West Ham vs. Manchester City: FA Cup 2017 Team News, Live Stream, TV Info
West Ham United and Manchester City will begin the third round of the 2017 FA Cup on Friday. The Hammers will be playing at London Stadium and will surely feel confident of producing an upset.
The match will be decided in attack, where both teams boast talent but also face a few questions. Specifically, West Ham need a centre-forward they can rely on, while City might rest some of their bigger names for this competition.
Here are the schedule and viewing details before a preview and a look at the team news:
Date: Friday, January 6
Time: 7:55 p.m. (GMT), 2:55 p.m. (ET)
TV Info: BBC One. Fox Sports 1
Live Stream: BBC Sport (Online updates). Fox Soccer 2Go.
Recap
West Ham's bid for an upset will depend a lot on the firepower they can unleash against a suspect City defence. One attacker sure to be in the mood to help will be former Manchester United youth product Ashley Fletcher.
The 21-year-old has already told the club's website how he will be feeling extra motivation to punish City.
"I'm a Manchester lad and coming from round there, I know what it’s like as an ex-Man United player to play against City," he said. "It will offer me a little bit more in terms of the game, but we just have to treat it as a cup tie and look to go through."
Fletcher may get the nod, but Hammers manager Slaven Bilic is already working to boost his options up front. The Croatian has reportedly seen a £6 million bid for Sunderland forward Jermain Defoe turned down, but he is expected to increase his offer, according to BBC Sport.
Even at 34, Defoe would add the potency West Ham have missed in forward areas too often this season. It's unlikely the east London club will wrap up a deal for Defoe before Friday, though, so Bilic will have to go with what he has.
It usually means relying on the mercurial brain of Dimitri Payet to unlock a defence. The classy forward can do it, but Bilic has to give him more support.
It will help to have attacking midfielder Sofiane Feghouli available, after the Algeria international had his proposed three-match ban rescinded following his controversial red card during the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United on Monday, per the Football Association's official website.
Of course, Bilic will also have to decide how much he's willing to prioritise a run in the cup, with his side seven points above the drop zone in the Premier League.
Similarly, City manager Pep Guardiola may be asking himself the same question. The Citizens are still in the title race but trail leaders Chelsea by seven points. They are also just three points above neighbours Manchester United, who are sixth.
Whatever Guardiola decides, he can't ignore his team's issues in defence any longer. Finding the right combination from John Stones, Nicolas Otamendi and Aleksandar Kolarov has been a problem at the heart of the back line.
The former Barcelona boss would be better served moving right-back Bacary Sagna into the middle. The Frenchman occasionally played centre-back for former club Arsenal and rarely looked uncomfortable.
Guardiola already knows the base of midfield will be weakened after Brazilian enforcer Fernandinho was hit with a four-match ban after receiving a red card during the 2-1 league win over Burnley on Monday.
By contrast, Guardiola boasts an embarrassment of riches up front. This may be the ideal game to hand starts to 20-year-old attackers Kelechi Iheanacho and Leroy Sane.
City have already added Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus to the ranks, although this game will likely come too soon for the 19-year-old.
Guardiola's choice of players in the final third will say a lot about how much he values this competition. If main men such as Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne are left on the bench, the Hammers will be good value for an upset.
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