When the Premier League released the fixtures for the 2015/16 season back in June, it was widely accepted that the toughest of City’s opening matches would be Chelsea in mid-August. Fast forward two and a half months, and an entirely different picture has been painted. Coming off the back of impressive victories at Arsenal and Liverpool, West Ham visit the Etihad Stadium in mid-September and will be looking to take a third big scalp on their travels. It is certain to be a stern test for City and a sign of things to come. Additionally, it could arguably show just how important Raheem Sterling will be to the clubs ambitions for success.
Overall, the Hammers’ start to the season can only be described as somewhat of a mixed bag, with an early exit from Europe and lacklustre home defeats thrown in around the aforementioned excellent away wins. However, this is just one of the reasons that this fixture has arguably become one City’s trickiest in the early stages. New boss Slaven Bilic seems to have uncovered a winning formula for opposition likely to see the majority of the ball. Tenacious defensive work mixed with an ability to break quickly and in numbers has reaped rewards up to now for West Ham; a tactic that has caused City to come a cropper on several occasions in recent years.
The Blues have struggled to break down compact defences with 10 men behind the ball at times, often attributed to a lack of real pace and width. Jesus Navas has gone some way to providing an answer to that problem, but Raheem Sterling has transformed the way in which City can combat defences. Offering real pace and trickery, predominately from the left side of an attacking midfield three, Sterling has linked with Kolarov and Silva to great effect. The three combined for the decisive opening goal at Goodison Park, and have generally provided a source of real promise going forward. Looking forward, that triumvirate will be key as City look to prosper where they have previously failed in breaking packed defences down. Sterling will be imperative to this, providing City with the ability to really stretch the play and use the full width of the pitch in order to pull defensive units away from central areas.
It can be argued that up to now, West Ham are yet to face a real out and out wide player, with the likes of Firmino, Coutinho and Ozil preferring to dictate play from the middle of the park. Perhaps Oxlade-Chamberlain fits that description, although as City know all too well, having width on one flank is not always enough. However, this is no longer an issue for the Citizens. With the addition of Sterling, Pellegrini has greater options this year that elevate City to a new level. Once one-paced and predictable, the Blues can now attack from all angles at any time – something that is essential to unlocking teams that look to remain watertight defensively.
West Ham may be the most imminent test of this kind, but by no means the last one to come. As City look to recreate the fortress that the Etihad was in the title winning season of 2011/12, having every available weapon in the armoury is critical. £49million may have been a steep price to pay, but if it helps bring further successes it will have been worth it. Seeing Vincent Kompany raise more trophies – you can’t put a price on that.
