Game Week 2 Predictions: Manchester City to beat West Ham

West Ham vs. Man City preview: Champions look to maintain perfect start, Hammers hope to upset with new signings. Can City continue their dominance?

Manchester City won the title at West Ham last season, will they beat them again to keep their 100% record? (Photo credit: BBC)

 West Ham vs. Manchester City

London Stadium

5:30pm

West Ham did a lot of interesting business in the summer window and would expect the team to finish as high as possible, but they must negotiate a rampaging Manchester City side on Saturday, bearing in mind they were the ones the champions beat to lift the title in May.

The Hammers suffered a home defeat on the opening day against Unai Emery’s Aston Villa and then went to Crystal Palace to steal all three points before beating Bournemouth 1-0 to advance to the third round of the Carabao Cup in midweek.

Manchester City survived a scare last weekend to hammer Ipswich Town 4-1, with Erling Haaland scoring a hattrick for the tenth time in the colors of Manchester City. The reigning champions are one of the four teams with a 100% record going into the third game week of the season.

West Ham doesn’t have a good record against Manchester City, but they can be brave when they host the champions. The form of Jarrod Bowen, coupled with the fact he’s now their captain, can spur the Hammers on to achieve something special.

Max Kilman has hit the ground running since joining from Wolves; he scored last weekend and kept a clean sheet. Together with fellow summer recruit Jean Clair Todibo, the Hammers could boast of a solid defense with former United fullback Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right of the defense.

Manchester City brought in Savinho from Girona, and he is already a fans’ favorite after his strong showing against Ipswich; he is in the mould of Riyad Mahrez and could play on both flanks. He will be incredible again on Saturday at the London Stadium.

With Phil Foden still seeking his feet in the new season, Kevin De Bruyne has rolled back the years to give Manchester City that creative force they have always had, and with Ilkay Gundogan back at the club, you want to fancy the Cityzens as champions again.

How can West Ham hurt City? With Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta leading the line, West Ham can make a significant impact. They must be able to cope with the return of Rodri, who hasn't played since lifting the European title with Spain in the summer.

Niklas Fullkrug is ready to start; he is an orthodox striker, as opposed to Michail Antonio; Aaron Cresswell has been ruled out for weeks after injuring himself in the warm-up before the midweek cup game; Emerson Royal will replace him.

Verdict: Manchester City to win.