It's 4th versus 20th in what could prove to be another crucial game in City's push for Champions League football, and a crucial game in West Ham's survival bid. City win this, and Champions League football is right around the corner. West Ham win this, and safety gets that little bit closer.
West Ham are on a terrible run of form, having picked up just 1 point from their last five games. However, their fixtures have been incredibly difficult. Manchester United and Chelsea have greeted the Hammers in an April that has seen them pick up no ponts at all; City however have won 4 out of their last 6 in all competitions; but City will be going for their first consecutive league wins since the very first game in 2011, when they beat Newcastle, Aston Villa and Blackpool in the space of a week.
City will have a lot of confidence going into this game, having not lost a game at the City of Manchester Stadium since 20 December 2010, in the 2-1 defeat to Everton. West Ham haven't won a game away from Upton Park since the 3-1 win over Blackpool at the beginning of February, and with the Championship on the doorstep, this game is vital for them.
City will be without their top scorer and talisman Carlos Tevez, who is slowly recovering from a hamstring injury sustained in the 3-0 defeat to Liverpool in early April; Micah Richards' return also seems to be delayed, after his return to fitness suffered a set-back before the FA Cup Semi-Final win over Manchester United. Jerome Boateng and Shay Given will also be missing, so I expect City to start with the same line-up that featured in the wins over Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers.
..................................Hart..............................
Zabaleta........Kompany..........Lescott.............Kolarov
................................De Jong...........................
................Yaya Touré..............Barry...................
...Johnson...........................................Silva.......
.................................Balotelli..........................
Subs: Taylor, Boyata, Vieira, Milner, Wright-Philips, Jo, Dzeko.
Manchester City 4-1 West Ham United.
I do think Manchester City will be too strong for a stuttering West Ham side, who look destined for relegation.
