Erling Braut Haaland scored his 50th goal of the season to help Manchester City defeat Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage on Sunday, being the first English top-flight player in 92 years to surpass half a century of goals across all competitions.
City’s Norwegian No.9 now has 34 Premier League goals to make his name and is just one strike away from smashing Andy Cole and Alan Shearer’s all-time scoring record for a single season in the league (34).
The stunning strike from Julian Alvarez that walked out to be the match-winner for the Citizens, extending their winning streak in the Premier League to eight matches and moving them over title rivals Arsenal to the top of the table for the very first time in 72 days, overshadowed Haaland’s penalty inside the first three minutes.
Pep Guardiola’s side, who will have two games in hand after Arsenal’s match against Chelsea on Tuesday, have been invincible of late on all fronts, particularly in the Premier League, though defensive frailties have become apparent in recent months, with only two clean sheets in their last 12 top-flight matches.
Nonetheless, Man City’s outstanding goal-scoring form has helped them consistently outscore opponents, and they will be certain of picking up another three points against a West Ham side against whom they are undefeated in 14 top-flight matches, winning 11 of them, which includes a 2-0 victory at the London Stadium in August.
City will put continuous pressure on the Hammers
The Citizens, who have won their last six meetings with the Hammers at the Etihad, currently have the best home record in the Premier League, having accumulated 43 points from a possible 48 available, and they have won each of their last 24 top-flight games played on a Wednesday – the longest winning streak by any team in the division’s history.
West Ham have suffered back-to-back defeats against Liverpool and Crystal Palace, less than a week after achieving a confidence-boosting 4-0 victory away at Bournemouth.
West Ham suffered a 2-1 home loss to Liverpool last Wednesday, in which VAR left manager David Moyes feeling disappointed and “disrespected.” On Saturday, West Ham suffered a 4-3 loss away to Crystal Palace, despite goals scored by Tomas Soucek, Michail Antonio, and Nayef Aguerd.
West Ham led both games against Liverpool and Palace but came up short, and they are in a relegation battle heading into the last six games of the Premier League season, sitting five points above the bottom three.
Moyes and co. now face a difficult and crucial stretch of their season, beginning with a trip to Manchester City on Wednesday, followed by a home game against Manchester United the following weekend and the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final against AZ Alkmaar in little over a week.
Returning to winning ways against Man City on Wednesday will be a tall order for the Hammers, who have only picked up four points in their last 16 Premier League meetings – their only victory in this period came at the Etihad Stadium, where goals from Victor Moses and Diafra Sakho secured a 2-1 win in September 2015.
Team News- West Ham United
In West Ham’s loss against Palace, Kurt Zouma twisted his ankle while attempting to stop a shot and was taken out in the first half. Manager Moyes has confirmed that the centre-back could be out for at least a couple of weeks.
After undergoing knee surgery, Gianluca Scamacca is the only other absence for the Hammers, thus Michail Antonio and Danny Ings will continue to compete for a centre-forward berth.
Zouma’s anticipated absence means that Angelo Ogbonna might return to the starting lineup alongside Nayef Aguerd. Alternatively, Thilo Kehrer could be called in at centre-back if Moyes chooses a back three or back five.
Team News- Manchester City
Manchester City expects Nathan Ake to return to the matchday squad on Wednesday after he recovers from a hamstring injury. However, Kevin De Bruyne, who missed the win against Fulham due to an undisclosed ailment, has not trained yet and is uncertain for the visit of West Ham.
Manuel Akanji has excelled as a substitute left-back in the previous two games in the absence of Ake, and if City’s No.6 is ruled out, he might remain in that capacity with fellow defenders Kyle Walker, John Stones, and Ruben Dias.
The starting lineup against Fulham saw Alvarez chosen to replace De Bruyne, and his impressive performance may lead to another start in attack alongside Haaland. Meanwhile, Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden, and Bernardo Silva are vying for a spot on the right-wing.
Predictions-
Manchester City 3-0 West Ham United
Date- 3rd May,2023
Time- 7pm GMT
Venue- Etihad Stadium
