PREVIEW: The champions of England face a potentially tricky trip to London

Pep Guardiola will know that his side cannot afford to take West Ham for granted and any degree of complacency can be lethal this early on.

For the Hammers, it’s a free-hit sort of weekend – a chance to get off to the ultimate start!

To Win (90 mins)

West Ham 7/1
Draw 42/10
Manchester City 7/20

West Ham

A subsequent source of pride for London? I think West Ham had a rather interesting season last time out and some at the club might have been left a little disappointed at the end of it to be honest. They truly embodied the direct and intentional approach and were given decent currency for their efforts.

They have done some decent business in the summer and managed to hold onto the likes of Michail Antonio. I must be honest, I am relatively intrigued with how West Ham approach this game though – playing in front of their home fans, opening weekend, defending champions are in town…if adrenaline gets to their head, they might catch City on the backfoot or subsequently leave themselves vulnerable and be hit for a couple!

I’m surprised David Moyes didn’t go in a little harder for Jesse Lingard – considering what an impact the former United player had the last time he spent some time in London – but with Gianluca Scamacca and Flynn Downes joining, you haven’t exactly recruited slouches.

I’d like to see the Hammers have a real go at City and make a game of it. Acknowledge the fact that they are a seriously talented side, but don’t respect them to the point of self-inflicted detriment.

Manchester City

Manchester City begin their title defence with a trip to London, facing a West Ham side who still manage to maintain a certain degree of mystery and intrigue and shouldn’t necessarily be taken for granted.

Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko no longer make up the City squad, but management in Manchester have managed to bring in headline signings! Erling Haaland and Kalvin Phillips are two players who have enough quality to certainly have an impact on whichever team they play for – but how long before they can have an impact at City?

Phillips for me is the underrated signing here though – City miss that gritty midfield player who is happy to do all the dirty work amongst a group of players who certainly endow themselves with all things shiny in world football.

Aymeric Laporte is likely to remain sidelined due to injury and his presence might certainly be missed. I thought City were a little flat at times against Liverpool in the Community Shield last week and didn’t show their usual suffocating approach to football defence.

Against a West Ham side who will be up for a signature game in front of their home fans on the opening weekend of the season – you wouldn’t want to see them get a sniff…

Prediction: Manchester City + BTTS (39/20)

City have better players in important positions and I’ll go out on a limb and say: I can’t see the boys from Manchester getting back to their coach without all three points. However, at the same time, I struggle to find the confidence to suggest that City can keep a clean sheet and completely shut out West Ham…I mean the predictions makes itself, doesn’t it? At 39/20 get on!