West Ham v Man City Preview: Mario Balotelli Must Fill Boots of Carlos Tevez

Posted Saturday, December 11, 2010 by sportinglife.aol.co.uk

PREMIER LEAGUE: UPTON PARK, SATURDAY DECEMBER 11, 2010. KICK-OFF: 1500 GMT

West Ham's hopes of a full-blown revival were punctured by Sunderland last weekend where they went down 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.

It was a distinctly average performance from the Hammers after their triumphant win over Manchester United in the Carling Cup.

Now manager Avram Grant is under pressure to haul them off the bottom of the Premier League before they become too far adrift.

The pressure is also on Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini. They are up to fourth in the table and have Arsenal firmly in their sights.

Anything but a win over the ailing Hammers will be considered a poor result as they press for the league title.

Key Match-up: Matthew Upson v Mario Balotelli England international Upson has endured a difficult start to the season. The usually dependable defender has been guilty of lapses in concentration while he has also been noticeably quieter when it comes to inspiring his team-mates. He looked more like his former self against Sunderland and that is a good thing for the Hammers, for Balotelli will be a real threat. The Italian striker will no doubt be looking to seize on the chance to capitalise on Carlos Tevez's absence.

Form Guide: It is difficult to see how West Ham will escape relegation given their results this season. The league win over Wigan and beating Manchester United in the Carling Cup has given them some optimism but all in all, the wins have been too few. City on the other hand are showing signs that they are toughening up. The scrappy 1-0 victory over Bolton could show they are learning how to grind out results, no matter how ugly the match.

Odds: West Ham 7/2, Manchester City 13/15, Draw 13/5

WEST HAM UNITED:

Grants insists he is preparing for the game as usual, despite facing a team with more than £200 million of talent to choose from.

"We prepare more or less like any other game," he said. "They are a very good team. They have a lot of good players, have invested a lot of money to be in the top, they are doing a good job most of the time so tactically we prepare like any other game. We will try to stop the strongest sides and use their weaknesses."

Grant is hopeful of earning a win that would take his team off the foot of the Premier League.

"I think it's only psychology but the most important thing for us is not to be in the relegation zone at the end of the season," he said.

"We are not even halfway through the season and we are only two wins away from the midtable so we want to think positive and want to think that we can do it.

"We've shown good football most of the games. We are thinking that we can get out of this. We need points."

Strategy: Grant will stick with his 4-3-3 system that relies so heavily on Scott Parker in midfield. Frederic Piquionne could be handed a starting berth alongside Carlton Cole and Victor Obinna after impressing from the bench against Sunderland.

Injury Update: Valon Behrami (thigh) and Mark Noble (groin) will undergo late fitness tests. Manuel Da Costa (ankle) and Thomas Hitzlsperger (thigh) are long term casualties.

MANCHESTER CITY:

Despite facing a struggling side who are rock-bottom of the Premier League, Mancini believes mega-rich Manchester City still face a tall order at Upton Park.

The Eastlands manager, who has backed opposite number Avram Gram to steer the Hammers to safety, claims the Hammers' current position doesn't reflect their performances this season.

He said: "West Ham will be a difficult game because they are having a bad time at the moment, but I think they have a good squad.

"They don't deserve to be near the bottom of the table and it is going to be a tricky game. I know that Upton Park is a difficult place to go with good supporters, and they will make it hard for us.

"I also know Avram, he's a good manager - he got Chelsea to a Champions League final. I think that West Ham will stay in the Premier League."

Mancini will be without the suspended Tevez, who has scored 10 goals this season, for the trip to the capital.

But the Italian has backed his side to cope without their Argentinian captain as they look to earn a win that will take them joint top of the Premier League.

He added: "I think that this is a time when we can try to win without Carlos. He is an important player for us. But the players that will play will have a good game - I'm sure of that.

"If we continue to play like we did against Bolton and against Stoke in the second half, then we can win without him."

Strategy: Manchester City have struggled to live without Tevez's goals and have been over-reliant on their star striker. But with him missing here, it will be a real test of Mancini's side. A worrying statistic for Mancini's men is that they've won just once since January when Tevez hasn't got on the scoresheet. That will need to change here if they want to go reach the summit.

Injury Update: Kolo Toure is expected to shake off a calf strain to start against the Hammers. Emmanuel Adebayor remains sidelined, while Aleksandar Kolarov is banned along with Tevez.