By 
It’s time for the Premier League game at Upton Park on Saturday December 11, when West Ham United host Manchester City, on Matchday 17.
The Hammers are coming off a 1-0 loss to Sunderland on matchday 16, and Grant’s charges were far from disgraced that day. Scott Parker was held at bay in midfield and prevented from dominating the way he did recently in a Carling Cup match at the Stadium of Light. The freezing weather could have something to do with that, as Parker has returned to action after being sidelined with a chest injury.
Although the Upton Park team sit 19th in the points table, it cannot be ruled out as in a tight Premiership they are just 6 points out of mid-table, and have a host of talented players to make the second Half of the season has a different story than the first. One of the positive aspects of the game was the organized back line, clearly the influence of the new defense coach, Wally Downes.
Where the Hammers will look to improve is attacking where Dyer seems to have lost his potency a bit, but in Spector they have some emerging talent in midfield who could yet make a positive mark in this Premiership.
Manchester City won against Bolton on matchday 16 thanks to an early goal from Tevez, the only goal of the game. But City created several chances with David Silva especially brilliant on the day. Zabaleta was another player who had a missed opportunity in a day, City being helped to some extent by a bad-tempered Bolton. With Boateng absent and Balotelli not playing all the time, the excessive reliance on Tevez was further underscored. Yaya Toure was very effective in midfield and, barring a mistake that almost gave Bolton the equalizer they were looking for, Hart was competent between the posts.
The result has left Man City in fourth place and the team, with good balance helped by strength in all areas, could make a serious Premiership bid this year, if only the burden on Tevez is shared by his others. forwards.
Head to head, West Ham and Man City have met 20 times in the Premier League, and City lead 9-7, with 4 games drawn. At Upton Park, however, West Ham enjoy a 6-2 dominance, with 2 games drawn. The last match between the two sides was in May 2010, a match that ended in a 1-1 draw.
West Ham have had a mediocre home record this season, winning just 2 of 8 organized games while losing 3 and drawing the remaining 3. losing only 2 and tying the remaining 2.
Before the game against West Ham, City will miss Kolarov’s sending off during Bolton’s game with two yellow cards.
West Ham’s starting eleven against Sunderland consisted of Green, Gabbidon, Tomkins, Upson, Ben-Haim, Dyer, Parker, Spector, Boa Morte, Obinna and Cole. The substitutes that played were Hines, Piquionne and Faubert.
Man City had the following men in their starting eleven against Bolton: Hart, Zabaleta, Toure, Kompany, Kolarov, Y Toure, De Jong, Barry, Silva, Tevez and Balotelli. Substitutes were Lescott, Milner and Richards.