How West Ham can look to get at an elite Manchester City side

If you have watched Manchester City in any match regardless of the competition this season, you will know that this is an absolutely world-class football team West Ham is about to face.

Pep has completely changed the way that City played prior to his first two titles with the club, and this City team relies on a very strong base at the back.

New signing Rúben Dias already looks to be one of the best defenders in the Premier League, while it seems that English International John Stones is having a bit of a career renaissance this season.

West Ham must be cautious in this match in terms of making sure that City does not ruin our momentum or goal differential.

When West Ham played Manchester City earlier on in the Premier League campaign, the Irons were able to hold on for a well-deserved draw by defending for their lives towards the end of the match, which seems to be a common theme for how West Ham have picked up many results this season.

However, this is a different Man City team than the one we were facing at the start of the season. This City team is now 10 points clear of first place in the Premier League, and are closing in on the title.

West Ham have been playing so well this season and have really fought in every game thus far. We simply cannot allow Man City to destroy our confidence for the rest of the season, regardless of the result of this match.

Yes, a win or draw in this match would be an insane result for West Ham. Who knows what that would do for the confidence of the players, instilling a belief that we can push on for a top-four spot. In reality though, we need to make sure that we do not allow this match to destroy all of the momentum and confidence we have built up over the past couple of months.

We need to defend with passion and pride, and try to hit them on the counter as much as we can. It’s a tough ask for sure, but if anyone can do it, it’s these Irons.