City Have Chance to Seize Initiative

With Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all playing later in the weekend Manchester City have the chance to go level on points with table-topping Gunners this Saturday afternoon.

If City can take all three points from bottom-of-the-table West Ham this weekend then they will move onto 32 points and go joint-top of the Premier League table for the first time since Roberto Mancini took charge.

Despite the obvious discontent in the City camp, highlighted by Carlos Tevez’s amateur dramatics when substituted in the latter stages of the 1-0 win over Bolton last weekend, they are still in the running for the Premier League title this season. Odds of 9/1 on them lifting the Premier League trophy at the end of the season are likely to shorten should they win at Upton Park.

That win is priced at around the 5/6 mark by the majority of online bookmakers with a Hammers victory at 10/3 and the draw at 5/2. West Ham will be pleased to be returning to their home ground where they are now unbeaten in five games in all competitions, including an emphatic 4-0 win over Manchester United in the Carling Cup.

The Hammers are joined in the bottom three by Wolves and Wigan. Whilst Wolves don’t play until Sunday Wigan go to Everton without a win in their last four games. The Latics will be without the impressive youngster Victor Moses who was ruled out for three months after being stretchered off in the Carling Cup defeat to Arsenal.

Everton have won the previous three meetings between the two sides and are odds-on 4/9 favourites to make that four in a row. Roberto Martinez’s men are 10/3 to stop the rot with a draw and 7/1 to get the three points that could lift them out of the relegation zone and as high 14th in the league table.

Although City have the opportunity to go top of the pile, the majority of action in the Premier League this Saturday revolves around situations at the wrong end of the table. With the busy Christmas period coming up it is important not to pick up points at this stage and avoid being cast adrift by January.