Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Man City vs West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday (kick-off 12.30pm).
Team news
Manchester City have close to a full squad available. Centre-back Nathan Ake is their only notable absentee with the Dutchman continuing to train alone after a muscular problem.
Kevin De Bruyne is expected to start for a second Premier League running for City after Pep Guardiola declared him fully fit. Record goalscorer Sergio Aguero is edging closer to a return after four matches as an unused substitute.
David Moyes says West Ham's squad is in good shape as they head to Manchester City on Saturday.
Ryan Fredericks is a doubt with a groin strain, that is not serious but he's "touch and go" according to Moyes. Arthur Masuaku and Andriy Yarmolenko remain longer-term absentees.
How to follow
Follow Manchester City vs West Ham in our dedicated live match blog. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
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Jones Knows prediction
The records are tumbling for Manchester City - is this where their 19-game winning run ends? I can't see it.
Regular readers won't be surprised to read that. West Ham will have to be foot-perfect in both boxes to maintain their impressive form. Yet their biggest hope may come from me opposing them. I haven't got them right for six weeks now. West Ham rejoice.
City's defence are on the verge of doing something no team has achieved in Premier League history. Another clean sheet here would make them the first team to concede as little as four goals in 18 straight Premier League games. Arsenal (1998/99) and Manchester United (2008/09) managed to concede just four goals in 17 games, but no one has put such a deadly defensive run together. A huge reason for their upturn at the back is simply Ruben Dias, who is part of a defence that is statistically the best in all of Europe's top leagues. City have conceded just 15 goals this season.
So, why is Dias as big as 12/1 with Sky Bet to land the PFA Player of the Year award when it looks a straight shootout between him and Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes?
The market is far too skewed in the direction of the United playmaker, who is an Even money shot with Sky Bet, and when we have a false favourite at the top of a betting market, there's only one thing to do, Jones Knows must strap on those punting boots.
Dias can grab another clean sheet here in what should be another routine victory.
JONES KNOWS PREDICTS: 2-0
BETTING ANGLE: Ruben Dias to win PFA Player of the Year (12/1 with Sky Bet)
Last time out...
Opta stats
- Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League meetings with West Ham (W8 D2) since a 1-2 home loss in September 2015.
- West Ham are looking to avoid defeat in both league meetings with Man City in a Premier League campaign for the first time since 2015-16 (W1 D1). However, the Hammers have lost 10 of their last 11 league visits to the Etihad (W1).
- Since losing 2-5 against Leicester in September, Man City have conceded just three goals in 15 home games in all competitions (W13 D2). The Citizens have won their last six Premier League home games without conceding, with Chelsea the last team to have a longer such run in the competition (9 between April - November 2010).
- Only Man City (33) have won more Premier League points so far in 2021 than West Ham (22). The Hammers have won seven of their nine league games in this calendar year - they didn't reach their seventh win until their 23rd match in 2020.
- West Ham have won just two of their 23 Premier League away games against the league leaders (D3 L18), with both of those victories coming in Manchester (v Man Utd in May 2007 and Man City in September 2015).
- Manchester City are looking to record the sixth ever run of 14 consecutive top-flight victories. This had happened just once across the first 118 seasons of English top-flight football (by Arsenal in 2002), with the last four such runs occurring over the past four campaigns (2x Liverpool, 2x Man City).
Pitch to Post Preview - Jamie Redknapp's Liverpool verdict. Plus: Chelsea v Man Utd build-up, and Tottenham's tricky Burnley test
On this week's Pitch to Post Preview Podcast, Jamie Redknapp joins Peter Smith to assess where Liverpool stand right now. The Sky Sports pundit explains why he thinks it would be a surprise if they make the top four and the reasons why he expects them to get back to their top level next season.
We also hear from Sky Sports football writer Jack Wilkinson, who assesses Chelsea's start under Thomas Tuchel, Man Utd's talk of the title, and gives his verdict on why the next couple of months could be key for the future of Jose Mourinho and Tottenham. Plus he shares his Pitch for the weekend!
Listen to the Sky Sports Pitch to Post Podcast on: Spotify | Apple | Castbox