West Ham United vs Manchester City
Manchester City have been utterly dominant in the EFL Cup. They have won the competition a record eight times, including four titles in the last four years under Pep Guardiola.
However, the reigning champions’ remarkable run of dominance will face quite a stiff test in the round of 16 as they pay a visit to high-flying West Ham United.
David Moyes’ Hammers have been in outstanding form this season and have consistently played some impressive attacking football.
West Ham knocked out Manchester’s other club – Man United – in the previous round and will be out to defy the EFL Cup 2021 betting odds at home against the reigning champions.
Talking Points
Hammers still flying high
West Ham United continue to prove that last season’s surprising success was no fluke. David Moyes’ side are up to fourth place in the Premier League table after a 1-0 home win over Tottenham this past weekend thanks to a Michail Antonio winner.
That win was the Hammers’ third win in a row in all competitions. They have lost just twice thus far this season – against Manchester United and Brentford – and both came in very dramatic circumstances.
Moyes has been known for his pragmatic playing style over the years, but his West Ham side this season is playing with a lot more attacking adventure. Their front four of Antonio, Jarrod Bowen, Said Benrahma, and Pablo Fornals has been absolutely fantastic with their lovely interplay.
Antonio has been in fabulous form with six goals and three assists in eight league appearances, while Benrahma has three goals and two assists.
Although, Moyes could make a few changes to freshen up his front line in midweek, with the likes of Manuel Lanzini, who scored the winner in the previous round against Man United, Andriy Yarmolenko, and Nikola Vlasic in contention to start.
The rest of the West Ham side is very settled at this point. Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek are among the most consistent central midfield partnerships in the league. Meanwhile, Kurt Zouma has fit in seamlessly alongside Angelo Ogbonna in central defence.
Starting right-back Vladimir Coufal has missed the last few games due to injury, but young Ben Johnson has done well while deputising for the Czech.
Man City returning to dominant ways
After two disappointing results against PSG (a 2-0 defeat) and Liverpool (a 2-2 draw), it’s back to business as usual for Manchester City.
The reigning English champions have now won three games on the bounce, beating Burnley, Club Brugge, and Brighton quite comfortably. Their away wins over Club Brugge (1-5) and Brighton (1-4) were particularly impressive.
Phil Foden is in absolutely flying form at the moment. The young English international, who has been playing as the focal point of the City attack in Ferran Torres’ absence, had a brace and an assist against Brighton and is now up to four goals and four assists for City this season.
Riyad Mahrez has been in similarly stellar form and has three goals in his last two appearances.
Both Foden and Mahrez provided plenty of EFL Cup 2021 highlights in City’s 6-1 demolition of Wycombe in the last round. Mahrez had a brace and an assist, while Foden had a goal and two assists.
Pep Guardiola decided to play a number of youngsters in that Wycombe win, particularly in defence, but he will likely start more of his established veterans for their trip to West Ham.
The likes of Raheem Sterling, Fernandinho, John Stones, and Nathan Ake could all get a run-out in what should still be a formidable starting XI even after the changes.
History
The recent head-to-head record between West Ham and Man City does not make for very good reading from the Hammers’ perspective. They have lost 18 out of their last 26 matches in the Premier League, winning three and drawing five. The Hammers’ last win over City came back in 2015.
They have not had much success in cup ties, either. They have met five times in the FA Cup and EFL Cup and have a record of four defeats and one draw.
Betting Tip
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West Ham United vs Manchester City | West Ham United Asian Handicap +1.25 @ 1.77 |
| October 28, 02:45 (GMT+8) |
Unsurprisingly, SBOTOP odds have City pegged as big 1.50 favourites to move on to the quarter-finals. West Ham are priced at 6.20 to pull off the surprise win at home, while a draw is at 3.95.
Despite being major underdogs against City, Moyes should still field a fairly strong lineup for this cup tie at home.
And while City’s second-string side is still likely to emerge victorious, look for the Hammers to give the holders a good competitive fight.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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