Man City ready to kick-start Premier League title defence at West Ham
West Ham vs Manchester City - 07/08/2022
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On Sunday afternoon, Manchester City will begin the defence of their Premier League title against West Ham United at the London Stadium.
Pep Guardiola’s side finished a solitary point ahead of Liverpool last season, picking up their fourth title in five seasons. Can they secure three straight crowns in 2022/23?
As for the Hammers, they finished seventh – 15 points outside the top four and 37 points behind Man City. Have they got what it takes to achieved three consecutive top-seven finishes?
West Ham registered 16 wins, eight draws and 14 losses last season. Despite finishing seventh, eight sides suffered fewer defeats than David Moyes’ men in 2021/22.
The Hammers also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League last term. However, they fell to German side Eintracht Frankfurt.
Moyes’ side were strong on home soil last season, losing just one of their last eight Premier League games at the London Stadium.
That said, they only managed to win one of their final seven league outings in the previous campaign – meaning they missed out on top-six finish by two points.
On the flip side, Man City lost just three of their 38 Premier League games last term – securing 29 wins and six draws along the way.
Not only did they notch the best offensive record in 2021/22 (99), but they also achieved the joint-best defensive record (26).
Guardiola’s side are currently enjoying an 18-game unbeaten streak in Premier League away clashes, so they will be confident of avoiding defeat on Sunday.
When you look at the bigger picture, the defending champions have lost just one of their previous 28 Premier League outings.
Head-to-head: West Ham have failed to win any of their past 15 games against Manchester City across all competitions.
To make matters worse for the Hammers, Man City have scored over 1.5 goals in 12 of the previous 15 meetings between the teams.
Team news: West Ham will be without new signing Nayef Aguerd for the start of the season after the defender sustained an ankle injury.
Man City will also be without a key defender for the coming weeks, with Aymeric Laporte sidelined following knee surgery.
Given Man City’s recent record in this fixture, West Ham will struggle to get anything from their opening game of the season.
Forebet predicts that Man City will score over 2.5 goals and keep a clean sheet on their way to dispatching the Hammers.
Home team
Away team
Pred
Correct score
Avg. goals
Weather conditions
Coef.
Score
Live
coef.
EPL
222058
2
0 - 3
2.77
27°
1.33
9.50
4.50
1.33
no
no
no
0 - 2(0 - 1)
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