Predicted West Ham XI vs Man City (3-4-2-1)

West Ham United travel to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon to face an in-form Manchester City side.

The Hammers arrive in Manchester on the back of a damaging 3-2 home defeat, a result that extended their winless run.

West Ham are rooted in the relegation zone heading into the festive period.

The Irons are now 18th in the table, three points adrift of safety, and defeat this weekend would guarantee they spend Christmas inside the bottom three.

Unfortunately for Hammers boss Nuno Espirito Santo, he must prepare for one of the toughest fixtures in English football with a depleted squad and mounting pressure.

Match preview

Since the end of October, Man City have taken things up a notch.

Pep Guardiola‘s side have won 10 of their last 12 matches across all competitions and are back in the title race.

City extended their winning run to six games in mid-week by beating Brentford 2-0 to reach the EFL Cup semi-finals.

They sit just two points behind leaders Arsenal and could briefly move to the top with a victory before the Gunners face Everton later on Saturday.

West Ham, by contrast, are struggling for momentum.

Since Nuno’s arrival, the Hammers have picked up just two wins from 11 Premier League games, with a five-match winless run keeping them entrenched in danger.

However, there is some encouragement on the road for the East London side.

West Ham are unbeaten in their last three away league matches, drawing all three, and twice taking the lead before being pegged back.

Match stats

Man City are unbeaten in their last 19 Premier League meetings with West Ham (W16, D3), winning each of the last five while scoring at least three goals in every match.

West Ham have lost 15 of their last 16 Premier League away games against City, conceding two or more goals on 13 occasions.

City have won seven consecutive home league games since their defeat to Tottenham Hotspur and have collected more home points than any side since April.

If West Ham are to defy history, they will need discipline, structure, and no shortage of resilience.

Team news

West Ham will be without Aaron Wan-Bissaka and El Hadji Malick Diouf, both away on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Senegal and DR Congo.

Niclas Fullkrug and Lukasz Fabianski are minor doubts and will be assessed closer to kick-off.

Nuno will likely stick to a back three against City. Kyle Walker-Peters, who brings ‘high quality’, is in contention to start at wing-back alongside 20-year-old Oliver Scarles.

Walker-Peters has the unenviable job of curtailing the Premier League’s most unpredictable dribbler (Jeremy Doku).

Expect to see Max Kilman in the starting XI alongside Konstantinos Mavropanos and Jean-Clair Todibo, shielding Alphonse Areola in goal.

In midfield, Soungoutou Magassa and Freddie Potts are expected to retain their places after starting against Aston Villa.

Meanwhile, Matheus Fernandes continues in an advanced role alongside the underwhelming Lucas Paqueta.

Jarrod Bowen is expected to lead the line, with Callum Wilson likely to settle for a place on the bench.

West Ham predicted line-up (3-4-2-1)

Alphonse Areola; Konstantinos Mavropanos, Jean-Clair Todibo, Max Kilman; Kyle Walker-Peters, Soungoutou Magassa, Freddie Potts, Oliver Scarles; Lucas Paqueta, Matheus Fernandes; Jarrod Bowen.