Manchester City vs West Ham

Manchester City Keep Up Pressure On Liverpool

Manchester City made it 14 victories from 16 matches after recording a vital 1-0 win over West Ham United on Wednesday at the Etihad stadium. This result will keep Manchester just one point apart from Liverpool at the top of the table.

It wasn't a vintage City display but following our exertions at Wembley on Sunday, Pep will view this win as a vital 3 points in our bid to become the first side in a decade to retain the Premier league trophy.

City started the match on a high note as Kevin De Bruyne hit a beautiful Effort from distance that looked to have beaten Fabianski but only for the ball to sail wide. The Sky Blues had already created 3 beautiful chances after just 5 minutes and the visitors looked rattled. The flow of the game changed after a while, West Ham played more conservatively and with men like Declan Rice and Pedro Obiang safe guarding a back four it was surely going to be difficult to create chances.

West Ham soon had their chance but Andy Carroll failed to beat a masterclass Ederson. Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling were soon introduced into the game and Bernardo Silva showed us why he is one of the best midfielders in the world as he attracted a foul in the box. Aguero cooly slotted in the spot kick to send City into the lead. 

Sterling had two chances later on in the game but a last-ditch tackle from Ryan Fredericks and a decent save from Fabianski kept the scores at 1-0. Surely it wasn't City at it's best as they failed to score at least two goals at home for the first time this season.

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Transfers

Trio Heading for The Etihad next season??

     Recent rumours have linked Tanguy Ndombele, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Leicester city's star left back Ben Chilwell with a move to the City of Manchester Stadium but the Sky Blues have to fight off some stern competition like Juventus and fierce rivals Manchester United to secure these hot prospects.

     There's been a recent snippet of gossip as Sports Mole claim Juventus are hot on Man City's tail to secure Ndombele's signature. According to Daniel Lewis: "The 22 year old is already believed to be high on the lists of targets for Manchester United and Manchester City after starring for the French Outfit this season." Italian outlet Rai Sport also indicated that Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri is also looking forward to bolster his midfield ranks despit agreeing to sign Aaron Ramsey on a free transfer.

Ndombele is said to be valued at £78m. 

     Another young prospect on City's radar is Ben Chilwell. Chilwell has been enjoying the time of his life at Leicester this season and his top notch form hasn't gone unnoticed as it has earned him 5 caps for the Three Lions through out the autumn. Man City are currently lacking depth in the left back position with only one natural left back at the club. This move could be a chance for Chilwell to establish himself at one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

     Aaron Wan-Bissaka has unarguably been one of the best Premier League defenders this season. The young defender has been on top notch form since breaking into the Crystal Palace matchday squad. Wan-Bissaka would be a very useful signing to City as they look to boost their home-grown players. Should City make a move for Aaron, it would be a very hard decision to turn down a move to the Etihad. Former City defender Richard Dunne in an interview had some things to say about this deal: "Aaron looked a very good player when he played City. He's got great pace and gets up and down the pitch. He's not as great on the ball as Walker, but defensively he's excellent and very hard to beat."

Benjamin Mendy

Benjamin Mendy set to resume first team duties.

     Benjamin Mendy could be eyeing a return to first team football for Manchester city on Wednesday as the Cityzens go head to head in a Premier League clash with West Ham United. City Boss Pep Guardiola has reportedly stated that Mendy has been looking good in recent trainings. "Benjamin Mendy is better, he has trained for the last few days and the reaction has been good. He could be fit." Guardiola mentioned in a recent interview.

     Mendy has sustained a number of injuries since joining the club and thus the Frenchman has made just 19 appearances after signing for the club. He has made 11 appearances for the club this season and has been on tremendous form creating 5 assists for his teammates.

     The return of Ben Mendy is obviously great news for city fans all around the world as the left-back would surely bolster the team in their press for glory this season. Could he be the missing piece in City's title charge?