The forms of the two teams could not be more contrasting, as an unstoppable Manchester City hosts a struggling West Ham United on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League.
The Cityzens can move top of the Premier League, at least temporarily, if they beat the Hammers. They play before Arsenal and know their target. Slowly but surely, Pep Guardiola's side are back at their best. They are blowing sides away and are controlling games like before with poise. A clean 2-0 victory against Brentford without many first-teamers sealed their semifinal spot in the Carabao Cup. It also extended their winning streak to six in all competitions. The impressive run had convincing victories against Real Madrid and Crystal Palace. A fifth straight league victory will send a stern warning to the rest of the league. Their recent record against West Ham is incredible, and they will be confident of getting another positive result.
Nuno Espirito Santo had a brief two-game winning run after taking over at the London Stadium. It turned out to be a false start as the Portuguese manager failed to build on it. With just three points in their last five games, they sit 18th in the table and are three points adrift of safety. The Hammers took the lead twice against Aston Villa but failed to hold on to it. Nuno is shuffling his systems and players and is failing to strike the perfect balance. It resulted in a leaky defence, which is not a trademark of Nuno's sides at all. Their fixture run relatively eases up after the Manchester City game as they can build some momentum. That makes this clash a free hit for them, and they will give it their best shot.
Manchester City vs West Ham Last-Minute tickets: How to buy
Etihad Stadium is demanding a Premier League title as the side starts to get into motion. Find your place at the stadium even at the last-minute with StubHub.
How to watch Manchester City vs West Ham online - TV channels & live streams
The game will neither be telecast nor streamed in the UK due to the 3 pm blackout rule. The fans in the US can enjoy the game on the USA Network and Universo and stream it on DirecTV Stream as well as Sling TV.
How to watch Manchester City vs West Ham online worldwide
Here is how you can watch the Manchester City vs West Ham game online worldwide:
| Country/Region | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Canada | Fubo |
| Australia | Stan Sport |
| India | Star Sports |
| MENA | beIN Sports |
| South America | ESPN / Disney+ |
| Africa | SuperSport |
How to watch anywhere with a VPN
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sports.
Manchester City vs West Ham Key Matchups
Erling Haaland vs Jean-Clair Todibo: Haaland is making moves in the Golden Boot race again with a brace against Crystal Palace. The Norwegian has a stellar record against West Ham. He scored a brace on his Premier League debut against the Hammers and has 9 in just six appearances against them. Another brace on Saturday will make them his favourite opposition in the league. Todibo will be shaking at the prospect of stopping Haaland in full flow.
Ruben Dias vs Jarrod Bowen: Bowen has been the leading light for the Hammers for many seasons. Despite the grim circumstances around him, he still has five goals in the league. He is their only hope of hurting City on the break this season. Dias looks composed as ever in partnership with Gvardiol. But they are vulnerable on counters, and the defender can't take any chances on the day.
Rayan Cherki vs Mateus Fernandes: Cherki is finding his feet and rightfully forcing his way into Guardiola's lineup. The playmaker is impressing everyone with his flair and finesse. His weak-foot goal against Brentford in the cup signified his ability to impact games. Fernandes, who scored on the weekend, will have double duty on Saturday to mark Cherki and create for his side.
Manchester City vs West Ham Prediction
The way things are going, there is only one possible outcome from this clash. The Cityzens will be disappointed with anything less than three points and a clean sheet on Saturday. However, they will also be aware of this game acting as a potential banana skin. Make no mistake, there is incredible individual quality in the Hammers' ranks. It is all about making things work in a system for Nuno.
GOAL's Prediction: Manchester City 3-0 West Ham
Manchester City vs West Ham kick-off time
Etihad Stadium will host the match on Saturday, 18th December 2025 at 15:00 GMT / 16:00 CET / 10:00 ET.
Manchester City vs West Ham Team news & squads
Manchester City vs West Ham Probable lineups
4-1-4-1
Formation
4-3-1-2
WHUProbable lineup
Substitutes
Manager
P. Guardiola
Probable lineup
Substitutes
Manager
N. Espirito Santo
Injuries and Suspended players
Injuries and Suspensions
Injuries and Suspensions
Manchester City team news
Getty Images
Oscar Bobb's potential injury is the only worry for the Cityzens from their midweek clash. Jeremy Doku is also ruled out till January first week as he joins Rodri, Mateo Kovacic and John Stones in the treatment room. Rayan Ait Nouri and Omar Marmoush have joined their respective sides for AFCON as Guardiola has to deal with a thin squad heading into a crucial period. So do not expect much rotation in the Pep Roulette this time.
Predicted Lineups: Donnarumma; Nunes, Dias, Gvardiol, O'Reilly; Gonzalez; Cherki, Silva, Reihnders, Foden; Haaland
West Ham team news
Getty Images
The Hammers will be without their first-choice fullbacks as both Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Malick Diouf left for AFCON. Kyle Walker-Peters and Max Kilman will play as either full-backs or wing-backs. There is no telling which system Nuno will play on the day. But given City's attacking threat, a back three is his best option.
Predicted Lineups: Areola; Mavropanos, Todibo, Kilman; Walker-Peters, Magassa, Soucek, Fernandes; Paqueta; Bowen, Summerville
Form
MCI-Form
MCIManchester City
2
-
0
Brentford
W
Crystal Palace
0
-
3
Manchester City
W
Real Madrid
1
-
2
Manchester City
W
Manchester City
3
-
0
Sunderland
W
Fulham
4
-
5
Manchester City
W
- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 15/5
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 4/5
- Both teams scored
- 2/5
WHU-Form
WHUWest Ham
2
-
3
Aston Villa
L
Brighton
1
-
1
West Ham
D
Manchester United
1
-
1
West Ham
D
West Ham
0
-
2
Liverpool
L
Bournemouth
2
-
2
West Ham
D
- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 6/9
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 2/5
- Both teams scored
- 4/5
Head-to-Head Record
MCILast 5 matches
WHU5
Wins
0
Draws
0
Wins
Manchester City
4
-
1
West Ham
West Ham
1
-
3
Manchester City
Manchester City
3
-
1
West Ham
West Ham
1
-
3
Manchester City
Manchester City
3
-
0
West Ham
Goals scored
4- Games over 2.5 goals
- 5/5
- Both teams scored
- 4/5
The Last Meeting
A Vladimir Coufal owngoal set Manchester City on their way to an easy victory at home against the Hammers. Haaland got on the act by scoring a brace. Phil Foden scored just ahead of the hour mark to make it 4-0. Niclas Fullkrug grabbed a consolation for his side as Manchester City picked up a key victory in their top-four hunt.