West Ham United vs Manchester City

One of the most intriguing match-ups on this weekend’s Premier League schedule pits West Ham United and Manchester City against each other at the London Stadium.

It’s been a phenomenal start to the new campaign for West Ham following an abysmal 14th-place finish last season, with David Moyes’ side stringing together three consecutive Premier League wins following an opening-day 1-1 draw at Bournemouth. The ‘Hammers’ have been firing on all cylinders this season despite losing star midfielder Declan Rice to Arsenal in the summer, netting 2+ goals in all three victories, including a 3-1 demolition of Chelsea in their only home league outing thus far. But considering they’ve yet to keep a clean sheet in 2023/24, West Ham’s effort to defy their dreadful run of nine defeats across their last ten top-flight games against reigning champions (D1) looks far-fetched. That’s a shame, given they’ve enjoyed their best four-game Premier League start since 1999/2000.

Speaking of flying starts, perennial champions Manchester City entered September’s international break as the only Premier League side with a 100% record after four games. Last season’s Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland notched his first hat-trick of the new campaign to inspire Man City to a 5-1 thumping of Fulham last time out, setting the tone for a potentially history-defining season. With no team in Premier League history winning four consecutive titles, Pep Guardiola’s men could achieve another unprecedented feat this term after securing the coveted treble in 2022/23. The upcoming trip to London bodes well for this storyline, with the ‘Citizens’ going unbeaten on their last eight top-flight visits to West Ham (W5, D3).