Finally, after a gruelling summer of transfer rumours and big talk, it’s finally time to let the football do the talking as the Premier League returns to our stadiums and TV screens this weekend.
Starts don’t get much more difficult than West Ham United’s though, with champions Manchester City visiting the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon to kick-off what they will hope is a second-straight title defence.
Pep Guardiola’s Blues are favourites to lift the coveted trophy once again and will no doubt be as tough a test as they come, but West Ham have lofty ambitions of their own this term.
I spoke with Freddie Pye from popular Man City social media account @City_Xtra to preview this weekend’s highly-anticipated opener.
On how the pre-season campaign has unfolded for the Blues, Freddie has been delighted with the commitment shown by players returning early from holidays, albeit after a tricky start.
Pre-season couldn’t have gone much better for City. Despite the farcical start we had to the tour with the delays to flights to the Far East, the challenges we faced while on tour were worth the trip. Several of our more senior first-team names also returned from their holiday earlier than expected, getting much-needed training under their belts before the big kick-off.
The only slight dampener on proceedings was the slight injury picked up by Aymeric Laporte towards the back end of the tour, however, that looks to be resolved ahead of the trip to West Ham. As we won the game, we won’t label the Community Shield as part of pre-season – that will certainly be counted towards our trophy haul come the end of the campaign.
Speaking about the players who have impressed over the pre-season campaign, Freddie pinpointed Kevin De Bruyne as a man back to his best – a scary thought – but he’s also been impressed by Raheem Sterling in an unfamiliar striker role.
A few players have stood out to City fans during pre-season, none more so than Kevin De Bruyne. Despite his injury-hit campaign last season, the midfielder certainly looks back to his best, and while many were struggling with the conditions out in the Far East, he looked to be strides ahead of everyone else!
Raheem Sterling has also impressed in an unfamiliar striker role and certainly filled in for Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus while they recovered from the international duties over the summer. Claudio Bravo has surprised a few too – his performances against Yokohama and more notably against Liverpool have shown a side to him that we have yet to have seen since he arrived in 2016!
West Ham fans were delighted with the acquisition of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Sebastien Haller this summer, and Freddie believes he provides the biggest threat in Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
Although we’ll be going into the game full of confidence given last season’s performances and being unbeaten in our last nine games against the Hammers, the recruitment at the London Stadium has been very impressive from an outsiders point of view.
The attacking additions made by Manuel Pellegrini over the summer would worry most teams this season and we’re certainly aware that those names would want to hit the ground running against the Champions this Saturday. The one name has to be Sebastien Haller – his record last season speaks for itself.
To sign a player who was involved in over 30 goals in 40 appearances in Germany’s top-flight is simply remarkable, and if he is to start against City, our defence should be made aware of the threat he poses. The highly skilful Yarmolenko and Anderson will also pose a threat at the weekend – their pace and technical ability would threaten the majority of defenders in the country!
It’s fair to admit that City don’t really tend to have a weak link, and Freddie thinks the spine of new signing Rodri, De Bruyne and Sterling could cause the Hammers plenty of problems.
I think even West Ham fans would agree with us when we say ‘where do we start?!’. We’re now one of the most feared teams in Europe so to pick out just a few players is difficult. The one man who certainly looks back to his best is Kevin De Bruyne.
With a goal and two assists in pre-season, the Belgian midfielder has certainly hit the ground running, and away from the goal involvements themselves, he has contributed significantly with an energy that was unrivalled in our side. Raheem Sterling has also had a remarkable start to the campaign with five goals and two assists in the unfamiliar striking role – could we see him take up that position with Jesus and Aguero still yet to reach full match sharpness?
New man Rodri has already impressed the majority of City fans. He faced his greatest test most recently against Liverpool and didn’t seem fazed by their midfielders or by their attack. He’s certainly a presence West Ham will have to deal with as he becomes the link between a formidable defensive line and the threat of David Silva and Kevin de Bruyne in midfield.
The vast majority of viewers tuning into the Saturday’s game will be expecting a City win, and Freddie has confidently gone with a 3-1 City triumph.
Personally I hate giving out score predictions, as nine times out of ten you’re made to look like a fool come full-time. But I do believe City will follow on from the victory at Wembley in the Community Shield and come away from the London Stadium as 1-3 winners.
