An Examination of City’s Weekend Rivals.
When the Premier League resumes play this weekend, Conference League champions West Ham will host Champions League champion Manchester City in a matchup of two European Champions.
On Saturday afternoon, the Hammers will try to break the blues’ unbeaten streak in the Premier League. They are undoubtedly capable.
but the question of whether they actually will on that particular day is another matter.
Here, we examine the Hammers, their players, their recent form, and any potential threats to the blues defense.
Form.
The season has started off well for West Ham.
The Hammers, who are currently in fourth place, have played four games and won three, drew one, scored nine goals, and given up four.
Following a 0-0 draw on the opening day at Bournemouth, the Hammers defeated Chelsea 3-1 in their first home match before defeating Brighton by the same score at the Amex Stadium.
They moved into fourth place ahead of Arsenal, the team they sold Declan Rice to, thanks to a 2-1 victory at newcomers Luton!
They haven’t trailed in a Premier League game yet this year, and the game against the Blues will be just their second at home.
Newly signed.
Following Rice’s transfer to Arsenal, West Ham raided Ajax this summer. Mohammed Kudos and Edson Alvarez, a midfield tandem, joined the Hammers, and James Ward-Prowse was transferred from relegated Southampton back to the Premier League.
Konstantinos Mavropanos’ arrival from Stuttgart was the other significant signing for the Hammers.
The sale of Rice, Gianluca Scamacca, and Nikola Vlasic allowed the Hammers to recoup about £115 million of the cost of the new additions.
Men in Peril.
Jared Bowen is in charge of the Hammers’ charge, as you might anticipate.
He’s scored three goals so far this season, including one on the first day of the campaign and two more at Brighton and Luton.
Ward-Prowse, Lucas Paqueta, Nayef Aguerd, and Kurt Zouma have also scored once. Michail Antonio has scored two goals so far.
More than twice as many shots at goal as Antonio, Bowen has ten, and his shot accuracy is 60% with a 30% conversion rate.
In comparison to Ward-Prowse’s two attempts, Paqueta has made seven.
He has been on target both times, with 100% accuracy and 50% goal conversion rates.
Keep Aguerd and Zouma in mind, though.
Each of them scored on their lone shot at the goal.
their accuracy and conversion rate are 100%.
Ward-Prowse has made a quick adjustment to life at West Ham and has contributed three assists.
Before supplying the winning play at Luton, two against Chelsea.
His 89 percent pass completion rate ranks seventh in the Premier League and is the highest in the West Ham squad.
Paqueta has attempted the most passes in the team with 172, has completed 128 of them, and has produced the most chances so far with 6.
“The Boss.”.
The Hammers have stayed with David Moyes throughout the summer after following him to European victory last season. West Ham is now playing entertaining, attacking football, which has helped them move up the table.
In charge since December 2019, when he took over for outgoing City manager Manuel Pellegrini, Moyes is in his second tenure as West Ham’s manager.
In 2022, he guided them to the semifinals of the Europa League, and in 2023, he guided them to victory in the Conference League while going undefeated.
Only 29 percent of Moyes’ 31 games as manager of the Hammers resulted in victories.
Nevertheless, since his return, he has presided over 182 games, winning 84 and losing 64, for a win ratio of 46%.
The Hammers Link
Howard Kendall, the manager of City, made the infamously unpopular choice to trade Mark Ward to West Ham in 1989 for Trevor Morley and Ian Bishop.
The fans were furious that Kendall had let two stars leave, especially Bishop who had only joined the team the previous summer, even though the winger had become an instant hit with them.
Strangely, Millwall was the opponent in four of Ward’s first six games: once in the league and three times in the third round of the FA Cup (Millwall won the second replay).
Steve Lomas moved from City to West Ham in 1997, and Eyal Berkovic and Paolo Wanchope followed him to help City reclaim their place in the Premier League after making a name for themselves at West Ham.
Following successful careers with the Hammers, Stuart Pearce, David James, and the late, great Marc-Vivien Foe all wore the blue of City.
In 2002, Foe joined City on loan.
While the legend who is the f****** man Pablo Zabaleta left the blues to join the Hammers in 2017 after an incredible career in Manchester, Craig Bellamy and Carlos Tevez teamed up at City, as did Wayne Bridge and the legendary Wayne Bridge.
At the London Stadium for the last time.
On the first day of the 22/23 season, Erling Haaland made his Premier League debut by scoring twice.
The fans were finally given hope that someone could score a bloody penalty when he scored his first from the penalty spot in the 36th minute.
In the 65th minute, he scored his second goal after seizing Kevin de Bruyne’s through ball.
