Manchester City-West Ham Preview: Preparing for Madrid

With a 22-point gap to the top and a long break before the Leicester game and an all-important Champions League duel with Real Madrid, Manchester City must begin to find form against West Ham United.

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City will be without star winger Raheem Sterling, who has been struggling with form, and now, a hamstring injury that will keep him out for weeks. While that may not be of concern as the Citizens welcome West Ham to the Etihad, Sterling may be unavailable for City’s massive clash against Real Madrid on Feb. 26.

Oleksandr Zinchenko remains suspended after picking up a second yellow in the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham, so Benjamin Mendy will likely return to the side. Aymeric Laporte could also feature again after shaky fitness following his return against Sheffield United. City have not scored a goal in their last 180 minutes of play, and will seriously need to find form in a game like this before a two-week break immediately followed by the most important stretch of the season.

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For all the drama surrounding City’s domestic campaign, all will be forgotten if 2019/20 ends in a Champions League title, but they simply must improve if they are to survive an extremely tricky tie against 14-time winners Real Madrid in the Round of 16.

West Ham, on the other hand, are truly in a relegation dogfight under David Moyes, and with their next two matches coming against City and Liverpool, they will surely eye this match as their only opportunity to grab any points. The Hammers have not won a match since a 2-0 FA Cup Third Round victory over League One side Gillingham over a month ago.

This will be City’s final opportunity to really build any momentum or form heading into a season-defining period. Nearly all season, fans have been waiting for the Champions League, but with that moment rapidly approaching, City need to produce their best football of 2020.