Published Dec 18, 3:59am ET by
Alex Dudley - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Dec 18, 3:59am ET
Credit: Shutterstock
Updated Dec 18, 3:59am ET
Remarkably Man City have gone under the radar in the Premier League title race this season, but they could move to the summit on Saturday when they host West Ham. Find our picks here.
Pep Guardiola’s side have won their last four in the league, and their dominance continued in midweek with an EFL Cup quarterfinal success against Brentford. No side in the EPL have scored more goals than City so far this term.
West Ham will be one of the biggest priced selections of the weekend, as they bid to snap a five-game winless sequence on Saturday. The Hammers fell to a second defeat in four against Aston Villa last Sunday.
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|
|---|---|
| Man City | -480 |
| The Draw | +700 |
| West Ham | +1100 |
Top spot in the Premier League standings will be the main aim for Guardiola’s City this weekend. Man City have the added advantage of playing before Arsenal on Saturday, as they chase a fifth straight victory.
City were at their dominant best last Sunday, as they registered an eye-catching 3-0 away victory against Crystal Palace. The former champions have now kept clean sheets in their last three domestic fixtures.
At home, City have been impressively consistent. They have won seven of their eight matches at the Etihad, averaging a staggering 2.75 goals per game. Marmoush and Ait-Nouri are unavailable due to AFCON, while Kovacic and Rodri remain absent due to injury.
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Nuno Espirito Santo has been unable to stop the poor form at the London Stadium since arriving at the club. West Ham remain in the bottom three places in the standings, having lost nine of their 16 fixtures this season.
Meanwhile, the Hammers have won the second-fewest number of games in the competition this term, going five without a victory. Last weekend, they showed a better attacking threat, but they still ended up on the wrong side of a 3-2 home loss against Aston Villa.
But, only three of their nine defeats this term have been suffered on the road, conceding fewer goals on their travels than they have at the London Stadium. Regardless, that trend will be put to the ultimate test against an offensively quality rival on Saturday.
| TOTAL | Man City | West Ham | DRAWS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 53 | 36 | 8 | 9 |
| Goals | 153 | 112 | 41 |
Man City’s home dominance is expected to continue this weekend, and it would be challenging to overlook Haaland adding to his tally of 17 Premier League goals.
City’s offensive quality ensures that they will be good value to cover the spread, winning by a two-goal margin for the seventh straight occasion against the Hammers.
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Pick
Man City (-1.5) (-102)
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