Manchester City vs West Ham
Premier League 2018-19
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Kick-off: 8pm GMT
Manchester City welcome West Ham to the Etihad Stadium tonight as they resume their battle for top spot in the Premier League with Liverpool.
City celebrated winning their second consecutive EFL Cup on Sunday but their focus now shifts back to league matters with Jurgen Klopp’s side leading them by a single point following Sunday’s goalless draw with Manchester United.
Liverpool are in action against Watford at Anfield the same night.
Man City team news
Pep Guardiola will be without to key men in Fernandinho and Aymeric Laporte after both limped off during Sunday’s final at Wembley. The City boss expects both men to be out for “some weeks.”
Gabriel Jesus meanwhile has missed the last two games with a thigh problem while John Stones is hoping to return to the squad after a recent groin injury.
West Ham team news
Manuel Lanzini is set to be on the bench again when West Ham travel to City, having made his first appearance of the season as a sub against Fulham on Friday after recovering from a torn ACL.
Fabian Balbuena (knee) is back in training but will not be involved until the weekend at the earliest, while fellow defender Winston Reid has also begun light training - although he is some weeks from returning from his long-term knee injury.
Jack Wilshere, Andriy Yarmolenko and Carlos Sanchez are still sidelined.
Provisional squad: Fabianski, Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Rice, Noble, Nasri, Anderson, Antonio, Arnautovic, Adrian, Zabaleta, Masuaku, Obiang, Snodgrass, Lanzini, Diangana, Hernandez, Perez, Carroll.
Score prediction: Man City 3-0 West Ham
The absences of Fernandinho and Laporte over the coming weeks could have a big role to play in where the title lands in May but City will feel they more than enough to overcome this midweek test.
Wednesday’s hosts have won the last six meetings, regularly at a canter having put four past the Hammers in each of their last two meetings.
