Premier League: Is the Blue Moon About to Rise Again?

Manchester City vs West Ham United

Manchester City finally picked up a second Premier League victory in ten top flight games to give manager Pep Guardiola the perfect Christmas gift on his 500^th game in charge.

And, after beating Leicester 2-0, the latest SBOTOP Premier League odds back the Sky Blues to make it back to back wins at a price of 1.29, against a West Ham side which has just been walloped 5-0 by Liverpool.

It’s fifth against 13^th and only eight points separate these two teams but Guardiola will be hoping to see the team he has managed over the past few seasons rather than the one he’s seen stumble over the past ten weeks. And if the Sky Blues do turn on a display for their fans then West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui will suffer a serious New Year hangover.

 

Talking Points

Savinho off the mark  

City avoided a miserable end to 2024 thanks to a comfortable, if unspectacular, victory over the Foxes. And there were a number of things for Guardiola to be happy with. Erling Haaland got on the score sheet after a serious drought in his terms, almost a month without a goal, Kevin De Bruyne skippered the side and managed 90 minutes, his team dug in and, finally, summer signing Savinho got a goal. Before the match, the 20 year old Brazilian star had played 1,400 minutes of football for the Sky Blues with just four assists to show, but against Leicester he put in a man-of-the-match performance with a goal and an assist. Savinho gave City the lead midway through the first half and then he crossed for Haaland to seal the deal, and this performance will give the youngster, who cost the Sky Blues £31m on his summer transfer from Troyes, a huge boost to his confidence.

Guardiola was relieved to see his team get the win over the line, saying: “To get results you have to do something. It is not enjoyable right now, it is just a relief. We have done incredible things for many years. It is not the best.”

Indeed.

The Foxes could feel themselves a little unlucky, hitting a post and seeing a shot cleared off the line, as well as missing out on a clear penalty due to a tight offside call. But a win’s a win and the Manchester City vs West Ham United betting odds reckon the Sky Blues will pick up another three points on Saturday.

 

Battered Hammers may be reeling

Few neutrals would have given West Ham much hope at home to Liverpool but the nature of defeat was damaging as the Hammers conceded five at home for the second time this season, losing 5-2 to Arsenal in November. And fans at the London Stadium must fear another tough afternoon if the Sky Blues find any sort of form.

The arrival of Julen Lopetegui as manager in the summer was greeted with optimism in East London after he replaced David Moyes. Under the experienced Scot, who has just been awarded an OBE, West Ham won a first major trophy since 1980, the 2023 Europa Conference League, but the fans wanted to see more attractive football…’The West Ham Way’.

But Lopetegui has struggled to deliver and he has been under pressure since a slow start to the campaign. West Ham have picked up in December but the nature of the loss to Liverpool was a huge setback and now the boss needs to pick his team up: “We have to compete better in a lot of things,” he said. “We were doing well in the last month but today has been tough for us.”   

They have been heavily reliant on captain Jarrod Bowen, who has scored five goals and made five assists, and West Ham are reported to be ready to make a move for Real Sociedad star Brais Mendez who was previously on Liverpool’s radar. Lopetegui is looking to strengthen but he needs Premier League 2024 results right now and a trip to the Etihad is not an ideal start to the New Year.

 

History

Manchester City have won 36 of these encounters to the Hammers’ 11, and there have been nine draws in all competitions in the Premier League era. And the Sky Blues have won the last five meetings, and the last three all by a 3-1 score line.

West Ham have slightly better recent form; they have won two, drawn two and lost two of the last six games while Manchester City have won one, drawn two and lost three. 

 

Betting Tip

At 5.03 to draw and 6.66 to win the Hammers are outsiders on their trip to Manchester and can be backed at 3.41 to win or draw.  These are strange times at the Etihad and I’m not as confident in the Sky Blues as I have been for the last five years. But they will turn the corner sooner or later and they might even have done that in Leicester. A home game against a shell-shocked West Ham is a big opportunity and, for a long shot bet, another 3-1 home win is at SBOTOP odds of 9.64.

   

●●●

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS

Stay updated with everything sports and betting.

Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.