Manchester City-West Ham United Preview (Again)

After seeing Manchester City’s Premier League match against West Ham United cancelled due to weather conditions, much has changed off the pitch.

For the first time since Manchester City’s punishment by UEFA for breach of FFP regulation was announced, the Sky Blues will return to the pitch at the Etihad Stadium in midweek for a rescheduled Premier League fixture against West Ham.

With the game oddly being played on a Champions League Wednesday to respect the Premier League’s winter break, it will kick off a crucial three-game stretch that also includes Leicester City and Real Madrid over the course of the next eight days.

City’s public image is in crisis at the moment, and the future is very murky. While returning to the pitch is arguably the best way to move forward, the impending sanctions have left a dark cloud over the club, the players, the manager, and the fans.

No one knows what will happen next, and the team must move on to the task at hand. With anti-UEFA protests being planned for the return leg at the Etihad Stadium on March 17, tensions could not be higher, but City must find a way to block out the noise heading into the game.

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West Ham is a perfect fixture to build momentum and focus on football before the inevitable noise returns with Real Madrid in a week’s time, and City’s next two games will go a long way in securing second place and maintaining a top four finish, which could still mean Champions League football if City litigate to delay or remove the punishment.

City still have so much to play for this season, despite all that’s happened. Pep Guardiola remains the coach of one of the world’s most talented squads, who are still capable of winning the first Champions League in club history and giving UEFA a truly ironic parting gift. Time to move forward.