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West Ham v Man City: Champions to kick-off with a win

Paul Higham
06 August 2022
3:00 min read

Pep Guardiola can see Man City start the season with a win at West Ham

West Ham United vs Manchester City
Sun 7 Aug, 16:30

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Paul Higham think Man City will start their bid for a third straight title with a win at West Ham, where Kevin De Bruyne will outshine new signing Erling Haaland.

"The last four league meetings have seen both teams score and West Ham have a lot of the right stuff to bother City, but the champions will get it done."

Back Man City to beat West Ham & both teams to score @ 3.02/1

Hammers hoping to be best of the rest again

West Ham have drawn the short straw in facing the Premier League champions first up in what is a difficult season to work out just what they can do.

A run to the Europa League semis and seventh-placed finish was a decent season last year, but it's hard to see them cracking the top six so 'best of the rest' is perhaps their limit again - with going one better in the Europa Conference League a definite target.

David Moyes has added to his group in the summer, most notably by signing £35m striker Gianluca Scamacca from Sassuolo, but keeping Declan Rice and Jarrod Bowen at the London Stadium is his best bit of business.

The Hammers drew with City and beat Liverpool last season at home, so they can be a match for anyone, and Moyes will want a fast start to the season with a long, hard road ahead of them this term.

Adding Haaland huge for City's hat-trick bid

Plenty has changed at Man City but the one thing that's stayed the same is that they're the team to beat again this season as odds-on favourites to make it three Premier League titles in a row.

Pep Guardiola has finally added a central striker, and what a striker too with Erling Haaland likely to be a monstrous addition to a City side that creates chances for fun - he's rightly the favourite to win the Golden Boot this season.

What's more, with City selling Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko they've managed to bring in one of the most feared strikers in the world and still turn a tidy profit this summer.

Haaland may take time to adjust, of course, and his link-up play outside the box needs some work, but he'll be a popular bet for a debut goal as Guardiola looks to start better than last season's away loss at Spurs on the opening day.

Could short-priced City be held by the Hammers again?

West Ham United

Manchester City

West Ham United 0 2 Manchester City
Brighton and Hove Albion 3 1 West Ham United
West Ham United 2 2 Manchester City
Norwich City 0 4 West Ham United
Eintracht Frankfurt 1 0 West Ham United
West Ham United 1 2 Arsenal

West Ham United 0 2 Manchester City
Manchester City 3 2 Aston Villa
West Ham United 2 2 Manchester City
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 5 Manchester City
Manchester City 5 0 Newcastle United
Real Madrid 2 1 Manchester City

West Ham United vs Manchester City Sunday 07 August, 16:30

Full stats

City are short enough at 1.42/5 but with a 13-game unbeaten streak against the Hammers that's fair enough. Only Spurs (38) have lost more games against reigning champions than West Ham's 36 so there deferential nature against the big boys explains their 9.08/1 price of an opening day upset.

Strange things do happen on opening day though, and with this season starting early due to the World Cup then don't sleep on the draw at 5.59/2 - as that's been the 90-minute result in the last three meetings at the London Stadium.

West Ham have a lot of the right ingredients to get some joy against City - especially right out of the gate in a new season with plenty of player turnover, but City have lost just once in 28 let's not forget, and went unbeaten in 18 on the road after losing at Tottenham last season.

The last four league meetings have seen both teams score, with three of those having over 2.5 goals and the bookies fancy both to come in again with 1.910/11 on both teams finding the net and 1.68/13 on three goals or more being scored.

West Ham's pre-season form has been poor but a full house at home against the champions on Super Sunday will have them revved up enough to at least find the net.

I could actually see them scoring first if City don't hit the ground running, but I won't chance that and instead take the 3.02/1 on the Exchange for a Man City win and both teams to score.

Will Haaland hammer home on his debut?

All eyes will be on the Norwegian superstar Haaland, who is odds-on to score on his debut, with some impressive first-day form in the books.

Haaland has had a hand in seven goals in his last three season openers, with a goal for RB Salzburg in 2019, followed two goals for Dortmund in 2020 and two goals & two assists for the Black and Yellow last season.

The bookies are running just as scared as Premier League defenders given his odds in all the scoring and shooting markets - with the pick being the 2.01/1 on him having a shot on target in each half.

Plenty will be on him at 4.03/1 for first goalscorer, but the shots on target bet is what I'd roll with if including Haaland in any Bet Builder for the game.

Base any Bet Builder around De Bruyne

Speaking of Bet Builders...Haaland is the shiny new signing, but Kevin De Bruyne remains the main man for Man City for me after his 15 goals and eight assists last season.

What's even more impressive is that those totals came in just over 24 games worth of playing time.

De Bruyne has scored or assisted in eight of his last 10 league games for City (8G 6A), so the Belgian to be involved in a goal again as a 1.625/8 chance in the score or assist market should be included in any of your Bet Builder options.

City and all their forward options are pretty short in the markets so Bet Builders are a good way to go for the champions - if you can figure out Guardiola's starting line-up.

Back De Bruyne goal or assist, Grealish 3+ shots & Antonio & Bowen 1+ shots on target each with Bet Builder.

11.5

With Sterling gone, Jack Grealish will have to step up this season, and this could be a good starting point as he's got three goals and two assists in six leagie games against the Hammers.

That's his best tally against any side (along with Liverpool) so he's likely to be involved here - but it's the shots market that we'll take him in.

Grealish had six shots in that eventful London Stadium meeting back in May as one of eight games where he had three shots or more. He's 1.738/11 to have 3+ shots here in a game he'll be eager to impress in.

For West Ham, Jarrod Bowen scored twice against City last time while Michail Antonio was a constant menace, and should've scored to go along with his assist.

Antonio had a shot on target in six of eight to end last season, and is 1.834/5 for another, but Bowen looks a value bet at 2.01/1 for just a single shot on target - which was his average per 90 minutes of his impressive season last year.

Those player props look very manageable but add up to a big price to start the season.

2022/23 SEASON P/L

Staked: 0pts
Returned: 0pts
P/L: 0pts

2021/22 SEASON P/L
Staked: 78pts
Returned: 119.92pts
P/L: +41.92pts

Bet 5 Get 5 on Bet Builders

You can get a £5 Free Bet when you place a £5 Bet Builder on selected Football matches this season. Keep an eye on the Betfair site for more info. T&Cs apply.