KEY POINTS

  • West Ham are playing their first game since the departure of transfer rebel Dimitri Payet.
  • Man City have already beaten West Ham twice this season in the Premier League and FA Cup.

Manchester City will travel to the London Stadium to take on West Ham United in the Premier League on Wednesday (1 February).

Where to watch live

Kick-off is set for 7:45pm GMT. Live coverage of the game will be on BT Sport 1 and 1 HD. Radio commentary will be available on BBC radio 5 live.

Overview

West Ham United will play their first match post the Dimitri Payet fiasco as they welcome Manchester City to the London Stadium. The Frenchman refused to play for the first-team and got his wish to leave the club – he rejoined former club Marseille during January transfer window.

Slaven Bilic's side have maintained their focus despite the turmoil within the club and won their last two games against Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough. After a disastrous start to the season, they have turned their fortunes around and are now away from the relegation battle and inching their way up the Premier League table. The Hammers are now in 11<sup>th place but a win can ensure their return to the top-half of the table.

Robert Snodgrass is likely to make his first start for the club since signing from Hull City earlier in the month. The Scotland international has been impressive in the first-half of the season scoring nine goals and setting up a further four for the Tigers in 24 appearances. Jose Fonte is another player set for his first start and will line up alongside Winston Reid at the heart of the defence after Angelo Ogbonna was ruled out for the rest of the season owing to a knee injury.

Sergio Aguero
Sergio Aguero will return to the starting lineup for the game against West Ham United after being rested for the FA Cup clash against Crystal Palace Getty

Manchester City, meanwhile, are suffering from a drop in form in recent weeks after having lost one and drawn the other in their last two Premier League games against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur respectively. Pep Guardiola's team have dropped down the league table and are currently in fifth place 13 points behind leaders Chelsea.

The Spaniard will be keen to resurrect their title challenge when they travel to London to take on West Ham. The two teams faced each other in the fourth round of the FA Cup, which saw the Etihad Stadium outfit register a massive 5-0 win. The Hammers will be in the mood for revenge but will have to contend with City's attacking talent, which include Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling and new arrival Gabriel Jesus.

Fernandinho could make his first start in four games after serving a ban for picking up his second red card of the season against Burnley at the start of January. The Brazilian is highly-rated by the manager and could retake his place in midfield alongside Yaya Toure.

Match Stat - West Ham have won only two of their last 16 league and cup games against Manchester City (D3, L11).

What managers say

Slaven Bilic [on Dimitri Payet's exit]: "Does he owe an apology? No. I wouldn't say that. He is gone, he went home, that was his wish and I will not forget how good he was for us. He was brilliant. I was so happy and proud, with my team, my staff, to help him achieve what he did. What he achieved with us was a great story for West Ham, for the Premier League and for France.

"I want to thank him for everything he did for us - he was brilliant last year. We were brilliant for him also. Now that story's finished, I wish him luck and all the best in Marseille," via BBC Sport.

Pep Guardiola [on Fernandinho]: "He's not an aggressive player. He's a tough, intense player, like English football is. He is one of the nicest guys I've ever met... what happened against Chelsea [a shove on Cesc Fabregas] we have talked about a lot.

"The other action [a two-footed tackle against Burnley] - I saw many of them here. We accept the ban, we don't complain, but he's not an aggressive guy. He's an honest guy," via BBC Sport.

Betting odds (betfair)

  • West Ham Win: 5
  • Draw: 18/5
  • Manchester City Win: 4/7

Team News

West Ham

Possible XI: Randolph, Antonio, Reid, Fonte, Cresswell, Feghouli, Obiang, Noble, Lanzini, Snodgrass, Carroll.

Manchester City

Possible XI: Bravo, Zabaleta, Otamendi, Kolarov, Clichy, Toure, Fernandinho, Sterling, De Bruyne, Silva, Aguero.

Premier League