It was the loss to West Ham that began the poor run of form City faced in the first half of the season, but it should be against West Ham that we see the boys kick on from and put together a run of wins. Last time out they pressed hard and fast, exposing some of our defensive weaknesses and a general inability to cope with high pressure at the back. City have evolved from this after the losses to both West Ham and Liverpool stemming from the same fault, but the key lies within setting up the best possible lineup to both stifle and expose the Irons.
Their set-up against Newcastle was in a 4-3-3 formation and I don’t expect that to change. The backline isn’t without its faults, Sterling should definitely be in the starting XI to try and expose the lack of pace from Tomkins. Aguero could have success if he’s not isolated against the likes of Ogbonna and Collins. Collins being more defensively stable but lacking some athleticism and pace, and though Ogbonna is large and athletic, he’s quite prone to defensive errors and general lapses of concentration. Cresswell is pretty solid, and as my cohort suggested in a predicted XI article, De Bruyne should be rested this game due to a lack of confidence and general fatigue. Jesus Navas should cause the young English left back plenty of problems.
It’s in the midfield that City receive the best news, Fernandinho will be fit and available for selection on Saturday. Dimitri Payet is obviously the biggest concern with his pace, ability to shake defenders, and passing. Fernandinho will have his hands full so he should be partnered with the equally aggressive and defensively sound Fabian Delph. Although Payet is set at left wing on the team sheet, he likes to drop into the hole and create from the centre of the field. Stifling his passing and movement will be a key to success against a West Ham team that haven’t lost at home in six games. Yaya Toure should not start this game, he is often caught out with the ball, losing it in essential positions against teams who press. Bringing him on once the score is in our favour so he can take the sting out of the game with efficient possession would be a better option.
West Ham’s current midfield is set up with Mark Noble, Cheikou Kouyate, and Pedro Obiang, but after a poor performance at Newcastle where they struggled to put together a string of consistent passes, I’d bet on Bilic making a change. Victor Moses, the man who punished us with a low drive last time out, will most likely be making an appearance against the blues after returning from injury. Mark Noble doesn’t offer a lot going forward, so bringing on Moses to try and link up with Kouyate and Payet will most likely be in the plans. Delph and Fernandinho should have this covered if the other midfielders play their part.
The front three of Antonio, Valencia, and Payet is a dangerous one, but not one that can’t be shut down. The issue is that Valencia likes to play off the shoulder and use his pace. Payet will be shifting in and out with Moses on the wing, keeping a mark on Valencia so he doesn’t expose Demichelis if Otamendi is pulled out should be a priority. Antonio is as strong as an Ox and quite a pacey runner, so Sterling will need to get back and help with the defensive share of responsibilities. Valencia’s two goals against Bournemouth weren’t exactly representative of his performance. Overall in the past few games, he doesn’t look to be the same player as last season, but he should still be closely watched. His weakness lies within his hold up play, so Otamendi’s aggressiveness plays into that.
City have a chance to rectify their sub-par away form with this game against West Ham. Some less than stellar teams beat the sky blues at the Etihad in the first part of the season, and the players should be coming back at them with ferocious tenacity. There are two teams we should blow out of the water in this half of the season, not necessarily because we’re significantly better than them, but because the wins they enjoyed were frustratingly unjust. West Ham and Liverpool both got shock wins in Manchester, and it’s time to set the record straight.
