Pep Guardiola speaks
“After the game, we can talk about whatever you want… There was an impact on the players [when the ban was announced], but only for a few hours. We support the club 100 per cent. [Has it been harder to lift the players?] The players are exceptional professionals.”
He’s in no mood.
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Team news
Manchester City (4-3-3) Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Mendy; De Bruyne, Rodri, D Silva; B Silva, Aguero, Jesus.
Substitutes: Bravo, Stones, Cancelo, Gundogan, Fernandinho, Mahrez, Foden.
West Ham (3-5-1-1) Fabianski; Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Fredericks, Noble, Rice, Soucek, Masuaku; Snodgrass; Antonio.
Substitutes: Randolph, Balbuena, Zabaleta, Felipe Anderson, Lanzini, Bowen, Haller.
Referee Kevin Friend
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the rearranged Premier League match between Manchester City and West Ham United. We’re all friends here, most of us anyway, so let us speak frankly: there will be more attention on Pep Guardiola’s pre- and post-match interview than the actual football. The match is largely meaningless to City, who are going to finish second or third this season regardless. West Ham need every point they can get, though, and a draw tonight would move them out of the relegation zone.
It’ll be interesting to see what mood City are in. There’s a fair chance they will take our their FFP frustrations on West Ham, and maybe even exceed the 5-0 victory at the London Stadium on the opening weekend of the season. But they could also be subdued and lacking in motivation, in which case West Ham might nick something. We’ll soon find out.
Kick off is at 7.30pm GMT.
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