Premier League: Champs are Flying; Hammers Not Yet Safe

Manchester City vs West Ham United

There is no tougher Premier League assignment you can face than lining up against the dominant force in English football.

Champions Manchester City are the team to beat and are now on course for a fifth league title in six years.

They showed their mettle on Sunday to see off spirited Fulham and now welcome West Ham on Wednesday night when they will be firmly expected to deliver yet more Premier League highlights.

Talking Points

Let’s begin with the phenomenon who should be crowned footballer of the year over the next few weeks.

In Erling Haaland, City have a forward who has just become the first top-flight player since 1931 to score 50 times in all competitions.

On Sunday, he netted his 34th goal in 32 league games, equalling the records set by Andy Cole in 1993-94 and Alan Shearer in 1994-95. A reminder: the division contained 22 teams when Cole and Shearer were banging them in.

Some achievement in a team whose depth of talent, plus maturity, gives them the edge on their rivals.

They host a West Ham team in a repeat of the fixtures from the opening weekend of the season.

That was, amazingly, nearly nine months ago but since that very weekend, Haaland’s brilliance has been relentless.

As he prepares to face the team he scored twice against in his league debut, few give West Ham a chance.

Nearly a month ago, I wrote that they needed lift-off to avoid being embroiled in a relegation battle.

West Ham United will face Premier League leaders Manchester City — West Ham United manager David Moyes during their match against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park

David Moyes’ men managed just that and have since pulled themselves clear of the bottom three.

They could do with a few more points on the board, however, after back-to-back league defeats in the past week.

Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, who has called on the Hammers to pick up the necessary points to avoid the drop, will know he needs better protection than he received at Selhurst Park on Saturday where, despite taking the lead, David Moyes’ side found themselves 3-1 down after conceding three goals in 15 first-half minutes.

That seven goal thriller at Crystal Palace suggested that perhaps their focus lies elsewhere.

It’s been 43 years since the club lifted a major trophy.

Yet beat AZ Alkmaar in a two-legged semi-final and then triumph in the subsequent showpiece game in Prague and they will be Europa Conference champions.

It may hardly be a major competition but no Hammers fan will turn their nose up.

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The future then could be a promising one, given the club’s juniors last week secured an emphatic 5-1 victory against Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup final.

Not since the days of Michael Carrick and Joe Cole at the end of the last century have West Ham been able to lay claim to having the best youth team in the country.

So the future could be very bright in east London again but not as a Championship club, although anything gained from the Etihad this week will surely be a bonus.

History

City have scored in 23 of the past 24 matches against West Ham in all competitions, dating back to November 2012.

The corresponding fixture last season saw goals from one of their title heroes, Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho seal a 2-1 home win with Manuel Lanzini replying.

City have actually won 12 of the last 15 meetings with West Ham in all competitions – scoring 39 goals and conceding just eight.

Overall, West Ham have won on 38 occasions with 61 City triumphs and 19 draws.

The opening weekend of the season clash saw a goal in each half from Haaland seal a 2-0 victory in east London.