City hoping to stay in title race with win over in-form Hammers

Premier League champions Manchester City (5/2 second-favourites to defend the title) go into this game with West Ham United having won all four of their meetings in all competitions with them last season.

Coral therefore make the visitors odds-on at 8/15 for victory once more. In those matches, City scored an average of 3.5 goals per game, and they are very tempting 9/2 chances to score over that many once more.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men won three of their last encounters with the Hammers to nil, and they can be backed at 2/1 to do so again. Coral, though, are offering a match special of 9/4 for City for victory and both teams score, which could be a good shout, given that West Ham have netted in each of their last seven top-flight games.

Sam Allardyce’s side may offer a tough test to City in this fixture, as they find themselves up in fourth place in the league having won three of their last four matches, and just four points off them. The Hammers are, therefore, tempting 11/2 shouts for victory, or 14/5 to get a creditable draw.

Hosts West Ham will also be boosted by the news that Cheikhou Kouyate and James Tomkins are fit again after recovering from injuries, but Guy Demel, Joey O’Brien and James Collins have been ruled out. This match will be too soon for Andy Carroll to make a comeback, but he is back in training.

City, though, have no real new injury issues, besdies Samir Nasri who will miss out, while the evergreen Frank Lampard is a doubt after picking up a knock against Tottenham.

Pellegrini will be hoping to put his midweek Champions League woes behind him after his side threw away a 2-0 lead to draw with CSKA Moscow, putting the Sky Blues on just two points after three group games.

The Manchester club’s form in the Premier League has been far better, though, having won their last three, and managed not to lose their previous five during a run that included games against Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal. They will be aiming to keep the pressure on the Blues, who are five points ahead but face a tricky test away to City’s neighbours Manchester United on Sunday October 26th.