Premier League, Saturday, 04/01/2025 at 16:00
The first game of the 2025 calendar year is an important one, as starting the new year on the right foot would certainly be greeted with favor by supporters of the crisis-hit MCI.
But how good are the chances of my Manchester City West Ham tip being successful?
Let’s put it this way: In my eyes, there is a lot to suggest that Guardiola’s team can finally live up to their role as favorites on the betting markets this time around.
Manchester City go into this encounter with a mixture of hope and trepidation. The Citizens have won just 2 of their last 14 competitive games, a record that is anything but championship-winning.
However, the recent 2-0 win against Leicester City could have been a “sign of life” that gives hope for improvement.
Above all, Erling Haaland once again proved his class and remains one of the most reliable goalscorers, especially against the “Hammers”, the Norwegian could once again show the Londoners where the hammer really hangs!
With seven goals in five Premier League duels against West Ham, he is a hot candidate for a successful goal bet on Saturday, even if the odds are only 1.40 on average.
And remember: under Pep Guardiola, City have won all eight home games against West Ham in the league – a fact that you certainly can’t ignore in your considerations.
What do you think, will Haaland strike again in the first competitive game of 2025 and possibly save Pep’s job?
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On the other hand, West Ham are currently in a “defensive crisis” that can hardly be overlooked. With 79 goals conceded in 2024, the Hammers have the worst defense in the entire Premier League.
The 0:5 debacle against Liverpool at the end of the season was just another low point in a thoroughly mixed 2024/25 season
West Ham have little reason to hope, especially against Manchester City: they have not won any of their last 18 Premier League duels and have conceded at least one goal in each of these games.
It is therefore difficult to imagine that this streak will be broken at the Etihad Stadium, one of the most unpleasant places for away teams, shortly after the thrashing against Liverpool.
While soccer can sometimes throw up surprises, there’s a lot to be said against United this time around.
Another point to bear in mind is the Citizens’ tradition of starting the new year with a win. They have won 17 of their last 18 opening games, including the last 12 in a row.
Pep Guardiola has always been able to motivate his team to the point, even in difficult phases, and he seems to do this particularly well against West Ham.
No wonder Arsène Wenger is the only coach to have a better home record against a particular team than the Catalan.
Combine these facts with the Hammers’ weakness and you have a clear advantage for the home side. If you’re looking for a safe bet, a win bet on Man City could be just the thing for you!
But how high will it be? That’s also up to West Ham – whether they can at least limit the damage remains to be seen.
The Manchester City West Ham odds from the bookmakers with PayPal almost favor the defending champions too much for me at odds of around 1.32.
However, given the circumstances and the obvious problems on the opponent’s side in the last league game, I ultimately tend to put my trust in Guardiola and his team once again.
The Catalan is fighting for sporting survival and has not ruled out the possibility that he could be sacked if the negative streak continues.
Personally, in combination with the Oddset free bet, I prefer the betting option “Win MCI & Over 2.5 goals” at odds of around 1.62.
The last four direct duels fulfilled both conditions and Man City did not play to nil in three of these games.
Consequently, I consider the chance of a possible final score of 2:1 or 3:1 for the battered Guardiola team to be extremely high. At least higher than a 3-0 or better win for the hosts.
Conclusion: Manchester City are trying to limit the damage and the 2-0 win over Leicester just before the turn of the year was certainly a step in the right direction.
However, I wouldn’t trust the Citizens to win back-to-back games against a top club – their first since October.
But their upcoming opponents are stuck in the bottom half of the table and have just been outclassed 5-0 by Liverpool.
At home and on a good day, my Manchester City West Ham prediction is that the defending champions can easily come out on top with a result such as 3-1.
My tip: Win ManCity & Over 2.5 goals