Manchester City are aiming to keep the pressure on Premier League title rivals Arsenal by beating West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.
The Cityzens have secured six successive victories across all competitions as they continue to rise in the Premier League and Champions League standings, with a spot in the Carabao Cup semi-final also clinched. After an uncertain start to the term, Pep Guardiola’s men are rediscovering their swagger.
Victory against the Irons would temporarily lift Man City above Arsenal in first place prior to an awkward trip to Everton for the Gunners. Consistency has helped close the gap as a ninth Premier League title comes into view.
City should have few issues dispatching of West Ham given their track record in this fixture. They have won the last six, scoring 18 in the process, and haven’t been beaten by the Hammers in the Premier League in just over a decade.
West Ham, who begin the weekend in the bottom three, are hardly exuding confidence, even if Nuno Espírito Santo’s arrival has brought stability. Defeats are less common under the Portuguese coach, but the Londoners are struggling for wins as relegation looms.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s preview of the clash.
What Time Does Man City vs. West Ham Kick Off?
- Location: Manchester, England
- Stadium: Etihad Stadium
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 20
- Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. GMT / 10.30 a.m. ET / 7.30 a.m. PT
- Referee: Paul Tierney
- VAR: Alex Chilowicz
Man City vs. West Ham Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Man City: 5 wins
- West Ham: 0 wins
- Draws: 0
- Last meeting: Man City 4–1 West Ham (Jan. 4, 2025)—Premier League
Current Form (All Competitions)
| Man City | West Ham |
|---|---|
| Man City 2–0 Brentford - 17/12/25 | West Ham 2–3 Aston Villa - 14/12/25 |
| Crystal Palace 0–3 Man City - 14/12/25 | Brighton 1–1 West Ham - 07/12/25 |
| Real Madrid 1–2 Man City - 10/12/25 | Man Utd 1–1 West Ham - 04/12/25 |
| Man City 3–0 Sunderland - 06/12/25 | West Ham 0–2 Liverpool - 30/11/25 |
| Fulham 4–5 Man City - 02/12/25 | Bournemouth 2–2 West Ham - 22/11/25 |
How to Watch Man City vs. West Ham on TV, Live Stream
| Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Not televised—audio coverage available on BBC Radio Manchester, BBC Radio 5 Live, talkSPORT, Man City Radio |
| United States | USA Network, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, NBC Sports App, nbcsports.com, UNIVERSO, UNIVERSO NOW |
| Canada | DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada |
| Mexico | Max Mexico, TNT Sports, TNT Go |
Man City Team News
Guardiola has confirmed that none of City’s absentees will return for the game against West Ham, although some of them could be available for the following clash with Nottingham Forest.
Rodri and Mateo Kovačić are still missing in the engine room, meaning Nico González will continue in holding midfield. Jérémy Doku is another notable absentee out wide, while Oscar Bobb picked up an injury in the midweek win over Brentford in the cup.
John Stones is sidelined due to a thigh injury, while Omar Marmoush and Rayan Aït-Nouri are both unavailable having teamed up with Egypt and Algeria respectively at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Guardiola made changes against the Bees on Wednesday, but Nico O’Reilly, Nico and Rayan Cherki look likely to keep their place this weekend.
Man City Predicted Lineup vs. West Ham
Man City predicted lineup vs. West Ham (4-1-4-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; González; Silva, Cherki, Foden, Savinho; Haaland.
West Ham Team News
West Ham have no fitness issues now that Niclas Füllkrug has returned to the team, but they will still be without full backs on either side of their defence. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf have departed for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Oliver Scarles and Kyle Walker-Peters could come in for the absent duo, with Nuno perhaps reverting to a back five for the trip to the Etihad. Max Kilman could come back into the team, while Jarrod Bowen looks likely to lead the line at the other end of the pitch.
West Ham Predicted Lineup vs. Man City
West Ham predicted lineup vs. Man City (3-4-2-1): Areola; Mavropanos, Kilman, Todibo; Walker-Peters, Potts, Magassa, Scarles; Fernandes, Paquetá; Bowen.
Man City vs. West Ham Score Prediction
City have fired three or more past West Ham in their previous five meetings with the capital club and they are likely to rack up a trio of goals as a minimum at the Etihad. With Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Cherki in electric attacking form, West Ham’s defence doesn’t stand much of a chance.
The Hammers have struggled for attacking invention in matches against the division’s big-hitters this season and look unlikely to cause City too many issues this weekend. Bowen will be key to their success, but may be too isolated in the final third.
Prediction: Man City 3–0 West Ham
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man City vs. West Ham: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.