearing another slow return. He is now joined on the physio table by both of our first choice centre backs – John Stones and Aymeric Laporte. Fabian Delph is also on his way back following a length spell on the treatment table.

This means we are likely to see a makeshift back four which may well be lacking some pace through the middle. I expect Walker and Zinchenko to start as full backs but with Kompany and Otamendi as the defensive pairing.

The groin injury sustained by Fernandinho may prove exceptionally costly to us. Guardiola has the option of playing Gundogan in that role but he tends to forget his covering duties and can be caught out of position. Alternatively he can play Danilo in the space but that is untried. In the rest of midfield it is likely fatigue may play a part in the selection so it is difficult to predict. But an experienced head like Bernardo alongside Foden may be a decent call.

Upfront the injury to Jesus means we will see Aguero again. His antics in the dressing room where he was filmed dancing suggests he is not feeling the after effects of his exertions on the pitch. I think pace on the wings may be the thing which West Ham will most fear so I expect a combination of Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez to earn a recall and have the chance of nailing down a position in the games to come.

Next. Previewing the Manchester City v West Ham match with Green St Hammers. dark

This will be a difficult game for City and we need to achieve 3 points to keep up the pressure on Liverpool in the hunt for the title.

Man City Square Predicted Starting XI

Goalkeeper

Ederson

Defence

Walker, Kompany, Otamendi, Zinchenko

Midfield

Gundogan, Foden, Bernardo

Attack

Mahrez, Aguero, Sane