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West Ham Fan View: Three things to look out for when Hammers face Manchester City

Declan Rice has provided stability to West Ham
Declan Rice has provided stability to West Ham

West Ham face Premier League champions Manchester City this Sunday in what is our 35th game of the season. We were defeated 2-1 when we faced them in December. Here are three things to look out for…

How does Declan Rice respond?

Declan Rice has put in some good performances since he has featured more often, after making his debut at the end of last season. He has featured 21 times in the Premier League this season and we can’t forget that he is only 19 years old.

READ MORE: West Ham Fan View: Why did the Hammers sign Patrice Evra?

But he made a huge error against Arsenal which was the turning point of the game. It was 1-1 when he ducked under Aaron Ramsey’s shot which saw Ramsey score and catch Joe Hart off guard. So how does Rice respond? Will David Moyes start him? If he doesn’t, it would certainly be harsh, given that he has been consistent in recent weeks.

Too close for comfort?

We should have effectively secured our safety against Stoke City but we ended up drawing that game, and we nearly lost. We now sit in 15th place on 35 points, which is six points above the relegation zone.

READ MORE: West Ham Fan View: Will Hammers be relegated?

Our remaining games are against Manchester City, Leicester City, Manchester United, and Everton and there is a real possibility that we do not get any points from these games. Southampton and Stoke have been terrible all season but we cannot forget that great relegation escapes have happened in recent seasons. If one of those teams manages to find their form over the remaining games, we could be in serious trouble.

Foot off the gas?

Given that Manchester City have won the Premier League, some may assume that they will be easier to play against. But that is certainly not the case. We saw their exquisite performance when they faced Swansea, scoring five.

There are still multiple records for them to beat and Pep Guardiola certainly wants to make history. We are facing one of the best teams in Premier League history and anything but a heavy defeat will be a surprise.

My prediction? 0-3.