Manchester City Aims to Regain Its Prestige in the New Year
Manchester City ended 2024 on a high note with a victory, but the final weeks of the year were disastrous for the reigning Premier League champions. The question now is whether they can kick off the new year with a win or stumble once again.
The signs suggest optimism as they prepare to face West Ham United, a side that dropped to 13th place at the close of last year. In contrast, City finds itself in sixth place, having managed to collect just 31 points by the 19th round of the Premier League.
Amidst the disappointing results of recent months, speculation has intensified around the future of City’s Spanish manager, Pep Guardiola. However, as he marked his 500th match in charge and received a warm ovation from fans, it’s evident that confidence in “Pep” remains robust despite a dismal record of just two wins in their last 14 matches across all competitions.
Guardiola has firmly dismissed rumors of his resignation, expressing a clear commitment to steering the team back on course. Yet the road to reclaiming dominance will be difficult. Reports indicate Guardiola has pinpointed critical winter signings to strengthen the English champions’ squad and rebuild their prestige. Among the most likely targets are Newcastle United’s Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimarães and Spain international Martín Zubimendi from Real Sociedad.
Here are some key stats that could help predict the outcome and win with “Betway”:
- Manchester City has won 14 of their last 15 home Premier League matches against West Ham, losing just once (1-2) in September 2015, and has since secured eight consecutive victories.
- West Ham has conceded at least one goal in each of their last 24 Premier League matches against Manchester City. Their longest run without a clean sheet against any team in league history is 25 matches, set against Sunderland between 1923 and 1968, culminating in an 8-0 defeat where Geoff Hurst scored six goals.
- City has won their first league match of the calendar year in 17 of the past 18 years, including 12 consecutive victories since a 0-1 defeat to Sunderland on New Year’s Day 2012.
- West Ham is unbeaten in their opening league match of the calendar year for the past seven seasons (winning 4 and drawing 3), with their last loss being a 0-2 defeat to Manchester United in 2017.
- Manchester City has failed to win their last two home league matches despite scoring first in both (1-2 against Manchester United, 1-1 against Everton). The last time they failed to win three consecutive home league matches despite taking the lead in each was between December 2003 and January 2004.
- In 2024, West Ham conceded more goals than any other Premier League team (79), closing the year with a 0-5 thrashing at home to Liverpool.
- Manchester City has won all eight of their Premier League home matches against West Ham under Pep Guardiola. Only Arsène Wenger has a longer 100% home win streak against an opponent (11/11 against Leicester, 10/10 against Stoke).
- City’s star striker Erling Haaland has netted seven goals in just five Premier League appearances against West Ham, though only one of those was scored at the Etihad Stadium
With Manchester City’s future hanging in the balance, fans can turn to Betway, the best online betting site in Egypt, for an exciting way to engage with the action. As Guardiola works to steady the ship and push for key signings, Betway offers top-notch odds for those looking to bet on City’s journey back to the top. Whether it’s City’s next win or a potential shock from West Ham, Betway delivers a smooth and thrilling betting experience.
