West Ham vs. Manchester City: Team News, Preview, Live Stream and TV Info

Manchester City will try to return to winning ways in the Premier League in Week 23, as they face West Ham United on Wednesday.

The Hammers have won two in a row in the league, while City are winless in their last two matches.

City cruised to a 5-0 victory in the FA Cup at London Stadium on January 6, but West Ham have improved since then, and Wednesday's clash should be competitive.

Date: Wednesday, February 1

Time: 7:45 p.m. GMT/2:45 p.m. ET

Venue: London Stadium, Stratford, London

TV Info: BT Sport 1 (UK), NBC Sports (U.S.)

Live Stream: BT Sport app, NBC Live Extra

Team News

Per Tom Doyle of the London Evening Standard, Sergio Aguero is a doubt ahead of the match, while Ilkay Gundogan remains absent with a long-term injury.

For the Hammers, Dimitri Payet has left the club, and both Andy Carroll and Mark Noble are doubtful, although the former is likely to return from a groin injury.

West Ham joint-chairman David Gold is certain it will take new signing Robert Snodgrass no time to get settled in, and he could start Wednesday's clash:

Possible City XI: Claudio Bravo, Pablo Zabaleta, Nicolas Otamendi, Aleksandar Kolarov, Gael Clichy, Yaya Toure, Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Leroy Sane, Sergio Aguero

Possible West Ham XI: Darren Randolph, Michail Antonio, Winston Reid, Jose Fonte, Aaron Cresswell, Sofiane Feghouli, Pedro Obiang, Mark Noble, Manuel Lanzini, Robert Snodgrass, Andy Carroll

Preview

The Payet saga seemed a low point for West Ham when the situation first developed, but the squad has come together since, and the Hammers have played some of their best football of the season in the last few weeks.

With Payet now officially sold back to Olympique de Marseille, the team is free of distractions in time for an important match against City.

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

Manager Pep Guardiola and his troops did not deal with the festive period well, and at the start of Matchday 23, they trail leaders Chelsea by 12 points. The defence in particular has been a weakness, although there have been reasons for optimism.

New arrival Gabriel Jesus has been a bright spot, dazzling in a short cameo on his debut and impressing on his first start against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup on Saturday. As shared by City's official Twitter account, he spoke about his journey to the Etihad Stadium:

City's focus should again be on their star creative players, with Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Raheem Sterling doing plenty of damage. West Ham can hold their own in a physical midfield battle, so running them ragged is a better alternative.

On the other side of the pitch, set-piece defending will be key, as Claudio Bravo and his defenders have looked shaky at best against aerial assaults. Few teams take advantage of set pieces and crosses more than West Ham.

Prediction: West Ham United 1-2 Manchester City