Yahoo Sports Grealish starts as City make one change for West Ham trip
City make one change for Saturday’s Premier League trip to West Ham with Jack Grealish coming into the line-up for his first Premier League start of the season.
From the side that began last Saturday’s 4-1 home win over Ipswich, Savinho misses out due to a knee problem.
Manuel Akajni is amongst the starting eleven for what will be his 100th appearance since joining City in 2022.
Rodrigo is named amongst the substitutes as the Spaniard comes into Pep Guardiola’s matchday squad for the first time this season.
Phil Foden is again unavailable as he recovers from a bout of illness.
Teams
WEST HAM: Areola, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson, Rodríguez, Álvarez, Paquetá, Bowen ©, Kudus, Antonio
Subs: Fabiański (GK), Casey, Todibo, Coufal, Souček, Irving, Guilherme, Summerville, Füllkrug
CITY XI: Ederson, Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Kovacic, De Bruyne (C), Bernardo, Doku, Grealish, Haaland
Subs: Ortega Moreno, Walker, Stones, Ake, Rodrigo, Gundogan, Nunes, O'Reilly, McAtee
WATCH: West Ham v City: Memorable moments
Tactics
Ederson will be the familiar figure in goal with the Brazilian protected by a back line of Rico Lewis, Akanji, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol.
Mateo Kovacic will the holding midfield anchor with Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva deployed alongside the Croatian in the City engine room.
Erling Haaland is City’s striking focal point with Grealish and Jeremy Doku set to be deployed on either flank as part of an exciting attacking trident
100 up
It promises to be a landmark occasion for Akajni as he is set to chalk up his 100th appearance since joining City back in September 2022.
It’s fair to say the Swiss defender has been little sort of a revelation since joining City from Borussia Dortmund in the 2022 summer transfer window.
Assured in possession, a superb reader of the game and also armed with supreme tactical flexibility, Akanji has proved a vital component in City’s success over the past two years.
Humble and understated, he is also the very epitome of the ethos and values that have become the hallmark of Pep’s City.
Happy hunting ground
If in search of an encouraging omen, City boast an enviable away record against the Hammers.
We have lost just one of our past 14 league fixtures against the East London side, a run that stretches all the way back to October 2014 when we were edged out 2-1 at Upton Park.
Since then, City have accumulated eight wins and five draws and have yet to experience a loss since West Ham moved into the London Stadium in 2016.
What’s more, under Guardiola City have also scored 25 goals at the former site of the 2012 London Olympics, the highest tally a side has registered at an away venue since the 2016/17 season.
WATCH: Definitely City: Coming Soon
22 up?
City will go into the game seeking to extend a remarkable record on the road in the Premier League this year.
Pep Guardiola’s side will step out at the London Stadium unbeaten in 21 away games in the league so far across 2024.
To date, City have racked up a remarkable record of 18 wins and three draws from the start of the calendar year.
That represents the Club’s longest unbeaten run from the start of a year in league history.
Furthermore City are currently unbeaten in 25 league games, winning the last 11 in a row.
Key stats
Manchester City have scored more away goals against West Ham than they have against any other opponent in the Premier League (42). Meanwhile, their 25 goals at the London Stadium is the most an away team has scored at a specific venue in the Premier League since its opening in 2016-17.
West Ham have conceded at least once in each of their last 10 Premier League home games, last having a longer run without a clean sheet between April and December 2009 (12).
Manchester City are unbeaten in 21 Premier League games so far in 2024 (W18 D3), their longest unbeaten run from the start of a calendar year in league history. Overall, they’re unbeaten in 25 Premier League games, winning the last 11 in a row.
Only Liverpool and Nottingham Forest (37 each) have had more shots than West Ham (32) in the opening two Premier League games this season. However, only three sides (Everton, Southampton, Ipswich) have had fewer attempts on target than the Hammers (6).
Manchester City have lost none of their 16 Premier League meetings with West Ham under Pep Guardiola (W14 D2). It’s the joint-most a manager has faced a specific opponent without ever losing in the competition’s history (Alex Ferguson vs Charlton also 16).
Michail Antonio has been involved in 99 Premier League goals for West Ham (67 goals, 32 assists), and could be the first player to reach 100 for the club. Five of these have been against Man City (3 goals, 2 assists), with the Jamaican only having a hand in more against four clubs (Crystal Palace 10, Tottenham 7, Liverpool 6, Watford 6).
Erling Haaland has scored 16 goals in 10 Premier League appearances in August, averaging a goal every 52 minutes, the best minutes-per-goal ratio by a player in a particular month in Premier League history (min. 500 minutes played).
Jarrod Bowen has been involved in 10 goals in his last 12 Premier League games (6 goals, 4 assists), while he was also the last West Ham player to score a brace against Manchester City (2-2 in May 2022).
